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Oregon

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This information was compiled by Tom Landis (nurseries@aol.com)

INTRODUCTION

Southern Oregon is a critical “stepping stone” for western monarchs as they migrate northward from the California overwintering sites each Spring.  And much of the rest of our state provides native milkweed and nectar-bearing plants to sustain them as they continue their amazing annual journey northward.  Likewise, it is one of the last rest stops as they return southward each fall.  We appreciate all of the concern and restoration work being done by our state neighbors; we’re doing our best to provide a safe haven as the monarchs arrive to reproduce and fuel up!

 

Our many advocacy groups that have grown and joined together also work directly with each of the agencies and organizations shown at the bottom of each page.  Restoration efforts range from residential and community scale Monarch Waystations, to new habitat on golf courses and utility rights of way, to large-scale restoration on public and private lands out in the wild.  This provides an interconnected "Monarch Highway” through our state.  We also have been participating with the western monarch tagging research for many years, and are proud to have helped our researchers learn where, when, and how monarchs move through the west.

 

The three native milkweed species here in Oregon are very important to our monarchs each season.  There is currently a collaboration of agencies and groups to grow and produce local native milkweed for seed and seedlings for use on public and private lands throughout the state.  We also see the incredible importance of outreach - now more than ever!  Classroom talks, “virtual” presentations, the 2020 Western Monarch Summit, 100s of presentations throughout the west, planting work parties, and City festivals; these activities occur all over our state!

There are now more advocacy groups in Oregon than in any other western state:

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Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates (SOMA)

www.somonarchs.org

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/somonarchs

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Deschutes Land Trust

www.deschuteslandtrust.org

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeschutesLandTrust

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Brookings Oregon Monarch Advocates (BOMA)

 

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/2291948784231045/

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Portland Monarchs

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/400354500657632/

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Monarch and Milkweed Network: Eugene/Springfield

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonarchsMilkweedEugeneSpringfield/

Contacts for Information on Monarchs in Oregon

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Dennis Triglia

trigliad@yahoo.com

Elkton Community Education Center

info@elktonbutterflies.com

Stephanie Hazen

stephaniehazen17 @gmail.com

Finding Locally-adapted Milkweed Seeds, Plants and other Pollinator Plants

 

Milkweeds and pollinator plants are adapted to their local environment, and so we recommend
that the above Level III Ecoregions be used as seed zones. Whenever possible use seeds and
plants from your seed zone or the one that is closest to your location. Contact the monarch
advocates from the above map to learn the latest information.

Portland Area

 

Ida Galash has done an exemplary job of getting milkweed seeds to local folks
using Facebook posts from Portland Monarchs:

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“I am more than halfway through my third box of 500 seed envelopes. That means more than 1200 packets of milkweed have been picked up from my milkweed seed box in the Monarch Waystation on Northeast 24th since December. That is a lot of potential butterfly gardens!”

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Sources of Native Milkweed & Nectar Plants in Willamette Valley

Wings Native Plants

Shannon Jorgenson
10082 Keene Ln. SE
Aumsville, OR 97325
jorgj1s1@aol.com

Willamette Gardens
Esther Gruber McEvoy, Owner
3290 SW Willamette Avenue
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
(541) 990-0948 Cell
natives@willamettegardens.com
www.willamettegardens.com

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Echo Valley Natives

Elizabeth A. Bluemmel
1883 So. Ferguson Road
Oregon City, OR 97045
info@echovalleynatives.com
www.echovalleynatives.com

Bosky Dell Natives
23321 SW Bosky Dell Ln.
West Linn, Oregon
PHONE: 503-638-5945
FAX: 503-638-8047
Website: boskydellnatives.com

Free Source of Native Milkweed Seeds in Central Oregon

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Sources of Native Milkweed & Nectar Plants in Central Oregon

Wintercreek Restoration & Nursery (retail)


Karen Theodore
Winter Creek Nursery

63405 Deschutes Market Rd
Bend, Oregon 97701

(541) 948-0063
http://www.wintercreeknative.com
Karen@wintercreekrestoration.com

Clearwater Native Plant Nursery (wholesale only)


