Jersey Shore Magazine

J e r s e y s h o r e • F A L L / H O L I D A Y 2 0 1 9 44 JERSEY SHORE NATURE FLIGHT OR PLIGHT, continued from page 43 80%, according to the Xerces Society (www.xerces.org). But there is good news. With awareness spreading in the last few years, eastern monarchs actually showed an increase of 144% over last year's count, its highest in over a decade. Preliminary reports for this year also seem favorable. Yet experts are only cautiously optimistic. "This reprieve from bad news on monarchs is a thank-you from the butterflies to all the people who planted native milkweeds and switched to organic corn and soy products," comments Tierra Curry, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity. "But one good weather year won't save the monarch in the long run, and more protections are needed for this migratory wonder…" And unfortu- nately, news on the other coast is dire for western monarchs whose populations have declined 99.5% in coastal California since the 1980s, reports Xerces. Growing Nectar Plants One of the best things residents can do to help protect monarch populations is grow pesticide-free, butterfly-friendly pollinator plants in their yard. (When buying an estab- lished plant from a nursery, ensure that the grower has not treated it with systemic insecticides.) According to the New Jersey Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NJNABA), the following native plants will provide life sustaining food to but- terflies of all types: Asters, Black- eyed Susan, Blue Flag Iris, Blazing- Star, Blue Giant Hyssop, Boneset, Cup Plant, Eastern Blue Stars, Goldenrods, Indian-Hemp, Joe- Pye Weed, Milkweeds, Mistflower, Mountainmint, NY Ironweed, Oxeye, Fall Phlox, Pickerelweed, Giant Hyssop, Spreading Dogbane, Sunflowers, Thistle, Wild Bergamot, and Wild Geranium. Recommended native shrubs and trees are: Blackberry, Bottlebrush Buckeye, Buttonbush, NJ Tea, Shrub Dogwoods, Coastal Sweetpepperbush, Eastern Redbud, and Sourwood. Non-native nectar plants listed by the NJNABA include: Catmint, Purpletop Verbena, French Marigold, Lavender, Lily, Mexican Sunflower, Purple Coneflower, Salvia, Scabiosa (Pincushion), Sedum, Zinnia, Tropical Milkweed, and Lantana. Non-native shrubs include Butter- fly Bush, Caryopteris, and Lilac. Keep in mind that just because a plant provides nectar for butterflies, doesn't mean it will be a good choice for your yard. Black-eyed Susans, for example, can spread like crazy, and butterfly bush is considered an inva- sive. Talk to your local garden center about the best choices for you. Additional elements that can be Monarch caterpillar on milkweed. Christine Menapace KJ Knutsen Photography A group of traveling monarchs stop to roost on a cool, late summer morning, grouping together for warmth amongst the cedars along the Jersey Coast.

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