Monarch Butterflies Head South After a Disappointing Year
Since the middle of August Monarch Butterflies have been a steady presence in the front garden. There have been at least two fluttering around almost every day. This past Sunday there were three, passing through on their way south to Mexico.
This year started on a promising note for Monarch Butterflies. The population at the overwintering sites covered just over 4 hectares, or about 10 acres. This was a big improvement on the numbers from recent years. The lowest population on record covered just 0.67 hectares during the winter of 2013-2014.
After this positive start the Monarchs were devastated by a freak ice storm in March, while they were still in their roosting areas. Weather along the migration route was also less than favorable in May and June.
Chip Taylor, who writes the blog MonarchWatch.org, is predicting that the 2016-2017 overwintering population in Mexico will cover between one and two hectares – at most half of the prior winter’s population.
It’s a hard truth that a single storm can have a major negative impact on the Monarchs. This will continue to be a worry as long as the population remains so small. All the more reason for everyone in the path of migrating Monarchs to plant more Milkweed.
Anyhow, the three Monarchs in the front garden on Sunday morning were joined by a single Black Swallowtail. All were nectaring on the Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia), which is definitely a butterfly favorite for a number of species.
In the picture above I managed to get a Monarch and a Swallowtail into the same frame.
There were far more Tithonia flowers than butterflies, and yet the Swallowtail and the Monarchs repeatedly chased each other off of the same flower. In this behavior they reminded me of some people I could name.
As founder of the International Society for the Promotion of Tithonia (ISOPROT), I would be remiss in not repeating that Monarchs are exceedingly grateful to any gardeners who offer Mexican Sunflower along the fall migration path. Plus, look at that bright,clear orange – how can you resist?
gardeninacity 
As a British member of ISOPROT I concur that Tithonia flowers are magnets for butterflies, bees and hoverflies. Sadly, no monarch butterflies in Europe though. I was thrilled to see my first monarchs in Yosemite Valley this summer – they really are beautiful.
Yes, they are. They used to be so plentiful. I am a bit of a fanatic about their preservation.
Do you know about SaveOurMonarchs.org?
They are giving away free Milkweed seeds.
They also ask for donations to get Milkweed planting programs into the classrooms.
Here is a paste from their site:
Saving Our Monarchs. One Milkweed at a Time.
Why Support the Save Our Monarchs Foundation?
The monarch butterfly is in trouble. Their numbers are down 90% of what they were in 1992. And the milkweed plant population, which is indispensable to the monarch, is also down 90%.
Milkweed plants are the only source of food for the monarch caterpillar. But these plants are rapidly disappearing, due to the loss of habitat stemming from land development and the widespread spraying of weed killer on the fields where they live.
…….
I have Tithonias in the garden for the first time this year (thanks to Tammy) & love them. I’m a huge fan of orange in the garden and they are blooming like crazy now. I’ve not seen any butterflies on them yet, but will now know to keep an eye out.
I LOVE orange in the garden, and few flowers have better orange than Tithonia.
Tithonia is so beautiful that there is no reason not to have some in the garden.
Agreed … unless you don’t have some.
This is a beautiful flower with gorgeous visitors. Our local nurseries do not sell the plants so I tried seeds this year. I didn’t get one flower. But, I’ll try again next year because there is nothing I’d like better than to see this beautiful plant attract some lovely guests. I haven’t seen a Monarch in a long time.
They do need a long hot summer. The Monarchs may have moved south of NH by now, but I hope you see some next year.
I certainly could not resist such a mouth-watering flower.
I can’t live without it!
Jason, so interesting to read about your tracking of the Monarchs. I also worry that weather is becoming more unpredictable and extreme, with stronger storms, as climate scientists have predicted. I am about to read a controversial book, Half-Earth, in which the author calls for half the earth to be turned over to nature. I also have The Sixth Extinction but have not been able to bring myself to read it. Anyway, I hope to read Half-Earth this weekend and will likely write about it on my blog. Always enjoy visiting your your garden home, thanks for sharing it with us.
To be honest I think I’m going to stay away from those books. I don’t need to be convinced any further that the situation is frightening.
I know what you mean.
We don’t have Monarchs over here, but if we did, I would certainly grow lots of milkweed so that they could have a rest in my garden, they are such beautiful butterflies.
You can grow Milkweed even if you don’t have Monarchs. Loved by lots of butterflies and bees.
I grew Tithonia from seed in pots a couple of years ago, but it doesn’t really get hot enough here, for long enough, for them to thrive. I want to try them again though, maybe as annuals in the beds. We don’t get Monarchs really in Washington, but we do get plenty of swallowtails. I never realized that butterflies could be territorial. Our hummingbirds are, they chase each other all over the garden.
