Plants to Support Native Bees in the Southern Plains

Annuals and perennials that will attract these important pollinators to your garden and help increase their populations

Bees are creditworthy for pollinating 80 % of the world ’s plant , including one - third of the food on our plates and many of the ornamental industrial plant in our garden . While European honeybee incur most of the credit , much of the body of work is done by lesser - know native bees . North America is home to over 4,000 species of aboriginal bee , many of which are in peril due to home ground red ink .

The good mode to plump for our aboriginal bee is by enhancing their native habitats . gardener can do this by implant a all-inclusive variety of topically aboriginal plants . bee rely on their excellent color vision to find ambrosia . Brightly color in bloom in shades of blue-blooded , purple , white , and yellowish are most attractive to these authoritative pollinators . Here are a few regional favorites for attracting bees in the Southern Plains .

Blanket flower

Gaillardiaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9

The sunny blooms of blanket flush are a go - to among aboriginal - plant enthusiasts and for well reason . The plant life are drought broad and bloom with abandon , attracting striped sweat bees , bumblebees , and many others . Most blanket flower multifariousness found on the food market today are hybrids between the recurrent vulgar blanket flower ( G. aristata , Zones 3–8 ) and annual Indian blanket ( G. pulchella ) , the latter of which is native to our region . Amerindic blanket seminal fluid is wide available and germinates readily to contribute quick colour to sunny gardens . While bee do utilize hybrids , you might face for these other aboriginal perennial blanket flowers at specialty nurseries :

Purple poppy mallow

Callirhoe involucrata , Zones 4–9

Also cry winecup , this sensational native ground natural covering raise an copiousness of Battle of Magenta blooms in other summertime . plant flower for several weeks , describe native bees and butterflies . Purple poppy mallow may go abeyant during the heat of June 21 unless supplemental irrigation is provided . But do n’t worry — plants post up a unused matt of deeply lobed foliage as the weather cools in fall , which remain through the wintertime in my Zone 7 garden .

Milkweed

Asclepiasspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–10

More than just a milkweed butterfly magnet , milkweed host a diversity of worm coinage and provides an excellent root of nectar for aboriginal bee . Several specie of bumblebee , including four at - peril specie , frequent milkweed along with carpenter bee , mining bees , sweat bee , and leafcutter bees . Milkweed is also an important resource for domestic honeybees . Here are four promptly available species adapted to the Southern Plains :

Sea holly

Eryngiumspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–10

Also called eringo , these burry plant are often mix up for weedy thistle . While several native species grow throughout the Southern Plains , only two are readily usable in the gardening craft : the showy purpleness Leavenworth ’s eryngo ( E. leavenworthii , yearly ) and the prairie superstar rattlesnake schoolmaster ( E. yuccifolium , Zones 3–8 ) . Garden centre more commonly contain European species and hybrids , all of which also attract bees and provide a unequaled structural speech pattern in the garden .

Coneflower

Echinaceaspp . and cvs . , zone 3–11

A favorite among butterfly gardeners , coneflower also keep going a variety of native bee species . In one ongoing study , over 40 species of native bee have visited a psychometric test garden of coneflowers . With the popularity of coneflower in horticulture , breeders have developed some rather unique hybrids . When selecting plants for pollinators , be sure to deflect the “ double ” diverseness whose cones are fill with small frilly petals . These do not provide the ambrosia and pollen bee ask . Most coneflowers available at garden centre are gain from purple coneflower ( E. purpurea , Zones 3–8 ) . pallid purple coneflower ( E. pallida , Zones 3–10 ) is also commonly available , as is jaundiced coneflower ( E. paradoxa , Zones 5–8 ) . These three species are aboriginal to the Southern Plains .

— Kim Toscano is a horticulturalist , entomologist , garden designer , author , and pictorial designer . She previously hostedOklahoma Gardening , a hebdomadary PBS television programme produce by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service .

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