Monarchs and Milkweed in Your San Leandro Garden

Updated 10.16.26: In conjunction with the San Leandro Main Library's April 2026 exhibit "Monarchs & Milkweed: A Story of Survival" we developed a list of local resources including digital links to help you learn more about supporting Monarch butterflies in our local East Bay area.

Discover Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites

Western Monarchs overwinter in special areas along California's coastal regions. The eucalyptus grove in San Leandro's Monarch Bay Golf Course is where our local Monarchs spend their winter months.

Use the digital map on the Xerces Society’s site created by Western Monarch Count to see other East Bay locations. You can also volunteer to help with the annual counting period from mid-October to November. See link below.

Xerces Society is a leader in conservation work to protect beneficial insects and a valuable resource for Monarch butterfly info, including how to visit these sites responsibly and without disturbing the butterflies when they are in winter dormancy. Western Monarch Count is a community driven project that monitors our western Monarch populations annually.

The Digital Map: https://westernmonarchcount.org/map-of-overwintering-sites/

How To Visit Overwintering Sites: https://xerces.org/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-visiting-overwintering-monarchs

Volunteer for the Western Monarch Count: https://westernmonarchcount.org/volunteer/

Volunteer at the San Leandro Butterfly Garden 

Located across from the BART station under the eye-catching Monarch mural, the San Leandro Butterfly Garden provides Monarch habitat as well as public landscape beauty.

Help maintain this special native plant garden by volunteering on the first Saturday of every month from 10am to 12pm. You’ll be shown how to assist with the site’s care, plus meet fellow butterfly lovers.

Please visit and follow the San Leandro Butterfly Garden Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SanLeandroButterflyGarden

Join Homegrown Habitats San Leandro (HHSL)

HHSL is a group of San Leandro neighbors dedicated to native plant gardening for biodiversity and a healthy ecosystem. Partnering with the City of San Leandro, they maintain a container demo garden at the Manor Branch library and promote natives in private and public landscapes. To learn more, join their email list and attend their free local events.

HHSL’s web page on the City of San Leandro’s site: https://www.sanleandro.org/1154/Homegrown-Habitats-San-Leandro

Plant Native Milkweed In Your Garden

Native Milkweed species serve as the breeding habitat for Monarchs and sole food source for their baby caterpillars. The two most popular kinds locally are Narrow Leaf Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) and Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa).

You can find these special Milkweeds at native plant nurseries and independent garden centers including ours right here at 350 San Leandro Blvd just a mile north of the BART station.

Planting Advice: Avoid planting non-native milkweed species, especially Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). Sources: Xerces Society and Monarch Joint Venture Fact Sheets.

Xerces Society Priority Action Zones in California for Recovering Western Monarchs:
https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/priority-action-zones-in-california-for-recovering-western-monarchs

Monarch Joint Venture Fact Sheet: https://mjv.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/documents/OE_fact_sheet_Updated.pdf

Western Monarch Call To Action: https://xerces.org/western-monarch-call-to-action

Article from Reasons To Be Cheerful: "Can We Bring Back The Butterflies?"

Evergreen Nursery's California Native Plants Page:https://www.theevergreennursery.com/in-the-nursery/plants-by-type/california-natives/

All Monarch & Milkweed Images On This Page Provided Courtesy of Homegrown Habitats San Leandro.