Monarch Watch: Free Milkweeds Grant

Monarch Watch offers a Free Milkweeds Grant for habitat restoration projects aimed at supporting the monarch butterfly population. The program provides free milkweed plugs to schools and educational non-profits that demonstrate clear educational goals, long-term maintenance plans, and adequate space for the plants.

NOTE: 26 January 2026 Update: We have received over 200 applications for free milkweeds and are currently vetting applications. We are still accepting applications, but they will likely be transferred to 2027. Our current plan is to award free milkweeds to 200 schools this spring. Award emails will likely go out the first week of February.
Monarch Watch is a nonprofit educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration.
Free Milkweeds for Restoration Projects
Free milkweeds are available for habitat restoration projects in the Eastern and Western breeding range of the monarch butterfly. Monarch Watch and our partner nurseries have distributed over 730,000 free milkweeds for monarch butterfly habitat restoration since the program began in 2015. Thank you to our funding sources and everyone who has worked so hard to plant and care for these milkweeds!
This program focuses on distributing free milkweed plugs for large-scale habitat restoration projects throughout the breeding range of the eastern monarch butterfly population (east of the Rocky Mountains) and the western population in California. The focus is on the main migration routes.
Schools and Educational Non-Profits who demonstrate the following will be given priority for free milkweeds:
Educational goals of garden clearly describedA clear, long-term maintenance plan for the garden spaceAdequate space (at least 100 square feet) and light ( at least 6 hours per day)Spring/Summer/Fall nectar sources existing or to be added in addition to milkweedAdministrative support– Provide a letter of support from your school or organization that landscape crews will not pull the plants or re-purpose the space in the foreseeable future.Commit to a follow-up survey in the Fall for photo submissions and garden evaluations.

Eligibility

Free milkweeds are available for most of the breeding range of the eastern and western monarch butterfly.

Ineligibility

Gardens and landscaped areas do not qualify.Areas east of the Rockies that are NOT included in the program at this time are: Canada, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, most of Arkansas and Alabama, portions of North Carolina, and extreme east and west edges of Texas.