Join Tom Landis, retired U.S. forester and nursery specialist, to learn which milkweed and nectar plants are most effective in attracting monarch butterflies and other pollinators to your garden.

Using his extensive nursery experience, Landis creates pollinator habitat by growing and planting native milkweeds and other nectar plants in monarch waystations throughout the Rogue Valley. Landis has propagated all three of our native milkweeds and many nectar plants. While native plants can be the backbone of pollinator gardens, Landis believes selected non-natives and cultivars can also be a valuable addition to backyard pollinator gardens.

“I’ve been working to create pollinator habitat for almost 5 years,” said Landis. “I’ve had many successes, but I’ve also had some failures, and I like to share what I’ve learned from both outcomes.”

As a founding member of the Southern Oregon Monarch Advocates (SOMA), Landis has conducted over 80 monarch and milkweed workshops, including one at a Society of Ecological Restoration meeting in Manchester, England. SOMA is also involved in controlled rearing, and last year members raised and released over 2,500 monarchs to help restore populations of this iconic butterfly.