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Welcoming Plant Pollinators

National Pollinator Week is June 24-30, 2007



Did You Know?

1. Why are pollinators important? Pollinators visit flowers to feed on nectar, inadvertently picking up pollen on their bodies and transferring it from one flower to another. When the pollen (male) comes in contact with the female parts of another flower, fertilization can occur, which initiates the production of fruit and seeds. No pollinator, no seeds of future generations.

2. What is the most prolific pollinator? Bees pollinate more flowers than any other creatures on earth. This may change, however, since 70 to 90 percent of wild bees have been lost in many states, and the honeybee population is declining as well.

3. How do plants attract pollinators? A flower's mission in life is to produce new offspring, so its color, fragrance, and shape are designed to attract pollinators.


The action of butterflies and other "bugs" often attract children to gardens. Creating a garden that provides a haven for pollinators engages kids and makes a difference for bees, moths, butterflies -- even bats and hummingbirds -- many of which are struggling due to habitat loss.

Planting a Pollinator Garden

By creating a garden that attracts a range of pollinators, you can provide vital oases amidst seas of buildings and concrete. Kids can play a role in digging shallow pools and mud puddles and providing piles of twigs and animal hair for nesting materials.

  • Include a variety of flowers that bloom throughout the season(s) so there's always some food for pollinators.


  • Use as many native plants as possible. Local plants and pollinators are more likely to be adapted to one another. Although hybrid flowers are bred to look and/or smell nice for humans, they often don't provide much or accessible nectar or pollen.


  • Grow host plants that are known to attract certain pollinators, such as milkweed for monarch butterfly larvae.


  • Provide shallow pools and mud puddles that nourish butterflies and offer home-building materials for bees and wasps.


  • Include tall plants and trellised vines — especially those with yellow blossoms — to attract passing pollinators to your gardens. Sunflowers, sweet peas, nasturtiums, morning glories, and scarlet runner beans are good choices.


  • Provide nesting sites and materials. Leave cut plant stems exposed, turn flowerpots with bottom holes upside down, leave twigs and brush in small piles, and leave out pieces of string or other light fibers.


  • Avoid using pesticides and herbicides. By tolerating some pest damage and weeds, you'll promote a healthier garden for pollinators and your family. There are many organic choices for pest control that work well for home gardeners.


  • Turn part of your lawn into a wildflower meadow, or at least leave some wild areas nearby to provide habitat and food for pollinators.

Pollinators and Their Favorite Flowers

See if your kids can find examples of some of these types of flowers in your gardens.

Ants: Although ants like pollen and nectar, they aren't good pollinators, so many flowers have sticky hairs or other mechanisms to keep them out.

Bats: Large, light-colored, night-blooming flowers with strong fruity odor (e.g., many cactus flowers). Bats don't see well, but have a keen sense of smell.


honeybees in a beekeeper's hive

Bees: Yellow, blue, purple flowers. There are hundreds of types of bees, and they have a range of flower preferences.

Beetles: White or dull-colored, fragrant flowers since they can't see colors (e.g., potatoes, roses).

Butterflies: Red, orange, yellow, pink, blue. Because they need to land before feeding, they like flat-topped clusters (e.g., zinnias, calendulas, butterfly weeds) in a sunny location.

Carrion-eating flies: Maroon, brown flowers with foul odors (e.g., wild ginger); Flies — Green, white, cream flowers. Many like simple bowl-shaped flowers or clusters.

Hummingbirds: Red, orange, purple/red tubular flowers with lots of nectar, since they live exclusively on flowers (e.g., sages, fuschias, honeysuckles, nasturtiums, columbines, bee balms). They need no landing areas since they hover while feeding.

Moths: Light-colored flowers that open at dusk (e.g., evening primroses).

Courtesy the National Gardening Association's Kids Gardening Web site.

 

"When you garden, you grow" is trademark of the National Gardening Association. For more ideas and inspiration on gardening with children, visit NGA's Kids Gardening Web site.