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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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