Monarchs' favorite nectar plants
These are some of the nectar plants the monarchs in my yard seemed to like. Of course, you may find different results - and if you live anywhere other than in Central New York, I hope you do have a different set of plants, since NATIVE PLANTS ARE BEST FOR NATIVE WILDLIFE!
I like to mix my plants and plant them close together. Here's an assortment of native nectar plants. The monarchs (and other insects) liked this area.
Monarchs getting nectar from milkweeds
Not only are milkweeds essential for raising monarch larvae, but they're also a good nectar source for monarchs, other butterflies, and insects as well.
Nectar plants in summer
Here are just a few of the nectar plants monarchs enjoy in the summer. Many also continue flowering into the fall.
Purple coneflower
Clethra (also called summersweet or sweet pepper bush) next to the pond. If you look closely you'll see a Monarch on the right of the bush, drinking the nectar.
Joe-pye weed - Even though it's called a "weed", I think it's a handsome plant. And it's a great nectar plant, too.
This is one of my liatris or blazing star. I wasn't just lucky finding all these monarchs on this plant at once since I had just released them onto this plant. The tag is part of the Monarch Watch tagging program.
The old-fashioned sedum or stonecrop. This is one of those plants that have been around so long that people assume they're native. They're not, but on the other hand, they're not invasive either, so I've kept this nectar-rich plant in my yard.
