Tammy SonsFounder/CEO, TN Nursery · CEO TN Nursery

Fox News features Tammy Sons of TN Nursery #monarchbutterfly #pollinatorplants #tnnursery #fypシ゚

20 Aug 2025 · 3 min

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2:48

In a brief televised interview, Tammy Sons of TN Nursery discusses the alarming projected 99% extinction risk for monarch butterflies by 2080 and the broader decline of pollinators due to urban development, deforestation, and climate change. She explains why pollinator loss matters: it threatens food crop production, fruit, nuts, and the livelihoods of farmers and consumers alike. The conversation highlights that monarchs, like honeybees, are essential pollinators, and their disappearance would have global repercussions. As a practical remedy, Sons advocates planting native Tennessee perennials—such as purple coneflower, black‑eyed Susan, and especially milkweed, the sole host plant for monarch larvae—to attract and sustain pollinator populations. The interview frames native plantings as a simple, backyard‑friendly strategy to help reverse the decline.

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Butterflies are dying off with scientists predicting the species has a 99% chance of extinction by the year 2080. Now a mass revival is underway to try and save the population. Tammy Sons with TN Nursery is here. Tammy, thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. So of course the big question, why are we seeing this threatening decline?
You know, there's a lot of reasons. Urban development, um, deforestation, Climate change. That's all affecting the monarch population and pollinators in general.
And why should this be on our radar? What's the greater impact here to our ecosystem?
Well, pollinators are responsible for feeding humans and wildlife. You know, they're responsible for food crop production, fruit production, and a lot of our food supply.
So how would that impact us as Americans? Is it similar to the honeybee?
It is. They're pollinators just like the honeybees.
Is there an impact to farmers?
There is. Any kind of crop production that depends on natural pollinators, it's a threat to any kind of growers— fruit tree growers, berry producers, a lot of nut-producing plants has to have pollinators. So it's a global threat, you know, when the pollinators starts to go extinct.
So a small species with a widespread impact here, impacting a lot of people and their livelihoods. What is the fix?
The fix is to plant a lot of native plants that attract pollinators. You know, pollinators can sense a native plant up to 2 miles away, scientists state. And, you know, native plants is the fix. You've got to you know, be able to attract them with stuff that they need to pollinate and cross-pollinate with, and the key is native plants.
So what would the native plants be here in Tennessee specifically?
There's a lot of native plants. The native plants that a lot of the pollinators enjoy is the spring perennials, the fall-blooming perennials, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, milkweed, And you know, milkweed is the only plant that monarchs, which is becoming extinct, and it's a global pollinator, it's the only host plant that pollinators can lay eggs on. So, you know, native plants is the solution.
All right, a way to brighten up your backyard and help the monarch butterflies at the same time. Tammy Sons with TN Nursery, thank you so much for your time tonight.
Thank you.