Initiated by the St. Louis City Mayor’s office, the Downtown Pollinator Garden is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Milkweeds for Monarchs Project— a nationwide program created to increase natural habitats for migrating monarch butterflies.
The City of St. Louis’s Office of Sustainability and Metro St. Louis commissioned Arcturis to develop a plan for a pollinator garden at the Downtown Transit Center. By utilizing a 50’ diameter planter instead of a planted landscape, construction did not disrupt this high-traffic site. To educate pedestrians at the transit center site, Arcturis designed an interpretive sign detailing the purpose of the garden.
Arcturis used the plant palette from the Milkweeds for Monarchs program and supplemented the site with native perennials. To attract pollinators, planted species included Common Milkweed, Swamp Milkweed, Showy Milkweed, Purple Cone-flower, Black-Eyed Susan, Catmint, and other species. At the base of the planter, a double-row of Andorra Junipers will provide year-round color and texture.