Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants

7/31/2019 Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants

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Attracting Pollinators

to Your Garden UsingNative Plants

Ruby-throated Hummingbirdfeeding on trumpet honeysuckle(Lonicera sempervirens)


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Manyousenjoythebeautyofowersinour

backyardandcommunitygardens.Growingnative

plantsaddsbeautyandimportanthabitatsor

wildlie,especiallyorpollinators.Evenasmall

backyardgardencanmakeabigdierence.Gardening

connectsustonatureandhelpsusbetterunderstand

hownatureworks.Thisguidewillhelpyoucreatea

pollinator-riendlygarden.

What is pollination? Pollinationistheprocessomovingpollenromone

fowertoanotherothesamespecies,whichproduces

ertileseeds.Almostallfoweringplantsneedtobe

pollinated.Someplantsarepollinated

bywindorwater,andsomeareeven

sel-pollinating.However,most

foweringplantsdependonbees,butterfies,andotheranimals

orpollination.

Why use native plants in

your garden?

Pollinatorshaveevolvedwith

nativeplants,whicharebestadaptedtothelocalgrowingseason,

climate,andsoils.Mostpollinatorseedon

specicplantspecieshummingbirdssipnectar

romlong,tubularfowers,whilegreensweatbees

preermoreopen-acedfowers.Non-nativeplants

maynotprovidepollinatorswithenoughnectaror

pollen,ormaybeinedibletobutterfyormothcaterpillars.

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Native Plant and PollinatorGardening Guide

What dohummingbirds,butteries andbees have incommon?

They all pollinateowering plants.

Half-black bumble bee oneastern purple coneower(Echinacea purpurea)


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Why Should We Care?

Keystone Species

Whenabumblebeeeedsonthenectarandpollenoblueberryfowers,itpollinatesthefowers,whichwill

produceruiteatenbysongbirds,blackbears,and

dozensootheranimals,includinghumans.Wecall

thebumblebeeandotherpollinatorskeystone species

becausetheyarespeciesuponwhichothersdepend.

Pollinatorsarevitaltomaintaininghealthy

ecosystems.Theyareessentialorplantreproduction,andproducegeneticdiversityintheplantstheypollinate.

Themorediverseplantsare,thebettertheycanadaptto

changesintheenvironment.

Bestoall,pollinatorssuchashummingbirds,bees,

andbutterfiesarebeautiulandascinating.

Pollinators need our help.

Biologistsearseveralbutterfyandbumblebee

specieshavedisappearedrompartsotheir

range,includingtheoncecommon

rusty-patchedbumblebee.Whyare

pollinatorsintrouble?

Itappearsthathabitat

loss,introduceddiseases,pollutionand

pesticidepoisoning

accountormucho

thepopulationdeclines.

Wecandoourpartto

supportpollinatorsby

creatingpollinator-riendlygardensand

protectingwildliehabitat.

Insects and other

animals pollinateone-third of the

food we eat allkinds of fruits,vegetables, grains,nuts, and beans.Even coffee andchocolate! Theeconomic value ofinsect pollinationworldwide hasbeen estimated at$217 billion.

Eastern bumble bee onprairie dock (Silphiumterebinthinaceum)


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Bees,butterfies,moths,hummingbirds,beetles,

waspsandevenfiespollinatefowers,butbeespecies

pollinatefowersmoreotenthananyothergroup,

includingbirdsandbutterfies.

Busy as a Bee

Beesarebyarthemosteectivepollinatorsbecause

theyeedonlyonfowers.Flowersattractandrewardbees

ortheirpollinationservice.Beesgathertwokindsooods

romfowers:sugar-richnectartoueltheirfightandprotein-richpollen,orbee bread,toeedtheiryoungbrood.

Beesusetheirtonguestolaporlickupnectarromfowers.

Beesareadiversegroupoinsectsthatincludeour

thousandspeciesnativetoNorthAmerica.Theycanbe

organizedintotwogroupsbasedontheirnestingliestyle:

solitaryorsocial.Aboutthree-quartersonativebeesin

NorthAmericaaresolitarynestbuilders.

Tongue lengthsvary in bee

species. Longtongues t long,tubular owerslike penstemonsand short tongues

t short-tubedowers likesunowers.

The Europeanhoney bee(Apis mellifera)is a social bee.

Bees prefer blue, purple, white, orangeand yellow owers, and sweet fragrances. They seeultraviolet colors found on the owers of buttercup andblack-eyed Susan.

