Monarch butterfly populations have declined by more than 80% in recent decades and the single most important thing home gardeners can do to help is plant milkweed. It's the only plant monarchs can lay their eggs on, and the only food source for their caterpillars. No milkweed, no monarchs. Every year, monarch butterflies make an extraordinary migration. Thousands of miles from their winter grounds in Mexico to breeding grounds across the U.S. and Canada, and back again. Along the way, they depend on a connected network of milkweed plantings to survive. That network is called the monarch waystation corridor, and your garden can be part of it. This six-pack makes it easy. We've paired two of the best native Asclepias tuberosa varieties to give monarchs food, a host plant for their caterpillars, and season-long color for your garden: 3× 'Hello Yellow' Milkweed : A cheerful cultivar with large clusters of bright yellow flowers that can bloom from early summer through fall. Monarchs, bees, and hummingbirds flock to its nectar-rich blooms, and the foliage is a host plant for monarch caterpillars. 3× Butterfly Weed (Tuberosa) Milkweed: The classic native species, delivering clusters of vivid orange flowers through mid and late summer. Hardy, deer resistant, and long-blooming, it's a workhorse for pollinator gardens. In fall, the seedpods burst open to reveal silky, plumed seeds which are beautiful in dried arrangements. Planted together, the yellow and orange blooms create a warm, layered display that supports monarchs from egg to caterpillar to butterfly. Both varieties thrive in full sun, are pollinator magnets, and are hardy in Zones 3–9. Plant a monarch waystation and watch them come.
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