10 Pollen Plants for Native Bees You Need to Know!

it is nearly impossible to watch a news report or surf the internet without seeing a story about the urgent need to save the bees most of these reports are about honey bees and not about the plight of our native bee species several of which have declined greatly in numbers over the past several decades many of our native bees are pollen specialist they require the pollen from specific plants to raise their young a great way to help these species out is to include these pollen Source plants into our pollinator Gardens let's jump into the list starting with number 10 and Counting down to the pollen specialist native be champion of eastern North America I am also going to throw some cool facts in from time to time so be sure to watch for them we begin with a bonus as we are going to take the list to 11 since there is a tie for the number 10 spot our first plant group in the number 10 spot are plants in the genus cium the thistles while thistles are not often thought of as garden plants and many non-native invasive species of thistle are a huge nuisance there are around 15 species of thistles native to eastern North America that are much better behaved the native thistles are pollen sources for 15 species of poen specialist bees and the pinkish to purple blooms are a huge draw for other pollinators especially butterflies including the Monarch and bumblebees it is used as a host plant by several species that host on plants in the Aster family including the painted lady butterfly thistle seeds are an important food source for song birds and are especially liked by The Goldfinch sharing the number 10 spot with the thistles are plants in the genus bidens the beggar ticks a common genus with around 14 species of beggartick native to eastern North America bidens are best known for their seeds that stick to clothing and fur but their real superpower is that their pollen is utilized by 15 species of pollen specialist bees the yellow or white flowers are attractive to a wide variety of native Bees honey bees and butterflies bidens are used as a host plant by several species that feed on plants in the Aster family and is a known host plant for the dainty sulfur butterfly the seeds are eaten by a variety of song birds and game birds and the foliage of some species is browsed by deer the number nine spot is held by plants in the genus verbina the wing stems these plants are named for the distinctive ridges that run down their stems in addition to that cool characteristic their wh or yellow blooms are utilized by 17 species of pollen specialist bees Wing stems are attractive to all manner of native bees and honeybees butterflies and Skippers in addition they are known host plants for 20 species of caterpillars including those of a specialist feeder the gold moth the seed is eaten by song birds especially sparrows and finches there are around eight species of wing stem native to eastern North America if you love learning about native plants for pollen specialist bees buzz on over and dig into that like button moving right along to number eight the plants in the genus copsis the golden Asters this is a somewhat geographically limited group with many of the 11 species in eastern North America confined to the Deep Southeast in Florida still where they are native they are vital to pollen specialist bees with 20 species utilizing them the bright yellow blooms are attractive to a wide range of native bees and butterflies and the golden asers are known host plants for five species of caterpillars including those of the impatient flower moth which feed only on the copsis the seeds are eaten by a wide variety of song birds including Cardinals finches and dark-eyed junos at number seven are a pollinator Garden favorite the plants in the genus coreopsis The Tick seeds these easy to grow natives are relied upon by 22 species of pollen specialist bees and the yellow or yellow red bicolored flowers are also a hit with other native Bees honey bees and butterflies at least seven species of caterpillar feed on the foliage including those with a common tan wave the seeds feed a wide range of song birds like sparrows and finches and game birds like Northern Bob White The Tick seeds are a rather large group of plants and around 23 species can be found in eastern North America many of the pollen specialist bees that rely on the pollen from the plants in this video are solitary ground nesting species often referred to as mining or digger bees just as important to these species as having the proper pollen to feed their young is having an area of bare ground in which they can Nest Shannon did a Blog a while back about these fascinating bees and ways you can help them out with a nesting location I will link that blog in the description just to be clear these native solitary mining bees are small docel and shy please don't confuse them with social ground nesting wasp like yellow jackets next up at number six are plants in the genus heteroa the camper weeds which are widespread in the Western United States that there are only five species in eastern North America as their name suggests these plants are quite aromatic and they are not often eaten by mammals although the seeds they produce are fed upon by song birds and even wild turkey they have bright yellow flowers and the pollen they produce is used by 24 species of pollen specialist bees the blooms are visited by numerous native Bees honey bees butterflies and are fed upon by the caterpillars of the lynx flower moth halfway through the list at number five are the super popular and easy to grow plants in the genus rubia the Susans every pollinator Garden should include a species of rubia they are great for pollen specialist bees with 29 species relying on pollen from them in addition all types of pollinators are drawn to their yellow to Orange blooms including native Bees honey bees and all types of butterflies caterpillars also find them tasty in the rebecas are known to host 20 species including the spiky black caterpillars of the Silvery Checker Spot Butterfly the seed is eaten by gamebirds including Northern Bob White and wild turkey along with several species of song birds