Do You Have Plants That Attract Bees?
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Bees are a crucial part of our ecosystem. There is a symbiotic relationship between plants and pollinators that helps to sustain the reproductive processes of the plants and pollinators. Bees consume pollen and nectar as food and take pollen from one plant or flower and help to pollinate other plants and flowers. One would not survive without the other, which is why each is so important to the other.
Some large corporations are taking matters into their own hands. General Mills has stepped up to help create more flowering plants for bees. They have removed the trademarked honey bee character from the front of the cereal boxes in hopes of creating an awareness of the need to improve habitats for bees. To that end, they are giving away millions of seed packets of flowers that are attractive to bees and other pollinators. It may be a marketing campaign, but it does have positive benefits, as long as the seeds end up in the garden and not in a kitchen drawer.
I subscribe to several newsletters from different universities across the US. One of my favorites is the Buckeye Yard and Garden Online newsletter from Ohio State University.
In a recent post, the newsletter included information on a list of flowering plants, trees and shrubs that are attractive to bees and other pollinators. The article was written based on some new information from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing the rusty patched bumble bee as endangered under the Endangered Species Act; effective on March 21, 2017.
Since spring is the time when planting for the summer begins, it will be helpful to look for some of these plants to place in your garden. The Horticultural Research Institute, where the list above comes from, has also started a program called the "Million Pollinator Garden Challenge" to reach a goal of establishing a million bee friendly gardens in the US. More information about the challenge can be found by clicking on this link.
To find out more about the right plants for your landscape, contact your Neighborhood Lawn Care Professional at Spring-Green.