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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Pollinator Gardens in Alaska

Most flowering plants depend on lupine, camas, viburnum, aster, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and clover. and other animals for pollination. Pollination is an essential part of Additional pollinator-friendly plant reproduction, producing Alaskan wildflowers include fertile seeds and, in some species, arnica, valerian, northern fruit. geranium, monkshood, yarrow, violets, Indian paintbrush, and In Alaska our pollinators include western columbine. These colorful at least 95 bee species and 75 native species can provide nectar butterfly species! and pollen, are adapted to our climate, and require less care than Pollinator Gardens garden exotics. To help native pollinators you can establish a pollinator garden. Plant groups of native plants Pollinator food includes nectar, versus single plants to better pollen, and vegetation for attract pollinators. Large patches butterfly larvae. Set a goal of of each plant species help encouraging pollinator species pollinators forage more diversity for your garden by efficiently. Rufous hummingbirds are Alaska’s most common avian pollinator. planning a garden that includes a Choose plants that will bloom Photo courtesy of Bob Armstrong variety of nectar and pollen sequentially from spring through sources. The following guidelines Provide water. Some butterflies late summer to provide nectar and can benefit a variety of native will gather and sip at shallow pollen sources throughout the pollinators. pools, mud puddles, and bird baths. growing season. Mud puddles can also provide Plant a variety of flower shapes Pollinators have evolved with important minerals. Some bees and and colors to attract different native plants. It is important to wasps will use mud as home- pollinators. select a variety of native plants as building material. modern hybrids often produce less Leave a natural area for ground- pollen and nectar and may Flower shapes and dominate your garden. Many nesting pollinators such as bumble highly selected cultivars have lost bees. Ground nesters and cavity colors the floral cues that attract nesters require bare soil areas, Some bees are generalists and use pollinators to their flowers. Native dead wood either as standing dead pollen from a wide variety of plants will attract more native trees, stumps, leaf and brush piles, flowering plants while other pollinators and can serve as egg- or soft logs. These sites may also pollinators feed on specific flower laying and larval host plants for serve as overwintering areas for a shapes and colors. We associate some pollinator species. Some number of species, as some bee hummingbirds with long, tubular plants that are used for both nectar species overwinter in underground flowers while bumble bees are and larval food are Nootka burrows or in decaying wood. ______generalists visiting a variety of fireweed, fuschia, honeysuckle, flower shapes. bee balm, and sage. Hummingbirds Consider the following non- Plant yellow, blue, and purple do not require landing areas as they chemical techniques when flowers for bees and flower flies, hover while feeding. managing pests in your garden: which resemble bees. Bees cannot see red, but are attracted to some Many fly species are also  Try removing individual flowers that reflect ultraviolet light. important pollinators and prefer pests with gloved hands or Small bees have short tongues and green, white, and cream colors. by spraying with a garden prefer packed clusters of tiny They have short tongues so require hose flowers such as daisies and mint. simple flowers.  Encourage native predators Examples of bee-attracting flowers with a diverse garden include monkey flowers, leopard’s Avoid using pesticides habitat bane, shrubby cinquefoil, forget- and herbicides  Expect and accept a little me-nots, iris, and delphinium. Many are harmful to pollinators as bit of pest activity well as pests. Pesticides can kill more than the target pest. Some If you must control garden pests, pesticide residues can continue to one good option is to judiciously kill pollinators for several days use homemade remedies such as after the pesticide is applied. garlic spray, or organic pesticides derived from plants or microbes. Pesticides can also kill natural predators, which can lead to If using pesticides and herbicides, increased pest problems. choose one that is the least toxic to Herbicides may wipe out key non-pest species and does not native plants that are important for persist on vegetation. Apply it pollinators' food mix. before dawn or in the evening when most pollinators are not as

hoto by Deborah Rudis / USFWS Rudishoto / USFWS Deborah by active. Read and follow all label P Insects such as bumblebees directions carefully. and sphinx moths are important Alaskan pollinators Avoid spraying when flowers are in bloom. Choose less harmful Butterflies favor orange, yellow, formulations. In general, dusts and pink, and blue flowers with sweet microencapsulated insecticides are scents. They need to land before the most dangerous formulations feeding so prefer flat-topped for bees. Sprayed solutions and clusters or platform-shaped flowers large granules tend to be less in sunny locations. Cosmos, harmful to pollinators. calendula, yarrow, and daisies are all butterfly preferred plants. For More Information Sphinx moths prefer pale or white flowers that have a strong, sweet U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service smell but also are attracted to Juneau Field Office columbine and honeysuckle. Sphinx Moth. Photo by Steven Katovich, 3000 Vintage Blvd. #201 USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Juneau, AK 99801 (907) 780-1160 To attract hummingbirds to your garden, provide tubular flowers www.fws.gov/pollinators with lots of nectar in red, orange, purple and fuschia colors. Species May 2011 to consider include nasturtiums,

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