Grow Mexican Sunflowers and Attract Monarchs

Grow Mexican Sunflowers and attract Monarchs to your garden. Monarch Butterflies are so friendly once they know your garden is a welcome waystation for them.  This male landed on the flower I was holding while taking a picture. I let it go just before I snapped this.

Male Monarch Butterfly on Mexican Sunflower

Watch the Late Bloomer episode “Growing Mexican Sunflower” (click through to YouTube for HD resolution) and learn why Mexican Sunflower is such a great flower to grow in your garden. This episode specifically deals with Tithonia rotundifolia, or T. rotundifolia, commonly known as “Torch.” Order seeds here.

Monarchs won’t be the only pollinators who will appear. It’s a favorite of hummingbirds. I also spotted the beneficial insect Syrphid Fly. What makes a Syrphid Fly (also known as Hoverfly) a beneficial insect? Its larval form devours aphids!

Syrphid Fly on Mexican Sunflower

Low maintenance

Deer resistent

With deadheading, blooming lasts for months

Generally disease-free

Drought-tolerant once established

Widely cultivated, will grow in most hardiness zones

Saving seeds is fun!

Though Monarchs are especially attracted to Mexican Sunflower (did you know they can see the color red?), you will also be visited by other butterflies, and bees love the pollen-packed flower centers.

Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on Mexican Sunflower

You can get the Monarch butterfly’s attention with Mexican Sunflower, but Monarchs require milkweed for females to lay eggs on, so you need to be growing milkweed nearby to keep them around (grow milkweed native to your area). In the episode you can see the distinguishing feature of males. Males will visit and sup on milkweed blooms but females are the ones contorting their abdomens to lay eggs on the back of milkweed leaves. Learn more about Mexican Sunflower and Monarchs here. And learn more about planting here.

I hope you enjoy the episode and please subscribe and leave a comment, and most importantly, share “Late Bloomer” with friends.

Click photo to order Mexican Sunflower “Torch” Seeds

 ~

I receive a small commission for promoting products I’ve used and believe in. Your support of these products helps me to continue to produce “Late Bloomer” episodes to inspire people to grow their own food and take control over their food security. Click on links or photos to order products! Thank you!

Help me inspire people to grow their own food and take control over their food security. Your donation of any amount makes “Late Bloomer” possible and available for anyone.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW!

Thank you!

Tags: biodiversity, curbside gardening, do-it-yourself, farming on small scale, flowers, gardening, gardening web series, green your world, growing your own vegetables, Kaye Kittrell, Kaye Kittrell Late Bloomer, Late Bloomer, Late Bloomer Episodes, Mexican Sunflower, Monarch Butterfly, Photography, plants, sunflowers, Syrphid Fly, Tithonia rotundifolia, urban gardening, warm season, web series, Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Category: Beneficials, Curbside Gardening, Flowers, Insects, Late Bloomer Episodes, Monarch Butterfly