With its striking orange and black wings, the monarch is a familiar sight in gardens and parks across the continent. Monarch butterflies are one of North America's most recognizable and well-loved insects. Every fall, many of them embark on a remarkable journey, migrating thousands of miles to reach their wintering grounds in Mexico. Along the way, they grace gardens and fields with their beautiful orange and black wings.

However, these charismatic creatures are in trouble. Eastern monarch populations have declined by more than 85% in the last two decades. Even more concerning, western migratory monarchs have declined by an estimated 99.9% since 1980. There are many reasons for this, but one of the biggest is the loss of milkweed habitat. Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed plants for food and shelter.

The problem is that milkweed plants are disappearing from fields and gardens across North America due to the widespread use of herbicides and the conversion of natural habitats to grow crops and build urban developments. As a result, monarchs struggle to find the resources they need to survive.

You can help reverse this trend by planting native milkweed in your backyard and community gardens. Restore the monarch butterfly habitat and we may be able to save the species!

Looking to help out our little monarch friends? You can help by purchasing milkweed plants online and planting milkweed in your own pollinator garden. Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed as the only food source for their caterpillars, so by planting milkweed, you're giving them a much-needed boost. And don't worry — milkweed is actually quite easy to care for. By creating a habitat for monarchs, you can help ensure that these magnificent creatures will continue to grace our gardens for years to come.

Once you've got your milkweed plants, simply find a good spot in your garden and plant them according to the instructions on the packaging. Then sit back and enjoy watching the monarchs flutter by! As well as planting milkweeds, there are other things that you can do to help monarch butterflies. If you live in an urban area, you can replace some or all of your lawn with flowerbeds. This will provide the butterflies with a safe place to lay their eggs and find nectar to fuel their long journey south in the fall. For those living in more rural areas, you can encourage wildflowers to grow on any unused land. You should also avoid spraying herbicides unnecessarily, as they can be harmful to butterflies. By taking these steps, you'll help monarch butterflies and other pollinators thrive.

Many people think that milkweed plants are poisonous, but this is something of a myth! While all parts of the plant contain a substance called cardenolides (which can be toxic to humans and animals in large quantities), the concentration of this substance is usually not high enough to cause harm.

In fact, milkweed plants have traditionally been used for various medicinal purposes, including treating coughs and bronchitis. So while you shouldn't eat milkweed leaves straight off the plant, there's no need to worry if you accidentally consume a small amount. It’s worth noting, however, that the sap from milkweed plants can irritate your skin (and your eyes), so wear gloves when pruning and don’t rub your face!