ATC

Melinda Myers showcases how to Grow Smart® for pollinator migration

The Monarch butterflies have begun their annual migration from Wisconsin to central Mexico, where they will spend the winter.

Did you know that Monarchs:

• …Fly 50 miles per day for approximately 1,500 miles to get to their winter home?
• …Need an abundance of nectar in the fall to supply them with the energy they need to fly all the way to Mexico?
• …Spend the entire winter in Mexico and fly back to the southern U.S. to lay eggs on young milkweed plants?
• …Can only raise their young on milkweed? (Wisconsin is home to about a dozen species of milkweeds including common milkweed, swamp milkweed and butterfly milkweed.)

Check out this new Monarch butterfly video featuring nationally known gardening expert and horticulturist Melinda Myers, who offers Grow Smart tips for helping these winged beauties get off to a great start on their migration.

Meanwhile, it’s not too early to start planning what you can do to help the pollinators when they return in the spring! Check out Melinda’s additional suggestions for habitat and vegetation that will benefit bees and hummingbirds, too.