Hi, Dave, aren't they gorgeous? I had 4 in my garden yesterday, too! I garden specifically to attract butterflies and their larvae (I grow host plants for them). If you really want to see lots of them, grow some milkweed. There are perennial Asclepias native to your area, and many of us "butterfliers" grow Tropical Milkweed, which performs as an annual North of Zone 8 (Asclepias curassavica). I may have some seeds to share if a freeze doesn't get them first.

The Monarchs are migrating right now and lots are showing up in gardens coast to coast. The Monarchs seen East of the Rockies migrate to Mexico. It would be helpful to report your sightings to Journey North, an organization that tracks the progress of the migration. I'll give you a link.

Zinnias are a favorite nectar plant for them. I grow them, Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonias, also annual for me), Cosmos, especially C. sulphureus, e.g, 'Cosmic Orange', Golden Crownbeard (a true native annual, Verbesina encelioides), Sunflowers, and the Tropical Milkweed, which is also a nectar plant and larval host plant.

Congrats on your Monarch beauties!

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Journey North

I haven't seen any monarchs here but we do have gulf fritillaries, zebra and tiger swallowtails, and other butterflies I don't have names for that really enjoy my zinnias.

Beautiful! :0)

To me, one of the very best reasons for growing zinnias of any size and color is that they attract clouds of butterflies. It usually takes until mid to late summer for them to come, but then they hang around until frost. I love them!

I've had them on my Zinnies this year, too! I was also surprised to see Hummers visiting them quite often.

Very nice photos dave! Yes, donna.......its one of the reasons i grow zinnias every year......and it seems that we have more monarchs here than usual.....just beautiful!

carol

They are so beautiful..

Carol, are you still seeing Monarchs in Kansas? What part of Kansas, e.g., Central, Southern?

Susan

Susan,
I planted Common Milkweed several years ago. I like the fragrance of the flowers, but they seem to bloom just when it's getting hot and the flowers wilt. They don't recover well.

Do the flowers seem to be "drooping" as opposed to "wilting"? The flower umbels on this plant have a natural tendency to droop.

I don't grow this particular milkweed because it does have a tendency to spread, via underground rhizomes, rather "joyously". In my small garden, that won't work. One of best milkweeds to grow, that is the most popular of the milkweeds with the Monarchs is Asclepias curassavica, or Tropical Milkweed. It will be an annual for you, as it is for me. But, it is a very showy plant that blooms all summer up to fall. I save seeds for the following year. This is one of those plants that continue to bloom without needing to be deadheaded. The flowers are a red and yellow combo, but there is a "Silky Gold" cultivar with solid gold blooms. All butterflies, and hummingbirds, are attracted to these blooms.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Asclepias curassavica