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Pollinator Friendly Plants Pollinator General Information. nectar starting in early spring. It's thought that Butterflies favor platform-shaped sunflowers and hummingbirds prefer red-colored flowers; asters, but will feed on a diversity of nectar rich however they will feed on any flower that flowers from violets to serviceberry shrubs. Many of us enjoy the beauty of flowers and produces abundant nectar. They prefer red, purple or yellow flowers with shrubs in our backyard and community gardens. sweet scents. Growing native plants adds beauty and Butterflies and moths important habitats for wildlife, especially From large monarchs and swallowtails to pollinators. Even a small backyard garden can smaller fritillaries, butterflies add delicate Natives versus Cultivars make a big difference. motion to the garden. By growing a bounty of Pollinators have evolved with native plants, native flowering plants in your garden, you can Almost all flowering plants need to be pollinated. which are best adapted to the local growing attract a variety of the hundreds of species of Some plants are pollinated by wind or water; season, climate and soils. Most pollinators feed butterflies and moths that are found in some are even self-pollinating. Most flowering on specific plant species or flower types. Non- Wisconsin. By planting some “moth-friendly” plants however depend on bees, butterflies and native plants may not provide pollinators with plants, you can also add some motion to the other animals for pollination. Pollinators are vital enough nectar or pollen or may even be inedible garden after dark. to maintaining healthy ecosystems – they are to butterfly or moth caterpillars. Cultivars of essential for plant reproduction, and produce native plants have been selected by growers for genetic diversity in the plants they pollinate. Selecting Plants one or more desirable characteristics – fall color, Insects and other animals pollinate one-third of Pollinators are looking for two things when they larger flowers, growth habit, etc. These traits the food we eat – all kinds of fruits, vegetables, forage in your garden – the nectar and pollen tend to make the plant desirable to the grains, nuts, and beans (even coffee beans). found in blooming plants provides them with gardening public. These plants generally keep The economic value of insect pollination carbohydrates and protein they need to thrive the same “native qualities” as the ancestral plant worldwide has been estimated at $217 billion; and produce their offspring. Think about and could be considered for use in a pollinator $18 to $27 billion in the United States alone. “staging” the menu of blooms in your garden garden. from early spring through fall by planting a wide range of flowering plants. Plants that bloom Pesticides Pollinator Types very early or late in the season are often the most important food sources for pollinators as Insecticide use in general can take a toll on Let's BEE Happy there are not many other resources available honeybees, native bees and other pollinators during this time. Incorporating flowering trees Bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, beetles, when they are exposed to high enough and shrubs will also provide a food source as wasps and even flies pollinate flowers, but bee concentrations. One class of insecticides, called well as places for the pollinators to rest, hide species pollinate flowers more often than any neonictinoids, is highly toxic to bees and other from predators and build nests to raise their other group, including birds and butterflies. pollinators. Even sublethal exposure to this young. By carefully choosing woody and Bees are a diverse group of insects that include class of insecticides causes significant problems herbaceous plants that bloom during different approximately four thousand species native to for bee health, including disruptions in mobility, times of the year and at different heights, along North America. Bees are by far the most navigation and feeding. Even a product as with thoughtful selection and placement of herb, effective pollinators because they feed only on innocuous as Insecticidal Soap is toxic to bees if bulbs and annuals you are not only enriching flowers. sprayed on them (residual contact with the available sources of food for pollinators, but Insecticidal Soap however is non-toxic to bees). enhancing your enjoyment as well. The bird is the word If you must spray, choose an insecticide that is Hummingbirds specialize on nectar feeding and Bees prefer blue, purple, and yellow flowers safer to beneficials and spray in early evening play an important role in pollination. These and sweet fragrances. Certain bees like when most pollinators are less active. colorful migratory birds serve as a link between composite flowers – Erigeron, Gaillardia, plant populations by visiting flowers and moving coneflowers and asters. Hawthorns, pollen over great distances. To attract serviceberrys, apple and crabapple trees are hummingbirds to your garden, provide them with also important food sources. Planning a Pollinator Garden Annuals (A) - Perennials (P) – Herbs (H) P - Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) “Think Like A Pollinator” P - Aquilegia canadensis (Columbine) Go Native – Pollinators are "best" P - Aruncus dioicus (Goatsbeard) Pollinator adapted to local, native plants which P - Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed) often need less water than ornamentals. P - Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed) Bee Sunny – Pick a location that gets P - Aster novae-angliae (New England Aster) Friendly Plants full sun. P - Baptisia australis (Blue Wild Indigo) Bee Bountiful – Plant big patches of each plant species (better foraging P - Coreopsis lanceolata (Coreopsis) efficiency). P - Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) Bee Diverse – Plant a diversity of P - Eupatorium maculatum (Joe Pye weed) flowering species with abundant pollen P - Lobelia cardinalis and L. syphilitica and nectar; and specific plants for (Cardinal flower and Great Blue Lobelia) feeding butterfly and moth caterpillars. P - Liatris sp. (Gayfeather, Blazing Star) Bee Showy – Flowers should be blooming somewhere in your garden P - Lupinus (Lupine) throughout the growing season. P - Monarda (Beebalm) Bee a Little Messy - Most of our native P - Penstemon (Beardstongue) bee species nest underground, so avoid P - Ratibida pinnata (Yellow Coneflower) using weed cloth or heavy mulch. Bee Chemical Free – Pestides and P - Solidago sp. (Goldenrod) herbicides kill pollinators. A - Alyssum, Cosmos, Dahlia, Dianthus, Bee Homey – Make small piles of Impatiens Marigold branches to attach chrysalis or A - Millionbells, Petunia, Salvia, Viola, Zinnia coccoons; provide hollow twigs for H - Basil, Borage, Broccoli Flowers, Cilantro, nesting bees. Build bee nesting boxes Dill, Fennel, and butterfly houses to provide H - Lavender, Mint, Parsley sanctuary for pollinators (plans available at websites online). Bee Patient - It takes time for native This is far from a comprehensive list. Please plants to grow and for pollinators to find ask for additional suggestions for pollinator your garden. plants. Pollinator Plants Woody Trees and Shrubs: Amelanchier (Serviceberry) W7041 Olmstead Rd Cornus sericea (Red twig dogwood) Winter, WI 54896 Crataegus crus-galli (Cockspur hawthorne) (715-266-4963) Diervilla lonicera (Dwarf bush honeysuckle) Malus (Apples and Crabapples) ALWAYS TRY TO PLANT NATIVE SPECIES [email protected] Any fruit trees and / or small fruits IN YOUR POLLINATOR GARDEN! www.wintergreenhouse.com.
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