In the r/NativePlantGardening subreddit, one user shared their successes after planting butterfly milkweed.
The user cited in particular the fact that its bright orange flowers, true to the name, attracted a monarch butterfly into the garden.
The user posted several images of the large, patterned insect nestled on top of the blooms of its namesake, expressing excitement over the phenomenon.
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
“Don’t you love when your plant attracts its intended insects!” the user wrote. “Sorry the pics were kind of far away. He didn’t like me getting close.”
While installing native plants such as milkweed and trumpet creeper have ecological benefits for your yard, this Redditor was enthralled by the striking aesthetics, too. Monarch butterflies are famously rare and beautiful, as the photos captured.
But rewilding your garden — that is, allowing native plants to naturally take over — lends itself to more than just an aesthetic, thriving ecosystem. Maintaining a native lawn can attract natural pollinators such as the monarch butterfly to enhance the growth of your plants, all while cutting down on your water and fertilizer costs.
Monarch butterflies, while not an endangered species, are close, suffering under a range of threats from urbanization to planet-warming pollution. Plants including butterfly milkweed can help encourage these populations as well as other insects and animals.
Even a partial swap can work wonders in nurturing crop-protecting pollinators and lowering the expenses — time and money alike — you spend on your lawn. Especially given the dangers of the overheating planet, conserving water and other resources while encouraging agricultural security is becoming increasingly essential.
“I just had some monarch caterpillars on my milkweed in 10a!” one commenter shared. “Was so excited!”
“Wait, THAT’S what’s supposed to happen?! In seriousness, that’s awesome. Thanks for posting!” another wrote.
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