Selecting Plants for Pollinators A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners In the Cascade Mixed Forest Coniferous Forest Alpine Meadow Province Including the states of: Oregon and and Washington NAPPC Table of CONTENTS Why Support Pollinators? 4 Getting Started 5 Cascade Mixed Forest 6 Meet the Pollinators 8 Plant Traits 10 Developing Plantings 1 Farms 13 Public Lands 14 Home Landscapes 15 Bloom Periods 16 Plants That Attract Pollinators 18 Habitat Hints 0 This is one of several guides for Checklist different regions in the United States. We welcome your feedback to assist us in making the future Resources and Feedback 3 guides useful. Please contact us at [email protected] Cover bee photo by Diane Petit Selecting Plants for Pollinators Selecting Plants for Pollinators A Regional Guide for Farmers, Land Managers, and Gardeners In the Ecological Region of the Cascade Mixed Forest Coniferous Forest Alpine Meadow Province Including the states of: Oregon and Washington a nappc and Pollinator Partnership™ Publication This guide was funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the C.S. Fund, the Plant Conservation Alliance, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management with oversight by the Pollinator Partnership™ (www.pollinator.org), in support of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC–www.nappc.org). Cascade Mixed Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province 3 Why support pollinators? IN THEIR 1996 BOOK, THE FORGOTTEN POLLINATORS, Buchmann and Nabhan estimated that animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction Farming feeds of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Each of us “ depends on these industrious pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat. In addition, pollinators are part of the intricate web that supports the biological diversity in natural ecosystems the world, and that helps sustain our quality of life. Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set we must remember and quality, and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases and wildlife food sources increase. that pollinators Alfalfa, cucumbers, raspberries, apples, and strawberries are some of the crops raised in the Cascade Mixed Forest that rely on honey bees and native bees for pollination. Domestic honey bees pollinate approximately are a critical $10 billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year. Unfortunately, the numbers of both native pollinators and domesticated bee populations are declining. They are threatened by habitat loss, link in our food disease, and the excessive and inappropriate use of pesticides. The loss of commercial bees to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has highlighted how severe the issues of proper hive management are to reduce stresses caused systems. by disease, pesticide use, insufficient nutrition, and transportation practices. ” Currently, the pollination services that the commercial beekeeping industry -- Paul Growald, provides are receiving much needed research and conservation resources. Co-Founder, The efforts to understand the threats to commercial bees should help us understand other pollinators and their roles in the environment as well. Pollinator partnership It is imperative that we take immediate steps to help pollinator populations thrive. The beauty of the situation is that by supporting pollinators’ need for habitat, we support our own needs for food and support diversity in the natural world. Thank you for taking time to consult this guide. By adding plants to your landscape that provide food and shelter for pollinators throughout their active seasons and by adopting pollinator friendly landscape practices, you can make a difference to both the pollinators and the people that rely on them. Laurie Davies Adams Executive Director Pollinator Partnership 4 Selecting Plants for Pollinators Getting Started THIS REGIONAL GUIDE IS just one and is used to predict responses the lowest elevations of the Cascade in a series of plant selection tools to land management practices Province, vegetation is incredibly designed to provide information throughout large areas. This guide dense, and the conifer forests are on how individuals can influence addresses pollinator-friendly land comprised of Douglas fir, western pollinator populations through management practices in what redcedar, western hemlock, grand choices they make when they farm is known as the Cascade Mixed fir, Sitka spruce, and Alaska cedar. a plot of ground, manage large Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine In he humid forests of southwestern tracts of public land, or plant a Meadow Province. Oregon, silver fir and redwood are garden. Each of us can have a Portions of Oregon and dominant. positive impact by providing the Washington make up the 53,400 Long before there were homes essential habitat requirements for square miles of this province with and farms in this area, the original, pollinators including food, water, elevations ranging from sea level to natural vegetation provided shelter, and enough space to allow over 14,000 feet. The topography continuous cover and adjacent pollinators to raise their young. is primarily mountainous. The feeding opportunities for wildlife, Pollinators travel through the Cascade Province includes steep including pollinators. In choosing landscape without regard to mountains bordered by a narrow plants, aim to create habitat for property ownership or state coastal plain, and the interior pollinators that allow adequate food boundaries. We’ve chosen to use Cascade Range features mountains shelter, and water sources. Most R.G. Bailey’s classification system of 8,000 to 9,000 feet, punctuated pollinators have very small home to identify the geographic focus every 5-85 miles by a much ranges. You can make a difference of this guide and to underscore higher volcano. Average annual by understanding the vegetation the connections between climate temperatures are mild, ranging from patterns of the farm, forest, or and vegetation types that affect 35° to 50°F. neighbor’s yard adjacent to you the diversity of pollinators in the This wet, green province is and by making planting choices environment. characterized by heavy rains in that support the pollinators’ need Bailey’s Ecoregions of the United winter, with summer fog, especially for food and shelter as they move States, developed by the United in the southern region. Up to 65 through the landscape. States Forest Service, is a system feet of snow may accumulate on the created as a management tool high mountains of this province. At Cascade Mixed Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province 5 Understanding the Cascade Mixed Forest Province n This region is designated number M242 in the Baileys’ Ecosystem Provinces. To see a map of the provinces go to: www.fs.fed.us/colorimagemap/ecoreg1_provinces.html n Not sure about which bioregion you live or work in? Go to www.pollinator.org and click on Ecoregion Locator for help. n 53,400 square miles within Oregon and Washington. n Primarily mountainous with some volcanoes. n Elevations ranging from sea level to over 14,000 feet. n Average annual temperature range from 35° to 50°F. n Average year-round precipitation between 30-150 inches. n USDA Hardiness Zones 8b-5a (1990 version). Characteristics n Dominated by Douglas fir, western redcedar, western hemlock, grand fir, Sitka spruce, and Alaska cedar at lowest elevations. n Dominated by silver fir and redwood in humid forests of southwest Oregon. n Ponderosa pine forests on dry eastern slopes of the Cascades. n All but the highest peaks covered in vegetation. 6 Selecting Plants for Pollinators The Cascade Mixed Forest, “Adding native plantings in riparian areas Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province to improve pollinator habitat makes includes: sense in advancing our family farm’s Oregon conservation and economic objectives, Washington enhancing beneficial wildlife and improving pollination in our orchard and garden.” --Lee McDaniel, Farmer and President, National Association of Conservation Districts Cascade Mixed Forest, Coniferous Forest, Alpine Meadow Province Meet the Pollinators Who are the Solitary bees include carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.), which nest in wood; pollinators? digger, or polyester bees (Colletes spp.), which nest underground; Bees leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.), Bees are well documented which prefer dead trees or branches pollinators in the natural and for their nest sites; and mason bees agricultural systems of the Cascade (Osmia spp.), which utilize cavities Mixed Forest. A wide range of that they find in stems and dead crops including apples, broccoli and wood. Cactus bees (Diadasia spp.) cranberries are just a few plants that are also solitary ground nesters. benefit from bee pollinators. Most of us are familiar with the Butterflies colonies of honey bees that have Gardeners have been attracting been the workhorses of agricultural butterflies to their gardens for pollination for years in the United some time. These insects tend to States. They were imported from be eye-catching, as are the flowers Europe almost 400 years ago. that attract them. Position flowering There are nearly 4000 species of plants where they have full sun and native ground and twig nesting bees are protected from the wind. Also, in the U.S. Some form colonies you will need to provide open areas while others live and work a solitary (e.g. bare earth, large stones) where