Attracting to Your Using Native

Rufous Hummingbird feeding on orange (Lonicera ciliosa) Native and Why Should We Care? Guide Many of us enjoy the beauty of in our Keystone Species backyard and community . Growing native When a bumblebee feeds on the and of plants adds beauty and important habitats for huckleberry flowers, it pollinates the flowers, which will wildlife, especially for pollinators. Even a small produce eaten by songbirds, grizzly bears, and backyard garden can make a big difference. Gardening dozens of other animals, including humans. We call connects us to nature and helps us better understand the bumblebee and other pollinators keystone species how nature works. This guide will help you create a because they are species upon which others depend. Insects and other pollinator-friendly garden. Pollinators are vital to maintaining healthy animals pollinate ecosystems. They are essential for plant reproduction, one-third of the What is pollination? food we eat – all and produce genetic diversity in the plants they pollinate. What do Pollination is the process of moving pollen from one kinds of , hummingbirds, The more diverse plants are, the better they can adapt to to another of the same species, which produces vegetables, grains, butterflies and changes in the environment. nuts, and beans. bees have in fertile seeds. Almost all flowering plants need to be Even coffee and common? pollinated. Some plants are pollinated by wind or water, Best of all, pollinators such as hummingbirds, bees, chocolate! The They all pollinate and some are even self-pollinating. However, most and butterflies are beautiful and fascinating. economic value of insect pollination flowering plants. flowering plants depend on bees, Pollinators need our help. worldwide has butterflies, and other animals been estimated at for pollination. Biologists fear several butterfly and bumblebee $217 billion. species have disappeared from parts of their range, Why use native plants in your garden? including the once common western Pollinators have evolved with native bumblebee. Why are pollinators plants, which are best adapted to the local in trouble? It appears that growing season, climate, and soils. Most habitat loss, introduced pollinators feed on specific plant species — diseases, pollution and hummingbirds sip nectar from long, poisoning tubular flowers, while green sweat bees account for much of the prefer more open-faced flowers. Non-native population declines. We plants may not provide pollinators with enough can do our part to support nectar or pollen, or may be inedible to butterfly or pollinators by creating moth caterpillars. pollinator-friendly gardens and protecting wildlife habitat.

Western bumblebee on Half-black bumblebee Maximilian sunflower and penstemon flower (Helianthus maximiliani) 1 2 Who Are Our Pollinators? Social Bees

Bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, Bumblebee (Bombus) wasps and even flies pollinate flowers, but bee species There are forty-seven species of bumblebees in Tongue lengths pollinate flowers more often than any other group, vary in bee North America. Bumblebees are the B-1 bombers of bees. species. Long including birds and butterflies. Because of their chunky size, they can fly in cooler Pollen tongues fit long, temperatures and at lower light levels than many other Busy as a Bee basket tubular flowers bees including the honeybee. Thus, queen bumblebees like penstemons Bees are by far the most effective pollinators because are the earliest to emerge in spring in search of the first and short tongues they feed only on flowers. Flowers attract and reward bees fit short-tubed flowers of the season. for their pollination service. Bees gather two kinds of foods Bumblebees flowers like Lifestyle: An individual queen starts a colony in the spring groom pollen from sunflowers. from flowers: sugar-rich nectar to fuel their flight and after she wakes from hibernation. She produces wax from their body hairs into protein-rich pollen, or bee bread, to feed their young brood. “pollen baskets,” glands in her body to make pot-like cells in which to lay Bees use their tongues to lap or lick up nectar from flowers. or corbicula, for her eggs and to store nectar and pollen for her brood. transport to the Bees are a diverse group of insects that include four The young emerge in a few weeks as female worker bees. nest. thousand species native to North America. They can be As fall arrives, most bees die and only newly mated queens organized into two groups based on their nesting lifestyle: overwinter to establish new colonies. solitary or social. About three-quarters of native bees in The European North America are solitary nest builders. honeybee GARDENING Golden currant, serviceberry, (Apis mellifera) and chokecherry flower early in spring and attract is a social bee. Nesting Lifestyles bumblebees and mason bees.

