18 NEBRASKAland • JULY 2017
By Kristal Stoner
Typically monarch butterflies arrive in Nebraska
from farther south in early June. The first generation
of butterflies to leave Mexico likely stop in Texas or
Oklahoma to lay eggs, and we see the second generation
in Nebraska. The monarchs in our backyards and fields
are looking for food both for their young and themselves.
Monarch caterpillars are specialists and feed only on
milkweed, so adult females will seek out one of the
species of milkweed found in Nebraska. Common,
swamp, whorled and showy milkweed are some of
the best for monarch caterpillars. Adult monarchs are
generalists, so they look for nectar from a variety of
blooming flowers.
You can create monarch habitat in your own backyard.
Monarchs thrive and reproduce in an area as small as
a 10-square-foot plot. Monarchs breed in Nebraska
all summer and go through several generations, so to
support the entire life cycle, they need both milkweed
and a variety of flowers, preferably native, that bloom
from spring until fall. Visit OutdoorNebraska.org/
monarch for a plant list for monarch gardens to take to
your local nursery. Visit the website Journey North at
learner.org/jnorth to track the monarch migration each
year. ■
Backyard Monarchs
PHOTO
BY
JEFF
KURRUS
