Common milkweed is the priority native species to support the Monarch butterfly. Unfortunately, their population is declining toward extinction. Loss of habitat in the summer breeding grounds is another factor that could be contributing to the decline in monarch numbers. We are losing 6,000 acres of potential monarch/pollinator habitat a day in the United States due to development (2.2 million acres per year).
There is no doubt that our landscapes are becoming more fragmented and that there is less and less habitat for monarchs, pollinators, and wildlife that share the same habitat. This trend will surely continue…unless we step up and do something about it.