As spring approaches, March 12 marks National Plant a Flower Day—a perfect time to enhance your garden and help pollinators like the endangered eastern monarch butterfly.
With longer days and warmer temperatures, it’s an ideal moment to plant native wildflowers that will create a haven for these crucial pollinators.
Due to challenges such as pesticide use, pollinator populations are dwindling, with the eastern monarch butterfly seeing significant population drops in recent years.
The 2024 survey from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) revealed the butterfly’s wintering population occupied only 2.2 acres of forest in Mexico, a 59% decrease from the previous year.
However, there’s hope for their recovery. A report in early March 2025 revealed that the monarch butterfly’s population has nearly doubled, now occupying 4.42 acres of forest. Despite this progress, the monarchs still face long-term population challenges.
One way to help is by creating a pollinator garden. By planting milkweed and native wildflowers, you can provide a vital food source for monarch butterflies and other pollinators, like bees and hummingbirds. Even if you don’t have a backyard, you can start a garden in pots, contributing to the conservation of these essential species.
A well-planned garden that blooms year-round ensures a steady nectar supply for monarchs during their migration. For example, seaside goldenrod, which thrives in Florida’s sandy soils, is a great choice, providing nectar for monarchs as they travel through the state.
This National Plant a Flower Day, take a step to create a beautiful, pollinator-friendly garden that will support these vital species and help ensure a thriving ecosystem for years to come.
