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Plant for Pollinators
The first simple step toward protecting our pollinators is to provide the flowers they need, using no pesticides. With abundant native wildflowers, your task is even simpler: don't mow them down! This field guide identifies the plants that honey bees and native bees – as well as butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds – find most nutritious, including flowers, trees, shrubs, herbs, and pasture plants. With guidance from the Xerces Society, the global authority on insects and other invertebrates, you can turn your backyard, farm, or commumity into a thriving pollinator habitat.
Each plant profile includes which pollinators visit the plant, the quality of honey the nectar produces, when it blooms, how best to use it in the landscape, planting tips, and spectacular photography.
List of contents
Preface: What's Old Is New
Plants and Pollinators: An Overview
Pollinators and Pesticides
Icon Key
1 Native Wildflowers
Anise Hyssop, Giant Hyssop
Aster
Beebalm
Black-Eyed Susan
Blanketflower
Blazing Star
Blue Curls
Blue Vervain
California Poppy
Clarkia
Coreopsis
Culver's Root
Cup Plant, Compass Plant, Rosinweed
Figwort
Fireweed
Globe Gilia
Goldenrod
Gumweed
Ironweed
Joe-Pye Weed, Boneset
Lobelia
Lupine
Meadowfoam
Milkweed
Mountainmint
Native Thistle
Penstemon
Phacelia
Prairie Clover
Purple Coneflower
Rattlesnake Master, Eryngo
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
Salvia
Selfheal
Sneezeweed
Spiderwort
Sunflower
Waterleaf
Wild Buckwheat
Wild Geranium
Wild Indigo
Wingstem
Wood Mint
2 Native Trees and Shrubs
Acacia
Basswood
Blackberry, Raspberry
Black Locust
Blueberry
Buckwheat Tree
Buttonbush
Chamise
Coyotebrush
False Indigo, Leadplant
Golden Currant
Inkberry
Madrone
Magnolia
Manzanita
Mesquite
Ocean Spray
Oregon Grape
Rabbitbrush
Redbud
Rhododendron
Rose
Saw Palmetto
Serviceberry
Sourwood
Steeplebush, Meadowsweet
Toyon
Tulip Tree
Tupelo
Wild Lilac
Willow
Yerba Santa
3 Introduced Trees and Shrubs
Orange
Plum, Cherry, Almond, Peach
4 Introduced Herbs and Ornamentals
Basil
Borage
Catnip
Coriander
Cosmos
Hyssop
Lavender
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Russian Sage
Thyme
5 Native and Nonnative Bee Pasture Plants
Alfalfa
Buckwheat
Clover
Cowpea
Mustard
Partridge Pea
Radish
Sainfoin
Scarlet Runner Bean
Sweetclover
Vetch
Average Number of Flower and Herb Seeds per Pound
About the author
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. They are the authors of 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, Farming with Native Beneficial Insects, and Attracting Native Pollinators.
Summary
The international bee crisis is threatening our global food supply, but this user-friendly field guide shows what you can do to help protect our pollinators. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation offers browsable profiles of 100 common flowers, herbs, shrubs, and trees that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. The recommendations are simple: pick the right plants for pollinators, protect them from pesticides, and provide abundant blooms throughout the growing season by mixing perennials with herbs and annuals! 100 Plants to Feed the Bees will empower homeowners, landscapers, apartment dwellers — anyone with a scrap of yard or a window box — to protect our pollinators.
Additional text
2017 GWA Media Awards Silver Medal winner
“A wonderful and much-needed book that will inspire and inform the creation of bee-friendly wildflower gardens. Perhaps we can turn our gardens, neighborhoods, towns, and cities into vast, colorful havens for bees, butterflies, and other vital insects!”
— Dave Goulson, biologist, founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, and author of A Sting in the Tale
“If you’re ready to help save the bees, this is a great place to start. No matter where you live, this well-organized companion shows you the best plants to use.”
— Joe Lamp’l, creator, executive producer, and host of Growing a Greener World®
“The ever-helpful Xerces Society shows us how to bring back our threatened species, one gorgeous garden at a time. Everybody wins!”
— Dar Williams, singer, songwriter, and environmental activist
