Question about the new native plant policy at Miller State Park

Mason Craig · 2026-03-30T11:30:05.77601+00:00

I was hiking the main trail at Miller State Park last weekend and saw they've removed all the non-native butterfly bushes from the visitor center garden. A ranger said it's to protect local pollinators, but my friend thinks losing those blooms hurts the overall insect population. What's the better move for a public space like that?

the_oliver6mo ago

My buddy works at a nature center that did the same thing last year. They replaced their butterfly bushes with native milkweed and bee balm. He said the first month was quiet, but then they had way more monarch caterpillars and bumblebees than ever before. The local bugs just needed a minute to find the new stuff.

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anna5676mo ago

Yeah, @the_oliver has it right. Native plants win every time, they just need a chance.

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hollyramirez4mo ago

big agree with @the_oliver on this. native plants are definitely the way to go, it just takes a bit for the local bugs to find their new food source.

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