Mike Lattig
Clearwater Native Plant Nursery

1980 SW 55th Street
Redmond, OR 97756
Phone: 541-350-5261
mike@clearwaternatives.com
http://www.clearwaternatives.com

Kristin Currin & "Drew" Merritt
Humble Roots Farm & Nursery, llc

Mosier, OR
503 449 3694
humbleroots@gorge.net

www.humblerootsnursery.com
www.facebook.com/HumbleRootsNursery
instagram.com/humblerootsnursery

Source of Native Milkweed Seeds in Southern Oregon

 

The Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates have been collecting and distributing seeds of showy and narrowleaf milkweed for over 7 years. The seeds are packaged in attractive packets featuring artwork by Simone and Tiffany Coffan, and have been very popular.

 

Contact Robert Coffan (rcoffan@gmail.com) or Tom Landis (nurseries@aol.com) for more information.

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Sources of Native Milkweed & Nectar Plants in Southern Oregon

Suzie Savoie
Klamath Siskiyou Native Seeds

PO Box 1155
Jacksonville, OR 97530
541.890.1483
klamathsiskiyou@gmail.com

Shooting Star Nursery
3223 Taylor Rd.
Central Point, OR 97502
Office: 541.840.6453
Cell: 541.840.6091
Fax: 541.665.5892
christie@roguevalleynursery.com
www.roguevalleynursery.com

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Plant Oregon
8651 Wagner Creek Rd
Talent, OR 97540
541.535.3531
dan@plantoregon.com

OTHER INFORMATION

Native Milkweed in Oregon

 

Native milkweed presence and health is a big concern throughout the northwest.  Five species of milkweeds are native to Oregon and all are used as a larval host by western monarchs:

The two most common species are showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) and narrowleaf milkweed (A. fascicularis) can be found throughout Oregon as shown by the Western Monarch Milkweed Mapper:

Milkweeds and pollinator plants are adapted to their local environment, and so we recommend that the Level III Ecoregions be used as seed zones which are designated by different colors in the following map.  The monarch advocates listed have agreed to serve as information sources to help find local sources of milkweeds and pollinator plants.

Guide to the Native Milkweed of Oregon.j

Download PDF articles about propagating, growing, buying milkweeds, and developing monarch waystations:

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Monarch Waystations in Oregon

 

Monarch advocacy groups in Oregon have been creating monarch waystations (specialized pollinator gardens) in backyard gardens for many years. 

 

They have also established community-scale monarch waystations in highly visible locations that are useful for educating the public and fostering support for western monarchs.

 

We have also helped restore monarch habitat on large rural acreages.

This waystation sign is posted at the entrance to the Sampson Creek Preserve where 40 acres of monarch habitat were restored

Here are a few examples in Southwest Oregon:

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Coyote Trails Nature Center in Southern Medford

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This is the oldest and most developed waystation in the area and is easily accessible along the Bear Creek Bike Trail and the road leading to the baseball fields.A nearby picnic shelter and ADA pathway make it accessible to all ages.

J.H. Stone Nursery in Central Point

 

This Waystation was developed with the help of the U.S. Forest Service staff in March of 2014, and planted with native milkweed and other pollinator plants in April and May.  The nursery grows milkweed and pollinator plants and donated some transplants to the Waystation. 

 

Since there is no water source, we had to irrigate with 5-gallon water cans throughout the summer and, over Labor Day weekend, we found our first monarch caterpillars.  Due to vigorous grass and forb competition, maintenance has been on ongoing issue, so a thick mulch layer was applied in 2019 to save water and reduce weed growth.

Welcome Center on Interstate 5 near Ashland

 

This newest monarch waystation was made possible by the Oregon Department of Transportation who constructed the raised bed at the south end of the complex.  Native milkweeds and pollinator plants were installed in early May, 2014 and watered-in using an ODOT truck with a 200-gallon water tank. 

 

ODOT crews have agreed to water the plants weekly through the summer.  This high visibility location will provide an excellent way to educate the public on the need to help monarchs, bees, and other pollinators.

Oregon advocates have also taken some of the first steps to create Waystations on golf courses, and a former fish hatchery!

MONARCH NEWS IN OREGON

Help Us Conserve the

Western Monarch

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