Who Are Our Pollinators?

leaf-cutterbee (Megachile) nest

nestingbumble bee (Bombus)

Nesting Lifestyles

GARDENING

Tomatoes,peppers, andcranberriesrequire a specialbee behaviorcalled buzz

pollination,in which thebumble bee grabsthe ower in her

jaws and vibratesher wings todislodge pollentrapped in the

owers anthers.


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Bumble Bee (Bombus)

Thereareorty-sevenspeciesobumblebeesinNorthAmerica.BumblebeesaretheB-1bombersobees.

Becauseotheirchunkysize,theycanfyincooler

temperaturesandatlowerlightlevelsthanmanyother

beesincludingthehoneybee.Thus,queenbumblebees

aretheearliesttoemergeinspringinsearchotherst

fowersotheseason.

Liestyle:Anindividualqueenstartsacolonyinthespringatershewakesromhibernation.Sheproduceswaxrom

glandsinherbodytomakepot-likecellsinwhichtolay

hereggsandtostorenectarandpollenorherbrood.

Theyoungemergeinaewweeksasemaleworkerbees.

Asallarrives,mostbeesdieandonlynewlymatedqueens

overwintertoestablishnewcolonies.

Bumble bees

groom pollen fromtheir body hairs intopollen baskets,or corbicula, fortransport to thenest.

Brown-belted bumble bee(Bombus griseocollis)on Butteryweed

(Asclepias tuberosa)

Social Bees

Pollenbasket

Maple, willow, and serviceberry owerearly in spring and attract bumble bees and mason bees.

GARDENING


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Solitary Bees

Green Sweat Bee

(Agapostemon)

Thesesmall,

brilliantlycolored,

metallicgreenbees

arehardtomiss

inagarden.Theyre

commonlycalled

sweatbeesbecausetheyoccasionallyland

onpeopletolickupsaltyhumansweat.

Liestyle:Somesweatbeesnestsocially,

butmostaresolitaryground-nesters.

Muchowhatweknowabouttheevolutionosocialbehavior

amonginsectshasbeenlearnedromsweatbeesbecause

theyshowdierentdegreesosociality.Insomespecies,

emalesbuildandnestalone;inothers,emalesnestcommunallyandshareacommonnestentrancebut

constructindividualnestcells(likeapartmentbuildings.)

Leaf-cutter Bee (Megachile)

Thesepugnaciousbeescarrypollenon

theirtummies.Lea-cutterbeesandother

solitarybeesseldomsting.Liestyle:Theyconstructtheirnests

intunnelsintheground,under

stones,orinexistingholes

indeadwood.Aemale

beecutscircularleapieces

tolinehernestchambers,

whichareshapedlikethimblesendtoend.Ineach,

shelaysaneggandprovisionsitwith

pollenandnectarorhereggs.

A femaleleaf-cutter bee

will cut circularleaf pieces to lineher nestingchambers.

Green sweat bees and leaf-cutter beeslike composites blanketower, sunower, and aster.

Green sweat bee(Agapostemon)

Leaf-cutter bee(Megachile)

GARDENING

Leaf-cutter bee(Megachile) on

goldenaster(Heterothecacamporum)

Green sweat bee(Agapostemon)on blanketower(Gaillardia aristata)


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Solitary Bees

Orchard Mason Bee (Osmia lignaria)

Theserobust,metallicbluebeesmostcommonlyappearearlyinspringwhentreesandshrubsfower.

Femalescarrypollenontheundersidesotheirabdomens.

Liestyle:Orchardmasonbeesbuildnestcellsin

pre-existingnarrowtunnelssuchasbeetleburrowsintrees

orhollowcentersoplantstems.Inthenesttunnel,the

emalebuildsaseriesohorizontal

cellsprovisioningeachwithpollen,nectar,andaneggandthen

sealsthecellwithmud.

Bytheendosummer,thebee

willtransorm

intoanadult

initscocoon

andoverwinterinthechamber

untilitemerges

inspring.

Orchard mason bee(Osmia lignaria)

If you see a beecarrying pollen onits belly or hindlegs, its a femalebee.

Mason beehouses providenest sites forthese important

pollinators.

Orchard mason bees(Osmia lignaria)on great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

Important pollinators

of fruit trees, just250 mason bees canpollinate an acre ofapple trees. It wouldtake 10,000-250,000honey bees to do the

same work.Mason bees like

penstemon, andnative owering

trees such as choke-cherry, hawthorn,and serviceberry.

GARDENING


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Planning your garden think like a pollinator.

