Butterflies Cluster on Minnesota Wildflowers

Butterflies swarmed on two liatris flowers on Chuck Anderson’s property in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, on August 31.

Anderson captured this mesmerizing footage of the monarchs, posting it to his Facebook page in two clips. He told Storyful that he “just thought the sight was pretty damn cool.”

Anderson added that he sees monarch butterflies gather on his property every August. He speculated that they might do this on their way south.

According to the Minnesota pollution control agency: “August is the best month to see monarchs in Minnesota … this is the only butterfly in North America that actually migrates in the fall to a warmer climate.”

Anderson said he thinks that the flowers in the video were liatris, which are known to be particularly attractive to butterflies, including monarchs. It’s perhaps no surprise that his property has proven to attract butterflies; he described it as “16 acres of native grasses and wildflowers.” Credit: Charles Anderson via Storyful