Half-black bumblebee (Bombus vagans) on Tomatoes, Rocky Mountain bee plant peppers, and (Cleome serrulata) cranberries require a special bee behavior called “buzz -cutter nesting pollination”, bee (Megachile) nest bumblebee (Bombus) in which the bumblebee grabs the flower in her jaws and vibrates G ARDENING Bees prefer blue, purple, white, orange her wings to and yellow flowers, and sweet fragrances. They see dislodge pollen ultraviolet colors – found on the flowers of buttercup and trapped in the flower’s anthers. black-eyed Susan.

3 4 Solitary Bees Solitary Bees

Green Sweat Bee Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria) (Agapostemon) These robust, metallic blue bees most commonly Green sweat bee (Agapostemon) These small, appear early in spring when trees and flower. brilliantly colored, Females carry pollen on the undersides of their abdomens. metallic green bees Lifestyle: Orchard Mason bees build nest cells in are hard to miss pre-existing narrow tunnels such as beetle burrows in trees Leaf-cutter bee in a garden. They’re or hollow centers of plant stems. (Megachile) commonly called In the nest tunnel, the female sweat bees because they occasionally land builds a series of horizontal Mason bee on people to lick up salty human sweat. Green sweat bee (Agapostemon) cells provisioning each houses provide Lifestyle: Some sweat bees nest socially, on blanketflower with pollen, nectar, and nest sites for (Gaillardia aristata) these important but most are solitary ground-nesters. an egg and then seals the pollinators. Much of what we know about the evolution of social behavior cell with mud. By the end among insects has been learned from sweat bees because of summer, the bee will A female they show different degrees of sociality. In some species, transform into an adult in leaf-cutter bee will cut circular females build and nest alone; in others, females nest its cocoon and overwinter leaf pieces to line communally and share a common nest entrance but in the chamber until it Orchard mason bee her nesting construct individual nest cells (like apartment buildings.) emerges in spring. (Osmia lignaria) chambers. If you see a bee Leaf-cutter Bee (Megachile) carrying pollen on ARDENING These pugnacious bees carry pollen on G its belly or hind Important pollinators of fruit legs, it’s a female their tummies. Leaf-cutter bees and other trees, just 250 mason bees can bee. solitary bees seldom sting. pollinate an acre of apple trees. Lifestyle: They construct their nests It would take 10,000-250,000 in tunnels in the ground, under honeybees to do the same work. stones, or in existing holes Mason bees like in dead wood. A female penstemon, and native bee cuts circular leaf pieces flowering trees such as to line her nest chambers, chokecherry, hawthorn, which are shaped like and serviceberry. Leaf-cutter bee thimbles end to end. In each, (Megachile) on she lays an egg and provisions it with goldenaster pollen and nectar for her eggs. (Heterotheca villosa) Orchard mason bees (Osmia lignaria) ARDENING Green sweat bees and leaf-cutter bees G on Wilcox’s penstemon (Penstemon wilcoxii) 5 like composites – blanketflower, sunflower, and aster. 6 Bee Gentle. Most bees will avoid Planning your garden – Bee Patient. It takes time for native stinging and use that behavior only in plants to grow and for pollinators to find self-defense. Male bees do not sting. your garden, especially if you live far from think like a pollinator. wild lands.

Go Native. Pollinators are “best” adapted to local, native Bee Bountiful. Plant big plants, which often need less patches of each plant species water than ornamentals. for better foraging efficiency.

Bee Showy. Flowers should bloom in your garden throughout the growing season. Plant willow, currant, and Oregon grape for spring and aster, rabbit brush and goldenrod for fall flowers.

Bee Chemical Free. and kill pollinators.

