Creating a Monarch Oasis in a Small Miami Patio

by Torres Family Monarch Oasis
(Miami, FL)

My husband and I have enjoyed watching the many butterflies (including zebras, monarchs, sulfurs, gulf fritllaries, queens and the occasional swallowtail) flutter through our patio over the years and decided to help out the monarch population by creating our own milkweed garden!

We purchased several scarlet milkweed plants from a local nursery, and the adventure began, and what an awesome experience it has been! Many monarch mommas happily laid eggs on our milkweeds, and we have been providing shelter and constant food (milkweed leaves and flowers) to the larvae, and have had over 22 healthy monarchs hatch from their pupas and fly off into the sky! It has been such a wonderful experience, that we would encourage anyone interested to please give it a go! Not only will you be helping replenish the monarch population, you will be able to observe first hand the amazing life cycle of the monarch.