“... to inspire understanding, appreciation, and conservation of Basic steps to ensure a in and natural areas, and to advance a sustainable relationship between people and nature.” wonderful for both you and native Remember! ... you are creating an ecosystem that will Use native plants ... many native pollinators prefer them, and some rely provide native insects with food, shelter, and soley on them. Avoid cultivars as they often fail to water. Dead wood, flower stalks, and leaf produce , , or seeds. litter are a great habitat for insects. In fact, Choose a variety of plants that will bloom many insects, including lightning bugs and throughout the season some butterflies, actually require leaf litter ... this makes for a more pleasing garden and also ensures for their larvae. Rock and water features that you will have food for different pollinators. Some also benefit pollinators while enhancing the pollinators are only active in early spring, late summer, or fall, while others are active all season. beauty of your garden.

Use a mixture of nectar and host plants Native bee on Rattlesnake-master ... both types of plants are important, and some native (Eryngium yuccifolium) plants fulfill both needs. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on or near host plants so the emerging caterpillars can eat the leaves. You are growing food for the caterpillars, and the host plants will regrow the foliage that is lost.

Cluster plants of the same species ... this makes it easier for pollinators and caterpillars to feed and graze.

Include various colors of flowers ... different pollinators prefer different colors. The greater diversity of flower color you have, the more pollinators Creating will visit your garden.

Don’t use insecticides! ... even those labeled “organic” are often deadly to Your pollinators. Pollinators eat or graze on all parts of plants, so anything sprayed on any part of the can kill pollinators. Use native grasses ... grasses provide structure in the garden, and many pollinators rely on grasses for reproduction and food. Garden

ncbg.unc.edu • 919-962-0522 • [email protected] ncbg.unc.edu All photos by Barbara Driscoll Native Plants For Every Garden Nectar-Providing Plants Host Plants Grasses

Perennials: Caterpillars need specific plants on which to dine. Many pollinators rely on grasses for reproduction • Aster (Symphyotrichum spp., Eurybia spp., Butterflies will lay their eggs on or near these plants and food. Ionactus linariifolius and Ampelaster carolinianus) • Beebalm/Bergamot (Monarda spp.) Perennials: • Hairgrass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) • Black-eyed-Susan (Rudbeckia spp.) • Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) • Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.) – Buckeye and • Blazing Star (Liatris spp.) • Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass) • Boneset (Eupatorium spp.) Checkerspots • Green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) • Pipevine (Isotrema spp.) – Pipevine Swallowtail • Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) • Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) – Black Swallowtail Additional Resources • Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) • Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) – Monarch North Carolina Website • Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) • Passion flower (Passifloraspp.) – Fritillaries, Hair- ncbg.unc.edu/plants-and-gardening • Mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum spp.) streaks • Passionflower (Passifloraspp.) Landscaping for Wildlife Using Native Plants • Pea family (Baptisia spp., Thermopsis villosa, Shrubs: ncsu.edu/goingnative/create Centrosema virginianum) • Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – Spicebush Swallowtail • Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) • Winged Sumac (Rhus copallinum) – Red-banded The Xerces Society • Rattlesnake-master/Eryngo (Eryngium spp.) Hairstreak www.xerces.org • Skullcap (Scutellaria spp.) • Sunflower (Helianthus spp.) Trees: Resources compiled by Debbie Roos, • Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.) ... don’t forget trees are home to many pollinators! Chatham County Cooperative Extension Agent • Oak species (Quercus spp.) – multiple pollinators growingsmallfarms.ces.ncsu.edu/ including several species of hairstreaks and moths Shrubs: growingsmallfarms-pollinatorgarden • Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) • Paw Paw (Asmina triloba) – Zebra Swallowtail • Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) – Spicebush Swallowtail • New Jersey-tea (Ceanothus americanus) Attracting Native Pollinators: • Tulip-trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) – multiple pollina- • Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies tors including Eastern Tiger Swallowtail • Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea) available in the NCBG Garden Shop and • Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) the Xerces Society • Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica)

Monarch on pink swamp milkweed (Ascelpias incarnata)

Spicebush caterpillar on Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Native Bumble Bee on spicebush (Lindera benzoin) on Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium) Butterfly milkweed Asclepias( tuberosa)