Become a pollinator observer with Project Budburst!

From the Chicago Botanic Garden's Project Budburst website:

Soaring from Mexico into the United States and Canada, monarch butterflies are searching for one thing--milkweed plants. Monarch butterflies are beautiful, charismatic insects known for their long-distance migration and their reliance on milkweeds (Asclepias species). Milkweeds are the only plants on which monarchs lay their eggs. After the eggs hatch, the caterpillars, also called larvae, eat milkweed leaves to grow. Unfortunately, this relationship is in danger. Over the last 20 years, the number of monarch butterflies in North America has dropped, and one possible cause is a lack of milkweed plants. As efforts to plant more milkweeds are growing, researchers are studying the relationship between milkweeds and monarchs more closely. Some scientists have found that monarchs prefer to lay eggs on young milkweeds that have not yet started to flower. You can help us answer this question!

Visit the Project Budburst website to learn more about ways you can grow Milkweed and support Monarch butterflies.