Now’s the best time to plant milkweed seeds for migrating monarch butterflies. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) recommends planting milkweed seeds by Oct. 15. Here are more details about how you can help Nashville’s most welcome tourists.
Why Milkweed Is Important to Monarch Butterflies
While monarch butterflies will eat nectar and pollinate a number of flowers, they need milkweed to lay their eggs. This is because monarch butterfly caterpillars can only eat milkweed. Monarch butterflies are currently considered a vulnerable species. Planting milkweed is a critical step in helping them survive.
How to Get Milkweed Seeds
- TDOT is giving away free red and common milkweed seeds to all Tennessee residents. Last year, they distributed 780,000 seed packets!
How to Plant Milkweed
- Plant milkweed seeds in the fall. The winter cold is essential to the germination process.
- Remove rocks and water the area where you plan to plant the seeds. Stick your finger in the wet dirt up to your first knuckle to make little holes, then place the seeds in them.
- Cover the seeds with the wet earth, and mark where you planted them.
- That’s it! Milkweed typically blooms in July.
🦋 Have you planted milkweed using TDOT’s program? Did the monarchs visit?
