In celebration of National Pollinator Week (June 16-22), the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is reopening online ordering for milkweed seeds through its popular Project Milkweed initiative for the third year.
Last year, TDOT distributed more than 188,000 seed packets to residents across Tennessee. For 2025, the program again offers Tennessee residents free seed packets featuring Red and Common Milkweed seeds. Seeds will be available while supplies last and can be ordered at https://tnpollinators.org/milkweed.
TDOT is also seeking feedback from last year's participants. Were your seeds successful? Are you seeing blooms? The department encourages residents to share photos and updates using the hashtag #TDOTProjectMilkweed on social media. In 2024 alone, more than 37,000 individual orders were fulfilled, and TDOT is eager to see the impact these native plantings have made across the state.
TDOT launched its Pollinator Habitat Program in 2017 in response to the sharp decline of pollinator species caused by habitat loss, pesticide exposure, pests, and other threats. The program brings together a multi-agency partnership that includes the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
One of the cornerstone initiatives of the program, Project Milkweed, is dedicated to restoring and preserving vital habitat for pollinators, particularly the monarch butterfly, which depends exclusively on milkweed plants for reproduction. The importance of this effort has been formally recognized by House Joint Resolution 84, introduced by Representative Greg Vital, which acknowledges TDOT's work through Project Milkweed and affirms the state's commitment to conserving monarch populations and their critical milkweed habitat. While monarchs are a primary focus, the project also benefits a diverse array of pollinators essential to Tennessee's ecosystems.
National Pollinator Week, observed annually across the U.S., raises awareness about pollinators' importance and challenges. It also encourages communities to take meaningful action to help protect these essential species during the week and all year.