Go Native.Pollinators arebest adapted to local, native

plants, which often need lesswater than ornamentals.

Bee Showy.Flowers should bloom in your

garden throughout the growing season.Plant willow, violet, and mayapple forspring and aster, joe-pyeweed and goldenrod

for fall owers.

Bee Bountiful. Plant bigpatches of each plant speciesfor better foraging efciency.

Bee Diverse. Plant a diversity of owering species withabundant pollen and nectar and specic plants for feedingbuttery and moth caterpillars.


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Bee Homey.Makesmall piles of branches to

attract butteries and moths.Provide hollow twigs, rotten logs

with wood-boring beetle holes andbunchgrasses and leave stumps, old

rodent burrows, and fallen plantmaterial for nesting bees. Leave dead

or dying trees for woodpeckers.

Bee Patient. It takes time for nativeplants to grow and for pollinators to ndyour garden, especially if you live far fromwild lands.

Bee Chemical Free.Pesticides and herbicides

kill pollinators.

Bee a little messy.Mostof our native bee species(70%) nest underground soavoid using weed cloth orheavy mulch.

Bee Aware.Observe

pollinators when you walkoutside in nature. Noticewhich owers attractbumble bees or solitarybees, and which attractbutteries.

Bee Friendly.Create pollinator-

friendly gardensboth at home, at

schools and in publicparks. Help peoplelearn more about

pollinators andnative plants.

Bee Gentle.Most bees will avoidstinging and use that behavior only inself-defense. Male bees do not sting.

Bee Sunny.Provide areas with

sunny, bare soil thatsdry and well-drained,

preferably with

south-facing slopes.


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Butteries

Bygrowingabountyonative

foweringplantsinyourgarden,

youcanattractavarietyo

butterfies.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

(Papilio glaucus)

Thislargebutterfy(upto6

wingspan)canbeoundrom

MaythroughAugust.Malescanotenbe

seenpatrollingor

emalesalong

streams,canyons

andnarrowroadways.

Liestyle:Agoodpollinatorgarden

containsoodnotjustoradult

butterfies,butortheircaterpillars.

Femalebutterfiesselectspecicplantsonwhich

tolaytheireggs;thisensuresthatwhentheireggs

hatch,thecaterpillarswillbeabletoeattheplants

leaveswhilegrowingintoadultbutterfies.Eastern

tigerswallowtailslaytheireggsonash,chokecherry

andotherleaves.

When disturbed, a swallowtail caterpillar rearsup and extends two red horns (osmeteria) fromits head to frighten off potential predators.

Butteries favor platform-shapedsunower and aster, but will feed on a diversity ofnectar-rich owers from violet to serviceberry. They preferred, purple, or yellow owers with sweet scents. Butterieslove warm, sunny, and windless weather.

GARDENING

Eastern tigerswallowtail(Papilio

glaucus)on common

serviceberry(Amelanchierarborea), one ofits larval plants.


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Butteries

Eastern tailed-bluebutteries feed onnectar from dogwood,chokeberry and other owers.The larvae feed on legumes

such as slender lespedeza.

GARDENING

Ants tend andprotect eastern

tailed-bluecaterpillars, whichreward them withhoneydew.

Easterntailed-bluebutteries(Cupido comyntas)and larva feedingon sundial lupine(Lupinus perennis)

Eastern Tailed-blue Buttery(Cupido comyntas)

Adulteasterntailed-bluebutterfiesappearromtheendoApriltoNovember.Malebutterfiescanoten

beseenpuddling,whichissippingupsoilsaltsand

mineralsinmudpuddles.

Liestyle:Femalebluebutterfies

layeggsonmanylegumesand

oncetheyhatch,thecaterpillars

eatthebuds,fowers,andseeds.Theyproduceasugarysecretion,

orhoneydew,which

iseatenbyants.


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Moths

Thesenight-fyingpollinatorsotenevade

detection,buttheresonethatfiesbydaytosipnectar

romfowersthesphinxmoth.

White-lined Sphinx Moth(Hyles lineata)

Althoughmanymothspeciespollinatefowers,the

sphinxorhawkmothisprobablytheonemostamiliar

becauseitsactivebyday.

Liestyle:Theyregreatfyersandsomehavetongues

longerthantheirbodies.Theselargemothsfyupwind,

trackingtheairborneragrancetrailtoaclusterofowers.

Theircaterpillars,called

tobaccoandtomato

hornworms,arewell

knowntogardeners.

