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Got milkweed?
Got milkweed?
Utah Friends of Monarchs (FOM) will have a table at the upcoming PlantFest and Seed Swap on October 11. We'll have 3-4 native species of milkweed seeds available, as well as some Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome serrulata) and Pitcher Sage (Salvia azurea v. grandiflora) - both late bloomers here in Utah, and both loved by monarchs and other pollinators.
PLEASE NOTE: In a change from past years, the annual milkweed seed order form will not be available until we can restock and package our seeds. This is due to the extensive effort to get seeds given away at the Utah State Fair and other seed swaps. Please join the Facebook Group "Friends of Monarchs | Utah" where you can request seeds from our 5,000 members spread throughout Utah.
ALSO: In April 2026, we will have 3000 native milkweed seedlings to give away. Similar to April 2025, we will identify locations from St. George to Logan to set up and distribute three species of native milkweeds. Please stay tuned!!
What's happening now?
What's happening now?
October brings with it some final sightings of monarchs as they complete their lifecycles in our gardens, as well as newly eclosed monarchs heading to one of 200+ sites down the California coast or to Mexico to survive the winter.
As many of us wrap up our "monarch season" here in Utah, some make plans to visit one of the many overwintering sites in California, or even travel to explore the much larger overwintering sites in Mexico. If you have questions about visiting these areas, please email Rachel for more info (see email at bottom of page).
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ALSO: Utah is participating in the incredible new Bluetooth tag program, where monarchs are fitted with a very tiny Bluetooth device with an antenna (really!), allowing them to be tracked through the app called Project Monarch. Download, set up a free account, and start scanning for a dozen or more monarchs tagged in the Ashley National Forest area and Uintah Basin area. You can see four that were spotted after being tagged on the image at left.
THE WESTERN MONARCH OVERWINTERING COUNT 2024/2025
As shown in the graph to the right, the most recent count recorded the second lowest number of monarchs in recorded history, with roughly 9,000 monarchs counted at all California overwintering sites.
Natural fluctuations occur from year to year, but the overall trend is not good.
EXCELLENT RESOURCES
EXCELLENT RESOURCES
Monarch Watch
Home of the national "Monarch Waystation" Program
Monarch Joint Venture
Excellent resources and webinars
Southwest Monarch Study
Our Tagging Source
Utah Pollinator Habitat Program
Utah Pollinator Habitat Program
Xerces Society
Our Mission
To engage and educate Utahns in conservation of the monarch butterfly. We do this by providing expertise and training, native milkweed seeds and/or seedlings, and leveraging partnerships with other organizations (public and private) to advance the cause of the monarch butterfly and the other pollinators who will benefit from this work.
Utah FOM Official 501c3 status August 31, 2021
Federal ID 87-2412373
Rachel Taylor, Utah Friends of Monarchs, Founder
Monarch Conservation Specialist, Monarch Watch
Page updated
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