Millions of Monarch Butterflies Are Headed Straight for Iowa This Spring

Calling all nature enthusiasts in Iowa, this one is for you! If you're looking for a telltale sign of spring in Iowa, look toward the skies. When the flowers begin to bloom (and we're not just talking daffodils!), you'll know warm weather is on the way. Are there monarch butterflies in Iowa? There sure are! Every year, in the late spring and early summer, we get to enjoy beautiful monarch butterflies in Iowa thanks to our fields of wildflowers, milkweed, and pollinator-friendly plants. Get ready to experience a flurry of natural beauty as the butterflies begin to make their way throughout Iowa for a springtime show. Let's find out when the best time to see monarch butterflies in Iowa is.

Every year, millions of monarch butterflies spend the winter in Mexico before migrating north for spring and summer.

Keep an eye out for milkweed - this plant is crucial to the monarch migration, and fields of milkweed are great places to spot these beautiful butterflies.

The plant is the only place where the monarch butterflies lay their eggs, so it's the main food source for the monarch caterpillars before they make their transformation. If you're lucky, you could see these striped creatures feeding on the leaves of the milkweed plant this spring.

When do monarch butterflies migrate through Iowa? As early as March, millions of monarchs will make their way into Texas and then begin to split into migratory swarms. Millions of monarchs should reach Iowa by late May. The monarch migration is hard to predict, and these hardy butterflies are studied intensely every year. Keep an eye out for these beauties in your butterfly garden this spring!

You can keep track of the migration's location on the Journey North map. For more information on Iowa's monarch habitats and how you can help these beautiful butterflies on their journey, visit the ISU Monarch Conservatory website.

What's your favorite thing about spring in Iowa? Do you seek out monarch butterflies? Where is your favorite destination in Iowa to see these lovely beauties? Be sure to visit our nomination page and share it with us.

If you're looking for the best place to spot monarch butterflies in Iowa, plan a trip to Bellevue and visit this butterfly forest in Iowa. Otherwise, just make sure to keep an eye out when you're outdoors, these majestic butterflies are sure to be flitting out and about already