Flowers have always been how we say I love you in May. But what if this Mother’s Day, the flowers you gave kept blooming not just for a week on the kitchen table, but for seasons, summers, and generations of pollinators to come?
At Farmers for Monarchs, we think the most meaningful gift a family can give is roots in the ground. Not cut stems in cellophane, but native wildflowers planted in a corner of the field, along a fencerow, or beside a front porch. The kind of flowers that feed pollinators, anchor soil, and remind us that care for the land is its own form of love.
A Mother’s Story
When her daughter started learning about pollinators and nature for school, Jody Lund, a farmer from North Dakota, decided to let the wildflowers on some of her land bloom instead of cutting them back. Within a season, monarch caterpillars appeared and something shifted for the whole family. Watch her tell it in her own words.
Jody’s story is one we hear often: a child shares a curiosity, a parent pays attention, and a field becomes something more than a field. That’s what native wildflowers can do. They’re not decoration, they’re habitat. They’re a living thread connecting our farms to one of the most remarkable migrations on earth.
Monarchs need milkweed to lay their eggs. Their caterpillars eat nothing else. But milkweed isn’t the only flower worth planting: black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, wild bergamot, and dozens of other natives give adult monarchs and bees the nectar they need throughout the season.
Not sure where to start? This guide lists 13 native wildflowers that will grow in every region of the country. It is a handy resource for finding plants that will thrive on your land and bring in the pollinators. Click here to learn more.
If you’re looking for something to give your mom, or want to honor her in a way that lasts well beyond Sunday, the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund has a beautiful option. Their Gifts That Grow program lets you make a donation in her name that goes directly toward establishing wildflower habitat for bees and butterflies. They’ll even send her a card so she knows a piece of the landscape is blooming in her honor. It’s a simple, meaningful gift for the mom who has everything, and a lasting one for the pollinators who need it. Learn more about Gifts That Grow.
So yes, bring mom flowers this Sunday. But maybe also bring her a seed packet, or a few plugs from a local native plant nursery. Plant them together. Watch what comes. Chances are the pollinators will find them before summer is out.
That’s a gift that keeps blooming long after May.