Monarch Planting Examples

Dry Soil Conditions (Well-drained Soils)

Requirements

• Minimum 100 square feet
• Minimum 10 milkweeds of two or more species
• Minimum 4 biennial or perennial native species for nectar

Dry Conditions Planting Diagram

• 100 square feet
• 5 each of two different milkweeds
• 19 plants of four different biennial/perennial native species
• Total: 29 plants all spaced 18" apart

Legend

• (5 - PM) Purple Milkweed
• (5 - BW) Butterfly Milkweed
• (5 - WPC) White Prairie Clover
• (5 - RBS) Rough Blazing Star
• (4 - WB) Wild Bergamot
• (5 - BES) Black-eyed Susan

Wet Soil Condition (Poorly Drained Soils, i.e. Raingarden)

Requirements

• Minimum 100 square feet
• Plant more than 10 plants if using only one species of milkweed
• Minimum 4 biennial or perennial native species for nectar

Wet Conditions Planting Diagram

• 250 square feet
• 15 of one milkweed species
• 49 plants of different biennial/perennial native species
• Total: 64 plants, 24 spaced 24" apart across 150 square feet, 40 spaced 16" apart across 100 square feet

Plant Legend

• (15 - MM) Marsh Milkweed
• (3 - NEA) New England Aster 
• (6 - CP) Cup Plant
• (21- BL) Blue Lobelia
• (19 - CR) Culver's Root

Note: Plants are arranged tallest to shortest, with shortest in front. These diagrams are just one of hundreds of plant combinations that can be used from the above table.