Is there any value to planting just milkweed or just nectar sources, or do I need to have a mix of both to make a beneficial habitat?

The best habitat for monarchs contains a variety of native milkweed as well as nectar plants. Milkweeds are the only plants that monarch larvae can eat, so they are essential for monarchs to successfully reproduce. Adult monarchs drink nectar from a variety of flowers, including milkweed, throughout the breeding and migratory seasons. Nectar sources are especially important during the fall migration, when adults are storing energy to survive the winter at their overwintering locations. All habitat restoration efforts should plan for both milkweeds and nectar sources, and they should include plants that bloom throughout the growing season. Having a combination of milkweed and other flowering plants helps ensure that adult monarchs will have a food source even when the milkweed plants are not in bloom. To find out what nectar and milkweed plants to buy, visit Xerces Society’s Nectar Guides and our Plant Milkweed for Monarchs handout.