like chickes and goldfishes this is a diverse group and there are around 16 species in eastern North America I did a video where I discuss a couple of the commonly planted species of Susans that I will link in the description I am giving a very basic overview of these tree and shrub groups in this video if you would like to see a deeper dive into them as far as how they fit into a pollinator and Wildlife Garden let me know down in the comments taking the fourth spot on this list is another group of plants we don't hear much about in the East the plants in the genus grindelia the gum weeds there are only two species native to eastern North America and their distribution is limited gum weeds got their name because the upper portion of the plants and flowers are resinous and sticky while 31 species of pollen specialist bees use gumweed pollen they are mly found in the Western United States the yellow flowers with their distinctive spiky cxes also attract many species of native bees mammals rarely feed on the foliage due to high levels of tannins and other defensive chemicals a quick warning about the gum weeds please do not plant any of these species outside of their native ranges some of the western species have invaded the East and have become problematic the third place award goes to plants in the genus saiia Trickum the fall asers this is a large genus and there are around 52 species of fall Aster native to eastern North America they have a strong attraction to pollinators and their pollen is vital to 33 species of pollen specialist bees and their white purple or blue blooms attract all sorts of native Bees honey bees and butterflies fall Asters are also excellent caterpillar host plants and are known to host 100 species of caterpillar including those of the Pearl Crescent butterfly as their name suggests many species Bloom late in the summer and into the fall with some even blooming into early winter this makes them an excellent late season pollen and nectar source and is just one of the many reasons they should be part of every pollinator Garden I did a video about the fall Asters that I will link in the description the idea of using native Keystone plants and home landscaping was brought to the public by Doug Talam in his book bringing nature home this book is considered a mustre in the Native Plant World and if you haven't read it I encourage you to do so I'll put links in the description to both the print and Kindle versions of the book and I will also put a link where you can listen to the audio book for free with an audible free trial sign up in the runnerup spot at number two are the plants in the genus solido the golden rods these familiar plants are pollinator powerhouses and their large bright yellow pollen granules are gathered by 42 species of pollen specialist bees the blooms also attract a host of native bees from small sweat bees to large bumblebees along with honeybees a multitude of wasp species and tons of butterflies and moths beetles and hoverflies of many types are also drawn to Golden Rod blooms Golden Rod is also an important caterpillar host plant with 104 species of caterpillar known to feed upon it including the caterpillars of the cool looking wavy lined Emerald moth the prolific seeds are eaten mainly by small song birds like sparrows junos and finches there are a ton of Golden Rod species and around around 74 of them can be found in eastern North America many of the Golden Rod species are a bit too aggressive for a pollinator Garden but there are plenty that behave well in a garden setting I did a video covering several species of golden rods suitable for pollinator Gardens that I will link in the description before I reveal the number one plant for pollen specialist bees I would like to take a second to let you know about the content and products that backyard ecology offers in addition to the videos here on YouTube we have a podcast a Blog an email list a book about plants honeybees use and a book about how to attract pollinators and Wildlife to your backyard in addition we offer classes and more in-depth guidance in your habitat journey through our backyard ecology Community you can learn more about all of these on our website which is linked in the description and now for the champion plant for pollen specialist bees in eastern North America and it is one we are all familiar with the plants in the genus helianthus the sunflowers the sunflowers are known for their bright yellow blooms and production of seeds which are loved by song birds and game birds as well as small mammals like Chipmucks and even bigger Critters like deer and black bears the blooms are visited by a whopping 50 species of pollen specialist bees and are also sought out by other native Bees honey bees and butterflies sunflowers are excellent caterpillar host plants and 66 species are known to feed on them including the weird looking caterpillars of the awesome giant leopard moth with 33 species of sunflower native to Eastern North Amer America there is likely a species that will fit into your pollinator Garden plan the needs of the pollen specialist bees are often overlooked when it comes to pollinator garden planting these bees really need our help so incorporating plants that support them is important of course you need to complement these pollen Source plants with a variety of other flowering plants and Native grasses and native tree and shrub species to learn about some of the best caterpillar host trees and shrubs check out this video and be sure to get out and explore nature in your backyard

Channel: Backyard Ecology

Views: 5,552

Keywords: Native bees, pollen specialist bees, pollen for native bees, what pollen do bees need, mining bees, goldenrod, sunflower, fall aster, gumweed, camphorweed, coreopsis, thistles, bidens, beggarticks, wingstem, goldenaster, rudbeckia, susans, coneflower, doug tallamy, doug tallamy bringing nature home, gardening for native bees, pollinator gardening, butterfly gardening, pollen plants native bees, pollen plants, best plants for native bees, save native bees, helping native bees, save the bees

Id: TH6A1WV5B3w

Length: 11min 1sec (661 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 02 2024