White-linedsphinx moth(Hyles lineata)

feeding onyellow eveningprimrose(Oenothera sp.)

Sphinx moths, also calledhummingbird moths, preferpale or white owers that open in the evening and thathave a strong, sweet smell. They pick up pollen on their legsand wings. Adults nectar on columbine and honeysuckle.Caterpillars feed on evening primrose.

GARDENING

A butteryantenna (top)isa single lamentwith a club at thetip, while a mothantenna (bottom)can be broadand feathery ortapered to a point.

Can you tell abuttery from

a moth?Butteries arebrightly coloredand moths are moreoften colored inmuted grays andbrowns.


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Hummingbirds

Becausehummingbirdsspecializeonnectareeding,

theyplayanimportantroleinpollination.These

colorul,migratorybirdsserveasalinkbetweenplant

populationsbyvisitingfowersandmovingpollen

overgreatdistances.

There aremany species ofhummingbirds inthe United States

including Annas,Rufous andBlack-chinned.

To attract hummingbirdsto your garden, provide them with nectarstarting in early spring. Its thought thathummingbirds prefer red-colored owers;however, they will feed on any owerthat produces abundant nectar.

GARDENING

Ruby-throated

Hummingbird

Atinyjewelo

abird,theRuby-throatedHummingbirdercely

deendsitseedingareas.

Liestyle:

Ruby-throated

Hummingbirds

neston

treelimbs

orshrubbranches

insummerand

migratetoMexicoand

CentralAmericatospend

thewinter.

Sap wells created by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckerssupply many animals with a quick energy boost.Hummingbirds need lots of insects (protein) intheir diet, and will nab insects stuck in sap wells.

Male Ruby-throatedHummingbird ontrumpet honeysuckle(Lonicerasempervirens)


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Beetles, Flies and Wasps

Flower Beetle (Typocerus)

Beetlespresentthegreatestdiversityoinsectsandpollinators.Regularfowervisitorsincludesoldierbeetles

andfowerbeetles.Theyeedonpollenandevenchewon

fowers,butinthismess and soilpollinationprocessthey

pickuppollenandcarryittootherfowers.

Hover y(Syrphid)

Pollen wasp(Pseudomasaris)

These beetles are commonlyseen on yarrow and sunower.

Hover Fly(Syrphid)

Becausetheyresoabundant,fiesareimportant

pollinatorseventhoughtheytransportlesspollenthan

bees.Hoverfiesmimicbeesandwaspsincoloration

andbehaviortoavoidpredators.

Hover ies feed on the same owerspreferred by bees, such as purple coneower, sneezewood,and sunower.

Pollen Wasp (Pseudomasaris)

Dontberightenediyouseethiswasp,itdoesnt

eatinsectsorstinghumans,butseeksoutfowersor

pollen.Ayellowjacketlook-a-like,pollenwaspscanbe

identiedromotherwaspsbytheirclubbedantennae.

Theyresolitarynestersandyoumightndtheirhard

mudnestsattachedtorocksortwigs.

Pollen wasps pollinatepenstemon and phacelia.

GARDENING

GARDENING

GARDENINGFlower beetle(Typocerus)


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How do I nd pollinator-friendlynative plants for my garden?

For more information on pollinators and native plants,check out The Xerces Society website: www.xerces.org.

ThePollinator Partnershipoers

31dierentplantingguidestailored

tospecicecoregionsintheUnited

States.Eachguideischock-ull

onativeplantandpollinator

inormation.

To get the guide specic to

your ecoregion:

1.VisitthePollinatorPartnershipwebsite:www.pollinator.org

2.ClickonPlanting Guides.

3.Enteryour5-digitzipcode.

YoullndtheSelecting Plants

for Pollinatorsguidethatts

yourregion.Checkoutthechartsthatlistwhichnative

plantsgrowbestinyourarea

sothatyoucanattractmore

pollinatorstoyourgarden.

Your Source for Pollinator Action and Information.


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Text:SusanReelDesignandIllustrations:NancySeiler

U.S.ForestService

1400IndependenceAvenue,S.W.Washington,DC20250

R1-10 -5Printed on recycled paper.

How do butteries survive the winter?

Mourning cloak, Milberts tortoiseshell, andanglewing spend the winter as adults, but

most butteries overwinter as eggs, caterpillarsor pupae. In your garden, tree cavities, leaflitter and branch piles shelter over-winteringbutteries from predators and cold weather.

Mourning cloak

(Nymphalis antiopa)

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Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden Using Native Plants