Lindera benzoin aka Spicebush the host plant for Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly

Back in January, in the midst of more snowfalls then we had seen in years, the garden catalogs starting arriving and my plant lust began anew. I gently stopped myself from ordering all manner of plants with the following questions:

• Will they survive the difficult conditions at Clay and Limestone?
• Is this plant a nectar or pollen source for pollinators?
• Is it a host plant for pollinators?
• Is this plant available locally, therefore, more likely to survive the extremes of the Central Basin?
• Will this plant add to the diversity of my pollinator friendly garden?
• Is there a native plant that makes more sense then that seductive exotic?

That’s not to imply that all the plants in my garden meet the above criteria. Some small trees, shrubs and perennials are planted just because I like them. For instance, Bat faced cuphea was planted in containers near the front door. No way, would an iffy, albeit beautiful exotic, take up valuable garden space that’s reserved for natives. I was doubly delighted to discover that it was visited the Bumbles, smaller bees and a few hummers.

A bat faced cuphea with a visitor

Now, that it’s officially spring at Clay and Limestone and the local nurseries are beginning to stock that seductive plant material, it’s time to assess ‘real’ garden needs! In a garden like mine, with shallow, nearly neutral clay soil over limestone bedrock, plant real estate is valuable!

Tommies drew the eye and honeybees!

My plan is simply to:

Provide plenty of nectar and pollen rich plants

• Primarily from my garden region.
• A range of shapes and sizes to attract hummers, butterfly, a variety of bees, flies,
• long bloom season
• evening blooming and scented flowers for moths and bats

Provide host plants

• Sedges and grasses for skippers
• Fennels, dills, parsley for the swallowtails
• milkweeds for the monarchs
• asters for pollinating beetles

Container plants

• Aromatic herbs~coriander, catnip, mint, parsley, lavender, fennel and dill
• annuals~marigold, phlox, bachelor’s button, zinnia, cosmos, salvia
• perennials~bee balm, columbine, iris, coneflower, lobelia, delphinium, summer phloxes, salvia

Yes, that’s a pollinator visiting witch hazel ‘Diane’

So what is on my list?

• Asclepias verticillata (adaptable and tough native, it’s a food and host plant with good fall color)
• Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’~reports she can take a bit more shade
• Lobelia siphilitica~see photo!
• Sedges~
• Native grasses
• Opuntia~for visiting bats
• Herbs~rosemary, dill, fennel and borage
• Annuals when they are available ~sweet alyssum, cleome, Calliopsis, Coreopsis tinctoria, salvias (Scarlet sage, Blue anise sage, Autumn sage and Pineapple sage), lantana, sunflowers and zinnias ( I scatter seeds, but, sometimes planting them is better!
• Native shrubs~Lindera benzoin, ilex, illicium and vaccinium (blueberries)

Lobelia siphilitica with bee

Tell me please~What’s in your garden or on your shopping list for pollinators?

xxoogail

PS Of course, you already know what I am going to say. If you want to attract pollinators~Never, never, never, ever, use pesticides in your garden.

This post is part of a series on native pollinators in the garden~ Earlier posts and their links are listed below for your convenience.

Part I~Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don’t (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can’t All be pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~
Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies (here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

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