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Native Plant Society of Texas

Garden Grants

Monarch Garden Grants

The Native Plant Society of Texas awards small grants to nature centers, schools, educational groups and others to help fund development of Monarch demonstration gardens or Monarch Waystations using native plants on public sites in Texas. The purpose of this program is to educate members, applicants, and the public about Monarch conservation and native plants, and to encourage restoration of Monarch habitats throughout the Texas migration flyway.

Learn More and Apply

Grants are funded by Native Plant Society of Texas, Monarch Watch and by individual and corporate donations to the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas (BBMT) program.

The total amount to be budgeted for this program varies from year to year. The number of grants awarded and the maximum size of grants may change with each grant cycle and depend on available funds.  The grant application each year will state the current cap on grant amounts. Groups are not required to spend their own funds to match the amount of the grant.

Funds must only be spent on native milkweeds and native nectar plants. Applications will be accepted for both new gardens and improvement and maintenance of established Monarch Waystations or Monarch demonstration gardens. Plants can be replaced or milkweeds can be added. Funds cannot be spent on signage, hardscape features, barriers, soil, amendments or any other non-plant items.

Registering your garden as a Monarch Waystation through Monarch Watch is encouraged but not required under the terms of the grant. To register your garden, visit monarchwatch.org

The Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee serves as the grant administration committee. The committee’s duties include evaluating and ranking grant applications and awarding grants. Evaluation will be based on each plan’s completeness and feasibility, its benefits to Monarchs, and its aesthetically pleasing use of native plants.

  • Open the Garden Grant Application using the link below. Part One consists primarily of simple contact information. 
  • Open the application on your own computer and save a completed copy for yourself. As you type, the spaces will expand to accommodate all your information. You must use the supplied online form. Once you submit your form, your data will be automatically entered into our grant spreadsheet, and your application folder will be created.
  • You will receive an immediate confirmation email that your data has arrived, sent to the address from which it came. This email will include your grant application number. You will need this number for all future communications with us.
  • Within three days of submitting Part One, you will receive a second email with instructions and Part Two questions attached as a Word document, sent to the primary contact person’s email. This email will also contain your assigned grant name. You will need that name for future communications with us.
  • Your application is not complete until the Part Two questions have been answered and any supporting documentation has been returned to us. Be sure to save and retain completed copies.
  • Submit Part Two application answers and all supporting documents to bbmt@npsot.org by January 20, 2026. Your email subject line should have the following format: BBMT-26-(your assigned grant number)-(your assigned grant name). Including the assigned number and name ensures it will be filed correctly in your application folder.
  • Grants will be decided around March 1st, and all applicants will be notified of their status
  • Checks should be received by mid-March
  • Funds are to be spent by October 31 of the grant year.
  • Final project evaluation report will be filed with the Bring Back the Monarch Committee no later than November 30. Any extensions must be requested and approved.
  • Messages and questions for the committee can be sent at any time during the process to bbmt@npsot.org.

Gardens may be installed in the spring or in the fall. The two-part application will help us ensure accuracy and serve applicants better as our program expands.

The Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee chairman will monitor the progress of the project. In some cases, site visits by a committee member or representative may be conducted. We ask that project coordinators inform the committee when the garden work is completed so that visits can be scheduled. By November 30, the grantee will submit a short written report (your choice of format) to the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee giving the project status or results, including lessons learned that would help others on similar projects, records of man-hours contributed by volunteers, and project accounting statement with copies of invoices and receipts. Including photos is strongly encouraged. This information will be used to capture results of the program. All reports and photos submitted will be saved to your project folder along with your application. Reports can be filed earlier than November 30 if the work is completed. Send final grant reports to bbmt@npsot.org

2026 Garden Grants are Now Closed

The application period closed January 20, 2026. Look for next’s year’s application period to open

Grant Application Part One

Monarch & Milkweed Resources

Learn about Monarchs Learn about the Monarch Butterfly   Learn about Milkweed Texas Parks and Wildlife Identification of Milkweeds (Illustrated Guide) Learn about Butterfly Gardens Wildflower Center guide to making

Monarch Waystation Requirements

Monarch Waystations are places that provide all the resources necessary for monarchs to produce successive generations and sustain their migration. A Monarch Waystation needs milkweeds, nectar plants, and some kind of

Amount and Source of Funds

Grants are funded by Native Plant Society of Texas, Monarch Watch and by individual and corporate donations to the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas (BBMT) program. In 2026, additional funds through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation will be used to underwrite some of the garden grants. The Native Plant Society of Texas is grateful for the help and cooperation of Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation in providing these funds.

