Both showy milkweed and butterfly milkweed opened their flowers this week,…

June 25, 2026Flat to Rolling Plains

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Both and butterfly milkweed opened their flowers this week, marking the start of peak nectar season on the Front Range. These plants are critical refueling stops for monarchs in migration, and their reliable bloom timing anchors the pulse of the entire prairie ecosystem through early summer.

have been active along the corridor — four sightings in the past two months confirm the broader butterfly migration is in motion. The landscape is waking up.

Water quality remains a shadow over this seasonal renewal. Ralston Creek below continues to carry a pollution burden that triggered federal impairment designation; its cleanup plan remains pending, with no timeline set. For now, the flowering and the insects are thriving — but the stream that once powered this grassland sits on hold.

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