I’ve had White Snakeroot and some native fleabanes pop up spontaneously. It’s always cool to see what shows up.

What’s your favorite garden plant native to your region?

The partridge peas were initially planted as a form of erosion control and soil restoration (they establish quickly, and like other legumes, facilitate nitrogen fixation).

This clip features an annual—Partridge Pea—whose extrafloral nectaries (at the base of its leaves) produce nectar throughout the growing season.

A small pollinator garden does not take up much space, and it will attract all sorts of wildlife. Not just butterflies! I have recorded frogs, beetles, bees, hummingbirds, dragonflies, rabbits, and more since adding native wildflowers around my house.

I grow two species of milkweed (both started from seed: A. syriaca and A. incarnata), and many other nectar-producing plants in my garden.

One thing you can do to help your local wildlife (in addition to reducing pesticide/herbicide use and supporting climate change action) is to plant native species.

One of the contemporary challenges this species (and many others) face is habitat loss. Monarchs require milkweed (Asclepias) species to reproduce; milkweed plants are the sole food source for their young.