Bee Sunny. Bee Homey. Make Provide areas with small piles of branches to sunny, bare soil that’s attract butterflies and moths. dry and well-drained, Provide hollow twigs, rotten logs preferably with with wood-boring beetle holes and south-facing slopes. bunchgrasses and leave stumps, old rodent burrows, and fallen plant material for nesting bees. Leave dead Bee Friendly. or dying trees for woodpeckers. Create pollinator- friendly gardens Bee Aware. Observe both at home, at pollinators when you walk schools and in public Bee a little messy. Most outside in nature. Notice parks. Help people of our native bee species which flowers attract learn more about (70%) nest underground so bumblebees or solitary pollinators and native plants. Bee Diverse. Plant a diversity of flowering species with avoid using weed cloth or bees, and which attract abundant pollen and nectar and specific plants for feeding heavy mulch. butterflies. butterfly and moth caterpillars. 7 8 Butterflies Butterflies

By growing a bounty of native Silvery Blue Butterfly(Glaucopsyche lygdamus) flowering plants in your garden, Adult silvery blue butterflies appear from the end of you can attract a variety of April to September. Male butterflies can often be seen butterflies. puddling, which is sipping up soil salts and minerals in mud puddles. Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata) Lifestyle: Female blue butterflies This large butterfly (up to 6” lay eggs only on lupine and once Ants tend and wingspan) can be found from they hatch, the caterpillars eat protect silvery blue May through August. the , flowers, and seedpods. caterpillars, which Males can often be They produce a sugary secretion, reward them with honeydew. seen patrolling for or honeydew, which is eaten females along by ants. streams, canyons and narrow roadways. Lifestyle: A good pollinator garden contains food not just for adult Silvery blue butterflies butterflies, but for their caterpillars. (Glaucopsyche Female butterflies select specific plants on which lygdamus) and Two-tailed tiger to lay their eggs; this ensures that when their eggs larva feeding swallowtail on silvery lupine (Papilio hatch, the caterpillars will be able to eat the plant’s (Lupinus multicaudata) leaves while growing into adult butterflies. Two-tailed argenteus) on western tiger swallowtails lay their eggs on ash, chokecherry serviceberry (Amelanchier and other leaves. alnifolia), one of its larval plants. GARDENING Butterflies favor platform-shaped sunflower and aster, but will feed on a diversity of nectar-rich flowers from violet to serviceberry. They prefer red, purple, or yellow flowers with sweet scents. Butterflies love warm, sunny, and windless weather. GARDENING Silvery blue butterflies feed on nectar from red-osier dogwood, When disturbed, a swallowtail caterpillar rears up and extends two red horns (osmeteria) from chokecherry and other flowers. its head to frighten off potential predators. The larvae feed on lupine. 9 10 Moths Hummingbirds

Can you tell a These night-flying pollinators often evade Because hummingbirds specialize on nectar feeding, butterfly from detection, but there’s one that flies by day to sip nectar they play an important role in pollination. These a moth? from flowers – the sphinx moth. colorful, migratory birds serve as a link between Butterflies are plant populations by visiting flowers and brightly colored White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) and moths are more moving pollen over great distances. often colored in Although many moth species pollinate flowers, the muted grays and sphinx or hawk moth is probably the one most familiar Rufous browns. because it’s active by day. Hummingbird Lifestyle: They’re great flyers and some have tongues A tiny jewel of longer than their bodies. These large moths fly upwind, a bird, the Rufous tracking the airborne fragrance trail to a cluster of flowers. Hummingbird fiercely Their caterpillars, called defends its feeding areas tobacco and tomato and will attack much hornworms, are well larger animals. A butterfly known to . antenna (top)is a single filament with a club at the tip, while a moth Lifestyle: Male Rufous antenna (bottom) Hummingbird on can be broad Rufous orange honeysuckle and feathery or Hummingbirds nest (Lonicera ciliosa) tapered to a point. in willows in summer and migrate to western Mexico to spend the winter.

