100 Plants to Feed the Monarch: Create a Healthy Habitat to Sustain North America's Most Beloved Butterfly

by The Xerces Society

Overview

The plight of the monarch butterfly has captured public attention and sparked widespread interest in helping to save their dwindling populations. In this in-depth portrait of the monarch butterfly—covering its life cycle, its remarkable relationship with milkweed, its extraordinary migration, and the threats it now faces due to habitat loss and climate change—detailed instructions on how to design and create monarch-friendly landscapes are enriched by guidance on observing and understanding butterfly behavior and habits. Following the model of their previous best-selling book, 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, the Xerces Society provides at-a-glance profiles of the plant species that provide monarchs with nourishment. The plants, which are all commercially available, range from dozens of species of milkweed—the only food of monarch caterpillars—to numerous flowering plants, shrubs, and trees that provide nectar for the adult butterfly, including those that bloom in late season and sustain monarchs in their great migration. Gorgeous photographs of monarchs and plants, plus illustrations, maps, and garden plans, make this a visually engaging guide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635862737
Publisher:	Storey Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	286,377
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. They are the authors of 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, and Attracting Native Pollinators.   

Table of Contents

Preface 5

Part 1 North American Royalty 7

Chapter 1 The Life of a Monarch 11

Chapter 2 Creating and Protecting Monarch Habitat 31

Part 2 The Plants Monarchs Need 47

Chapter 3 The Extraordinary Milkweed 49

Chapter 4 Non-Milkweed Host Plants 121

Chapter 5 Nectar Plants: Native Wildflowers 129

Chapter 6 Nectar Plants: Trees, Shrubs, and Vines 235

Appendixes Community Science Projects 284

Resources 285

Selected References 286

Acknowledgments 287

Editorial Reviews

02/15/2021

Attracting and protecting monarch butterflies is easy and necessary, according to this urgent guide from the conservation nonprofit Xerces Society. “A simple patch of milkweeds and a couple of other wildflowers next to your own front door can be the place where a tiny egg hatches and grows to become part of an epic story,” the authors write, and offer key facts about the species, including an outline of the monarch life cycle, mating habits, and migration patterns. To counter dire threats to the butterflies, including insecticides and climate change, the authors suggest readers make pollinator gardens using native plants, detailing such basics as sun exposure, soil type, and bloom time, and survey more than 30 varieties of milkweed, which butterflies lay eggs upon, as well as 100 other beneficial “host” plants that provide life-sustaining nectar. The brief tips on garden design feel out of place, but the guidance on plant basics is straightforward and easy to follow. These eye-opening tips will appeal to both seasoned conservationists and those new to the cause. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A treasure chest for gardeners… a brilliant and essential addition to everyone’s monarch conservation library.” — Robert Michael Pyle, founder of the Xerces Society and author of Chasing Monarchs

“The Xerces Society is a proven source of information on how we can help insects survive in our human-dominated world… from creating successful habitat to understanding the plants that feed monarch caterpillars and butterflies, this book has it all.” — Karen Oberhauser, director of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum

“A handy guide for anyone who wants to create a pollinator-friendly garden. It’s full of easy-to-understand information about endangered monarch butterflies and lots of beautiful photographs of the types of plants you should use to help them thrive.” — Los Angeles Times Gift Guide
 
“In this in-depth portrait of the monarch butterfly… detailed instructions on how to design and create monarch-friendly landscapes are enriched by guidance on observing and understanding butterfly behavior and habits.” — Berkshire Eagle
 
“These eye-opening tips will appeal to both seasoned conservationists and those new to the cause.” — PW

From the Publisher