Yes, that makes sense about your not having the heat for Tithonia. But then you have so many other beauties in the PNW, not to mention the mostly mild weather …
This was the first year I’ve grown tithonia from seed and was able to give some away as well as plant them in my own garden and at the neighborhood butterfly garden. We have been wondering where the monarchs were and your report from Monarch Watch explains a lot. Over the past three weeks I usually see at least one monarch when I’m in the garden. Have to laugh over the monarch and swallowtail wanting first dibs at the same flower. My dogs are just like that!
We saw few Monarchs until after returning home from Japan.
You are going to be personally responsible for a swathe of Tithonia in this garden next year.
I hope so!
Beautiful shots of the Monarch on Tithonia. I am so grateful for being introduced to Tithonia through your blog – we have large containers of them in front of our big living room window this year, so even on a cloudy day we can see them up close and en masse from indoors! And our bees are grateful too. Thanks Jason!
You’re welcome! They do brighten up the landscape!
I’ve seen four or five monarchs this year. It doesn’t seem like many until I remember that I didn’t see any the year before.
I guess that is an improvement, then.
Poor monarchs, they really can’t catch a break. I’m seeing the first of them waft through now–there should be more in the coming weeks. The Tithonia is lovely, I imagine it would fry during our summer.
It might do OK, maybe with some afternoon shade. It’s supposed to really like heat. It is a Mexican Sunflower after all.
It’s so worrying to know how vulnerable these butterflies are,good on you being founder of such a fantastic cause and spreading the word! What’s not to like, a gorgeous plant in the garden and gorgeous creatures adorning them…..fantastic pic btw!xxx
It is a gorgeous plant, though I must admit the organization doesn’t actually exist.
Even here in southern Californa where many gardeners grow Milkweed in our community garden, I can’t help notice the decline in the Monarch butterfly population this year. Not only Monarchs but hummingbirds and bees, as well. I’m growing Tithonia next season. Every little bit helps. And, they are beautiful!
Yes, they are. Around here we saw more hummingbirds and and about as many bees as most years.
That IS a beautiful bloomer! Despite my severe lack of bright sunlight, I’m contemplating a little spot where it might thrive. I know it’s a tall plant, so I’ll have to plan carefully! In my garden, the butterfly magnets are Swamp Milkweed, Blue Mistflower, various Zinnias, Lantanas, Cosmos, Echinacea, and Pentas. I wish I could be hopeful about the Monarchs and other pollinators–trying, like you, to do my part to make a little difference. 🙂
So you find Swamp Milkweed does OK with some shade? Have you ever tried Purple Milkweed? Tolerates shade, but hard to find.
How very fragile our whole eco-system is, and how little we understand our dependence on it! Thanks for highlight it, and keep up the good work promoting Tithonia, I’ll certain pay more attention to our local butterflies too.
You’re welcome.
Who can resist growing tithonia. It is a bit slow here this year but worth the wait, although we won’t be seeing any Monarchs of course. Here’s hoping that they catch a break next year and that your food supply campaign is a success!
Better to do something than just slip into a pit of pessimism.
Interesting post with some good information about Monarchs that I had not seen before. I tried starting some Tithonia from seed this year, but not one seed came up. I may have let the soil get too warm–forgot to turn the heat mat off for several consecutive nights! I’ll try again next year, and start them much earlier, too, since may people commenting here say it’s slow. The butterflies in my garden like the Joe Pye Weed, Monarda, and Zinnias. I planted an Asclepias a few weeks ago, so I’m looking forward to seeing what it might attract next year.
Good luck with next year’s Tithonia. They do like warmth but of course there can always be too much of a good thing.
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Wonderful shots, Jason. It’s pity I haven’t Tithonia in my garden, I love butterflies on monarda and Ligularia.
Tithonia like a long, hot summer, so it may not do so well in St. Petersburg. I didn’t know that butterflies liked Ligularia.
I’m a past member of the society Jason! I’ve just pulled them out of the cut flower bed as their Nevis are
Wrong! Their necks are very fragile when cut. If they grew without irrigation I would still be a fan but as it is there are too many other plants vying for space.
I haven’t tried them as a cut flower, but I’ve seen that what you say about their stems is true.
I recently planted asclepias (again!) in hopes of attracting monarchs and providing them with a food source for their caterpillars. So far my butterfly weed is flourishing. Maybe I have finally found a place it will like in my garden. Now I need to add some more flowers for the adult monarchs.
Glad to hear your Asclepias is flourishing.
Fabulous photographs, just exceptional. A friend was recently extolling the virtues of Tithonia so it does grow here apparently. Will have to join your club.
All are welcome to the Tithonia club! And it’s free (except for the price of the Tithonia).