Celebrate our pollinators
This is the week to celebrate pollinators.
Pollinators are facing increasing challenges of habitat loss, parasite and disease pressure, and the unintended consequences of pesticide misuse. Anyone – from individual home gardeners to commercial and agricultural property managers – can promote pollinator health by selecting and planting appropriate plants.
When most folks think of pollinators, honeybees, native EHHV DQG EXWWHUÀLHV top their list. There are other pollinators such as mason bees, digger bees, leaf cutter bees and even bumble bees that help pollinate our plants to produce seed and fruit.
Here are some recommended plants that are attractive to bees and butWHUÀLHV DQG VRPHWLPHV KDYH DGGLWLRQDO ZLOGOLIH EHQH¿WV
This tree has colorful fall IROLDJH DQG UHG ÀRZHUV LQ early spring, and a good resource for bees and birds.
Mound-shaped with VWULNLQJ ZKLWH ÀRZHU VSLUHV and attractive gold fall foliage. It also has seed and foliage that are poisonous to humans, so beware.
Very showy red flower dusters can be a foot long, good for attracting hummingbirds and bees. Beware, the seeds and shoots are poisonous to humans.
Drooping clusters of white ÀRZHUV DQG UHG SXUSOH EHUries from the branches are EHQH¿FLDO WR EHHV DQG ELUGV alike.
White and lavender flowers attract bees and EXWWHUÀLHV ZKLOH FOXVWHUV of shiny purple (or white) berries attract birds.
A native to Northwest Georgia and Polk County, this tree with heart-shaped shiny leaves and showy, pink flowers is good for the common bees that are attracted to it. Flowering quince Early blooming and attractive to bees.
Also a native tree, it blooms with white or pink “flowers”, red berries, and often has scarlet fall foliage. A real beauty in any yard.
)ODW KHDGV RI IHUWLOH ÀRZHUV fringed with non-fertile flowers are attractive to bees.
Whitish-green conVSLFXRXV ÀRZHUV ZLWK the potential for colorful fall foliage, this is good source of pollen and nectar for bees
Tulip tree This long, straight trunked WUHH IHDWXUHV VKRZ\ ÀRZHUV and star shaped leaves that turn bright gold in the fall. The Tulip tree is valuable for birds, bees, and butWHUÀLHV 7KH\ VHUYH DV WKH larval host to the Eastern Tiger Swallow Tail.
Glossy, semi-evergreen leaves with clusters of red blooms and red berries are very attractive to bees, butterÀLHV KXPPLQJELUGV DQG WKH IUXLW EHQH¿WV PDQ\ ZLOGOLIH
Abundant white and pink ÀRZHUV DQG QRQ VKRZ\ IUXLW heavily used by wildlife. It also may be of benefit to native bees.
:KLWH ÀRZHUV LQ WKH VSULQJ are fantastic for honey bees and bumble bees.
3HQGXORXV ZKLWH ÀRZHUV and yellow fall foliage, the Black Cherry attracts common bees such as miming bees, bumble bees, and mason bees.
Celebrate our pollinators by protecting them and their habitat. Find out more about how by contact the Polk County Extension office at 770-749-2142, or e-mailing uge2233@uga.edu.