Botanical Bits — June 2008:
June 03, 2008
A Buzzing Garden is a Happy Garden
As Nebraskans celebrate Wildflower Week (May 31-June 8) a key ally should also be considered for praise – the bee.
Bee pollination accounts for $15 billion in added crop value in the United States. In more realistic terms, about 1 in 3 bites of food is in some way affected by honey bee pollination. And at a time when Colony Collapse Disorder and other stressors such as pathogens, parasites and the environment are plaguing pollination, bees need all the help they can get.
So what can the average person do? First, be conscientious of pesticide application. Only do so when necessary and try to avoid mid-day when bees are out foraging for nectar. Also, plant good nectar sources. Here's where the wildflowers come into play. Native plants have more nutritious pollen and nectar because they've been unaltered by breeders. And since they're adapted to growing in a certain area, they require less fertilizer and pesticides. Need some ideas? Try the following sure-fire bee-attractors:
– Butterfly milkweed – Asclepias tuberosa . Clusters of bright orange flowers in mid-summer. 1 foot high, 1 foot wide; perennial.
– Plains coreopsis – Coreopsis tinctoria . Daisy-like flowers with yellow petals around dark red centers in summer. 2 feet high, 1 foot wide; reseeding annual.
– Rocky Mountain bee plant – Cleome serrulata . Pink to lavender spidery flowers in mid-summer. 2 feet high, 2 feet wide; reseeding annual.
– Purple prairie clover – Dalea purpurea . Tiny, bright purple flowers on dense, cone-like heads in mid-summer. 1 foot high, 1 foot wide; perennial.
– Purple coneflower – Echinacea angustifolia . Pink to lavender petals around an orange-brown cone in early summer. 1 foot high, 1 foot wide; perennial.
– Sunflower – Helianthus annuus . Golden petals around a brown-purple disk in late summer. 10 feet high, 3 feet wide; annual.
– Beebalm – Monarda fistulosa . Fragrant, spidery, lavender flowers in late summer. 2 feet high, 2 feet wide; perennial.
– Beardtongue – Penstemon grandiflorus . Lavender, snapdragon-like flowers in late spring. 2 feet high, 1 foot wide; perennial.
– Black-eyed susan – Rudbeckia hirta . Yellow petals around a chocolate center in summer. 2 feet high, 1 foot wide; short-lived, reseeding perennial.
– Goldenrod – Solidago sp. Bright yellow plumes in late summer. 2 feet high, 2 feet wide; perennial.
As bees busily buzz around these plants, keep in mind that almost every species is gentle and will not sting. Their main goal in life is to collect nectar and pollen for them and their young – with by-products for people to enjoy.
6/3/08-KL/DM
Kristina Jensen
Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
Nursery Technician
(402) 472-7923
Karma Larsen Communications Associate Nebraska Statewide Arboretum (402)472-7923
Department: Nebraska Statewide Arboretum
|
