Milkweed Makes a Path for Monarchs

Plant it and they will come.

That's the philosophy of the Friends of the Monarch Trail.

Years ago, more than 100 acres of the County Grounds was covered with milkweed and with wildflowers that provided nectar to migrating monarch butterflies.

Not so anymore. Development on the Grounds has done away with most of the milkweed meadows. So the Friends of the Monarch Trail have been holding annual milkweed and nectar plant sales to reintroduce the favored monarch food plant wherever possible.

On Sunday, scores of supporters showed up at Hansen Park and bought milkweed and nectar plants to take home – or, in some cases, to return to public spaces, some far afield from Wauwatosa.

"We're buying milkweed because we're putting together a rain garden in Estabrook Park," said Gil Walter, who stopped in with his wife, Edie. "As part of this rain garden, we hope to attract birds and butterflies as well.

"So the milkweed is for whatever butterflies we might attract. But we also are planting to absorb the water that gets into the ground. Prairie plants are perfect for that.

Interested in finding the Estabrook rain garden?

"We're right behind the beer garden," Walter said.

Jennifer Bye brought her daughter, Belle, and their Weimaraner, Mavis, "Because we would love to help out and keep the monarchs around for as long as possible."

Said Belle, "They will put more and more monarch butterflies there," when she plants her plants.

The Friends of the Monarch Trail did not expect to sell all of the milkweed plants they're raised or bought – thousands of them. In fact, not selling out was part of the plan.

Sunday, June 30, is planting day, and volunteers are marshaling to "plug in" all unsold plants on the County Grounds, to replace those lost during development.

You can help, and get a good look at what is happening on the County Grounds in the process.

Planting is from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, and you can pull in from northbound Swan Boulevard at the Eschweiler Buildings for the chore.

It's a rare opportunity to see the buildings up close while also getting an idea of the outline of the protected monarch habitat zone surrounding the historic buildings.