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NRH MONARCHS.COM
North Richland Hills Monarch Waystation Program

HELP IS IN YOUR BACKYARD.

Host Plants for Pollinators are in low supply naturally in North Texas. Let's help by planting Lantana and Milkweed and hanging out hummingbird feeders.

"We're asking people, even if they've never had a hummingbird feeder before, to get one," said Patsy Inglet, president of the Bexar Audubon Society. "Keep in mind these little guys don't know what the weather's been here, so they're down in the tropics where there's plenty of food, and they're starting to work their way north."

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ABOUT

Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarch butterflies embark on an ambitious migration. They can travel more than 2,800 miles from the US and Canada to overwintering sites in central Mexico. The monarch migration is truly one of the world's greatest natural wonders, yet it's now threatened by habitat loss in North America.

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Milkweeds and nectar sources for pollinators are declining due to development and the widespread use of herbicides in croplands, pastures and roadsides. The use of herbicides and chemicals in farms, cities and home gardens has also created a threat to the food source for these important members of the human food source chain.

About
OUR NATURE PARTNERS

Did you know that every third bite of food we eat comes to our table courtesy of a pollinator? Without the assistance of pollinators, most plants cannot produce fruits and seeds. Could you imagine what would happen if we no longer have fruits and seeds? It makes the very small and very beautiful Monarch butterfly an integral part of human survival! Monarch butterflies, bees and many other pollinators share much of the same habitat, so what happens to monarchs and their food sources happens to all pollinators.

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There is something we can do in North Richland Hills, though, that can have a positive effect on preserving our pollinators and can  build a future that includes these important nature partners who are vital to our survival and the well-being of our planet.

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We invite you to join us

in our NRH Monarch Waystation Program. Whether by supporting or visiting our local city waystations or by creating one in your own backyard, we can work together to assure a bright future for our nature partners.

HELP THEM/HELP US

Milkweed is the only plant on which monarchs lay their eggs and it provides food for their baby caterpillars. But between 1999 and 2010, nearly 60% of milkweed in the Midwest disappeared. Let's work together as a City to help monarchs by creating Monarch Waystations (monarch habitats) in our home gardens, at our schools, businesses, parks, trails, roadsides, and on other unused plots of land. Together we can effect a major effort to restore milkweeds to as many locations as possible, to help bolster the Monarch population. 

By creating and maintaining a Monarch Waystation you will contribute to monarch conservation, an effort that will help assure the preservation of the species and the continuation of the spectacular monarch migration phenomenon for future generations. You'll also help the Monarchs help us as they continue to pollinate the seeds and fruits necessary for our sustenance.

Services

The City of North Richland Hills

4301 City Point Drive, North Richland Hills, Texas  76180

817-427-6620      tzonker@nrhtx.com

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Making your own Monarch waystation is a easy as planting some common plants in a bright outdoor area. The addition of a bird bath or water fountain will add to the natural beauty and attract many other types of outdoor visitors. The plants listed below grow easily and rapidly in the North Texas Region and will create a splash of color...and many have a beautiful fragrance that can be enjoyed for much of the season. Plants can be left to grow natural or be trimmed back in a more landscaped fashion. Remember, though, beneficial insects such as Ladybugs also choose to live around and about the tubular stalks of plants such as Lantana, so a natural look will create an inviting spot for them to create a home. 

 

Please be sure to follow City ordinances and codes when creating your waystation. Grass and weeds growing to a greater height than 10 inches, or growing in rank profusion including along, upon or across a public sidewalk or street is a code violation. More information on codes and ordinances can be obtained at nrhtx.com.

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Butterflies and moths have four stages of life: egg, larva (the caterpillar stage), pupa (the chrysalis phase in a butterfly's development), and adult.

It takes a monarch butterfly just 28 to 38 days to complete its life cycle.

Host Plants For Monarchs – Milkweeds:

  • Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)

  • Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

  • Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

  • Green Antelopehorn (Asclepias viridis)


Annuals or Biennials:

  • Blanket Flower (Gaillardia spp.)

  • Pentas (Pentas spp.)

  • Cleome (Cleome spp.)

  • Porterweed (Stachytarpheta spp.)

  • Cosmos (Cosmos spp.)

  • Sweet William (Dianthus spp.)

  • Floss Flower (Ageratum spp.)

  • Thistle (Centaurea and Cirsium sp.)

  • French Marigold (Tagetes patula)

  • Verbena/Vervain (Verbena spp.)

  • Lantana (Lantana spp.)

  • Zinnia (Zinnia spp.)

  • Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)


Other Annuals or Biennials Nectar Plants – Perennials:

  • Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)

  • Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)

  • Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  • Mallow (Malva spp.)

  • Blazingstar/Gayfeather (Liatris spp.)

  • New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)

  • Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

  • Phlox (Phlox spp.)

  • Butterfly Bush (Buddleia spp.)

  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

  • Caryopteris (Caryopteris spp.)

  • Sedum (Sedum spectabile)

  • Catmint, Catnip (Nepeta spp.)

  • Senna, Cassia (Senna spp.)

  • Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)

  • Violet (Viola spp.)

  • Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

  • Vitex (Vitex spp.)

  • Hollyhock (Alcea spp.)

  • Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

© 2022-23 City of North Richland Hills, TX.   4301 City Point Drive, NRH TX 76180

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