White-lined GARDENING To attract hummingbirds sphinx moth to your garden, provide them with nectar (Hyles lineata) starting in early spring. It’s thought that feeding on hummingbirds prefer red-colored flowers; Rufous, Calliope, yellow evening however, they will feed on any flower and Black-chinned primrose hummingbirds (Oenothera flava) that produces abundant nectar. breed in Montana. GARDENING Sphinx moths, also called “hummingbird” moths, prefer Sap wells created by Red-naped Sapsuckers pale or white flowers that open in the evening and that supply many animals with a quick energy boost. have a strong, sweet smell. They pick up pollen on their legs Hummingbirds need lots of insects (protein) in and wings. Adults nectar on columbine and honeysuckle. their diet, and will nab insects stuck in sap wells. 11 Caterpillars feed on evening primrose. 12 Beetles, Flies and Wasps Attract Pollinators with these Native Plants Flower Beetle (Typocerus) Here’s a sample of the garden-hardy native plants Beetles present the greatest diversity of insects and in our region that attract pollinators. pollinators. Regular flower visitors include soldier beetles and flower beetles. They feed on pollen and even chew on Common Name Scientific Name flowers, but in this “mess and soil” pollination process they Common chokecherry...... Prunus virginiana pick up pollen and carry it to other flowers. Golden currant...... Ribes aureum Flower beetle Red osier dogwood...... Cornus sericea (Typocerus) GARDENING These beetles are commonly seen on yarrow and sunflower. Blue elderberry...... Sambucus nigra Lewis’ mock orange...... Philadelphus lewisii Rubber rabbitbrush...... Chrysothamnus nauseosus Hover Fly (Syrphid) Western serviceberry...... Amelanchier alnifolia Because they’re so abundant, flies are important Oregon grape...... Mahonia repens pollinators even though they transport less pollen than bees. Hover flies mimic bees and wasps in coloration Orange honeysuckle...... Lonicera ciliosa and behavior to avoid predators. Beebalm...... Monarda fistulosa Hover fly Blanketflower...... Gaillardia aristata (Syrphid) GARDENING Hover flies feed on the same flowers Blue buckwheat...... Erigonum flavum preferred by bees, such as golden currant, rabbitbrush, Clarkia...... Clarkia pulchella and sunflower. Yellow columbine...... Aquilegia flavescens Coneflower...... Echinacea angustifolia Pollen Wasp (Pseudomasaris) Showy fleabane...... Erigeron speciosus Don’t be frightened if you see this wasp, it doesn’t Missouri goldenrod...... Solidago missouriensis eat insects or sting humans, but seeks out flowers for Scarlet globemallow...... Sphaeralcea coccinea pollen. A yellow jacket look-a-like, pollen wasps can be identified from other wasps by their clubbed antennae. Goldenaster...... Heterotheca villosa Pollen wasp They’re solitary nesters and you might find their hard Dotted blazing star...... Liatris punctata (Pseudomasaris) mud nests attached to rocks or twigs. Threadleaf phacelia...... Phacelia linearis Scarlet gilia...... Ipomopsis aggregata GARDENING Pollen wasps pollinate Maximilian sunflower...... Helianthus maximiliani penstemon and phacelia. Wilcox’s penstemon...... Penstemon wilcoxii Common yarrow...... Achillea millefolium

For more information on pollinators and native plants, 13 check out The Xerces Society website: www.xerces.org. 14 Mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)

How do butterflies survive the winter? Mourning cloak, Milbert’s tortoiseshell, and anglewing spend the winter as adults, but most butterflies overwinter as eggs, caterpillars or pupae. In your garden, tree cavities, leaf litter and branch piles shelter over-wintering butterflies from predators and cold weather.

Lolo National Forest Building 24, Fort Missoula Missoula, MT 59804

Text: Susan Reel • Design and Illustrations: Nancy Seiler

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