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Bailey Butterfly Fest & Native Plant Sale
Saturday, March 8th, 2025
4020 Lost Oasis Hollow, Austin, TX 78739
Festival: 11:00AM - 2:00PM
Plant Sale: 11:00AM - 5:00PM
Bailey Middle School's Butterfly Fest & Native Plant Sale is a fundraiser for the school's Native Plants & Animals program and an opportunity for our community to celebrate and learn about Texas' unique plants and pollinators. Not only are native plants hardier and easier to maintain, but they are necessary to helping our birds, bees, butterflies, and other local pollinators thrive!
Dress up like a plant or pollinator for a chance to win a butterfly hatching kit!
Why Buy Native Plants?
Low Maintenance
Native plants require less water and are resistant to pests and diseases.
Support Wildlife
Local insects and animals depend on native plants for food and shelter.
Prevent Erosion
Native plants stabilize soil with their roots, absorb water & slow water runoff.
Improve Soil
Native plants help with nutrient cycling, soil structure & water filtration.
Don't Be Fooled by
the Wrong Milkweed!
Did you know that Monarch butterfly caterpillar ONLY feeds on the milkweed bush? However, not all milkweed is the same! Most nurseries sell a variety called Tropical Milkweed that is native to Central and South America — NOT Texas.
Planting tropical milkweed harms Monarch butterflies:
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Tropical milkweed blooms in the cold weather and confuses Monarchs, making them try to overwinter locally instead of migrating South.
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Tropical milkweed can harbor a spore-driven disease called Ophryocystis Elektroscirrha that kills Monarchs.
The good news is, there are over 30 species of milkweed plants that are native to Texas! One of the most important for monarch butterflies is Antelope Horns because it isa common milkweed plant that grows in pastures and along roadsides throughout the central flyway of Texas, the path that most Monarchs take on their migration through Texas. (And guess what? We'll be selling the "right" milkweed at the Bailey Butterfly Fest & Native Plant Sale!)
Learn More & Get Involved
Please contact baileymsnpa@gmail.com if you have general questions about Butterfly Fest or if you are interested in volunteering, hosting a table, or promoting your business as an event sponsor.