Many butterflies travel to northern Minnesota each summer. Among them is Minnesota’s state butterfly, the monarch. Recently, staff from the Superior National Forest spread native wildflower seed in four different places in the Forest. By doing so, these flowers will help to support existing butterfly habitat and encourage other pollinators like bees.
Flowers support habitat, monarchs
Native wildflowers are an important part of northern Minnesota’s ecosystem. They provide habitat and food for butterflies, while drawing in pollinators like bees. Recently, staff from the U.S. Forest Service’s Superior National Forest (USFS) spread native wildflower seeds at four locations in the Forest. This is part of an ongoing Forest Service initiative to expand pollinator habitat.
Some of the seeds planted included common milkweed, Canada anemone, giant hyssop, columbine, Canada milkvetch, and boneset. While many butterflies benefit from the flowers, monarchs depend on plants like milkweed because their larvae feed solely on it.
In an email, the USFS elaborated on the planting project. “Each year since 2016, Superior National Forest staff have worked to seed areas that are ready for reforestation. Silviculture and wildlife crews begin by surveying sites to identify places with good soil conditions and little competing vegetation. When they find a suitable area, they use rock rakes to prepare small square-meter plots that are spaced throughout the site. Staff then hand-seed those plots by sprinkling seed evenly across the soil. Fall is the best time to do this, often right before or after expected rain, when temperatures remain warm, and the chance of heavy frost is still low.”
They added that they spread seeds across one to five acres. However, this changes each year as staff plant in areas likely to have the most benefit and positive outcomes.
Once planted, staff monitor the plantings for two to four years. To help track plants, they use GIS mapping software to mark areas where plants are growing and thriving.
In a social media post, the USFS stated that “Seeding projects help supplement native flowering forbs on the forest, help to prevent non-native invasive plant species from establishing in soils disturbed by logging equipment, and help benefit pollinators (bees and butterflies), as well as their predators like the olive-sided flycatcher and other birds.”
The seeding project targeted areas that support existing butterfly habitat and helped native plants establish in areas impacted by logging. By doing so, non-native plants are less likely to encroach on these areas. For this project, the Forest Service purchased native wildflower seeds from MNL Corporation, a company that specializes in native seeds.
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Butterfly travels thousands of miles north
Monarchs migrate from Mexico to Minnesota each year. They are found throughout the state, reaching far northern areas. Their migration happens in stages. The first generation of butterflies reaches the southern United States. There, they lay eggs, and the second generation heads farther north.
Females lay a delicately small off-white egg on a milkweed leaf. Three to five days later, a small larva hatches and begins to feed on the leaf. Eventually, it goes through five stages, evolving into a plump caterpillar with bright stripes and curled tentacles. After nearly two weeks, it transforms, wrapping itself in an iridescent green chrysalis. It stays there for about two weeks.
About twenty-four hours before it hatches, the chrysalis becomes semi-transparent. Then the butterfly breaks free and dries its crumpled wings, which gradually unfold to reveal dramatic orange wings with black stripes and white dots along the edges. Their wingspan is 3.5-4 inches, and they weigh less than an ounce, making them superior long-distance fliers. Once grown, they rely on nectar from native flowers for food.
Later in the summer, they migrate back south to Mexico, and the cycle begins the following spring.
More info:
- Friday Spotlight: Pollinator Planting – USFS – Superior National Forest
- Monarch Butterfly – Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
- Collecting Native Seed- United States Department of Agriculture – Forest Service