The total amount to be budgeted for this program varies from year to year. The number of grants awarded and the maximum size of grants may change with each grant cycle and depend on available funds.  The grant application each year will state the current cap on grant amounts. Groups are not required to spend their own funds to match the amount of the grant.

Approved Types of Expenditures

Funds must only be spent on native milkweeds and native nectar plants. Applications will be accepted for both new gardens and improvement and maintenance of established Monarch Waystations or Monarch demonstration gardens. Plants can be replaced or milkweeds can be added. Funds cannot be spent on signage, hardscape features, barriers, soil, amendments or any other non-plant items.

Grant Administration Committee

The Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee serves as the grant administration committee. The committee’s duties include evaluating and ranking grant applications and awarding grants. Evaluation will be based on each plan’s completeness and feasibility, its benefits to Monarchs, and its aesthetically pleasing use of native plants.

Procedure and Timing

2026 Garden Grants are Open

This application initiates your request for up to $600 in funds to be used to purchase only Texas native plants for the purpose of installing or refreshing a Monarch Butterfly garden in a public place.

The application period closes January 20, 2026. Please ensure you complete this application and submit all supporting documents prior to this date. Both Part One and Part Two must be submitted for a complete application.
Register for Your Grant

Open the Application

  • Open the online Garden Grant Application. Part One consists primarily of simple contact information. 
  • Open the application on your own computer and save a completed copy for yourself. As you type, the spaces will expand to accommodate all your information. You must use the supplied online form. Once you submit your form, your data will be automatically entered into our grant spreadsheet, and your application folder will be created.
  • You will receive an immediate confirmation email that your data has arrived, sent to the address from which it came. This email will include your grant application number. You will need this number for all future communications with us.
  • Within three days of submitting Part One, you will receive a second email with instructions and Part Two questions attached as a Word document, sent to the primary contact person’s email. This email will also contain your assigned grant name. You will need that name for future communications with us.
  • Your application is not complete until the Part Two questions have been answered and any supporting documentation has been returned to us. Be sure to save and retain completed copies.
  • Submit Part Two application answers and all supporting documents to bbmt@npsot.org by January 20, 2026. Your email subject line should have the following format: BBMT-26-(your assigned grant number)-(your assigned grant name). Including the assigned number and name ensures it will be filed correctly in your application folder.
  • Grants will be decided around March 1st, and all applicants will be notified of their status
  • Checks should be received by mid-March
  • Funds are to be spent by October 31 of the grant year.
  • Final project evaluation report will be filed with the Bring Back the Monarch Committee no later than November 30. Any extensions must be requested and approved.
  • Messages and questions for the committee can be sent at any time during the process to bbmt@npsot.org.

Gardens may be installed in the spring or in the fall. The two-part application will help us ensure accuracy and serve applicants better as our program expands.

Evaluation

The Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee chairman will monitor the progress of the project. In some cases, site visits by a committee member or representative may be conducted. We ask that project coordinators inform the committee when the garden work is completed so that visits can be scheduled. By November 30, the grantee will submit a short written report (your choice of format) to the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas Committee giving the project status or results, including lessons learned that would help others on similar projects, records of man-hours contributed by volunteers, and project accounting statement with copies of invoices and receipts. Including photos is strongly encouraged. This information will be used to capture results of the program. All reports and photos submitted will be saved to your project folder along with your application. Reports can be filed earlier than November 30 if the work is completed. Send final grant reports to bbmt@npsot.org

Determination of a Monarch Watch Waystation

Registering your garden as a Monarch Waystation through Monarch Watch is encouraged but not required under the terms of the grant. To register your garden, visit monarchwatch.org

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason