Our Mission
Our goal is to educate the public on the need to provide a natural habitat for monarchs in your own yard, to support monarchs migrating from Mexico to Canada and back. We preach, No Milkweed – No Monarchs! We have recruited and trained over 70 volunteers to raise monarchs at Spring Valley Nature Center. Volunteers agree to a minimum of 1.5 hours a week, on the same day at the same time, 7 days a week. The season goes from late May to late September, depending on the weather.
May is Monarch Month – Plant Milkweed!
Over 100 species of milkweed exist in North America, with 24 native to Illinois. They are all in the genus Asclepia. We recommend three most common varieties seen in our area butterfly gardens. Remember, No Milkweed, No Monarchs!
Swamp Milkweed
Swamp Milkweed has fuchsia flat-top flowers with rose overtones at the ends of the stems from mid summer to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Butterfly Weed
Butterfly Weed has fragrant orange flat-top flowers with gold overtones at the ends of the stems from mid to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its narrow leaves remain green in color throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Common Milkweed
This variety produces a profusion of sweet-scented shell pink flowers and is the mandatory food source for the caterpillars of the Monarch butterfly who feast on the leaves; best in well drained soil and spreads quickly by rhizomes; best in a large area