Pick a pollinator-friendly garden plant for Mom this Mother’s Day!
We all know that Mother’s Day kicks off the garden season in Colorado. After brunch, it’s fun to stroll the aisle of the local nursery and gather up blossoming perennials, annuals, and leafy veggies to get started on that home garden. This year, give Mom a gift that helps support the important role pollinator’s play in the environment.
Did you know that some scientists estimate that birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bits of food? According to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. More than 3,500 specific of native bees help increase crop yields. Pollinators help sustain our ecosystems and support natural resources by helping plants reproduce. In an urban environment, the birds, butterflies, and bees can’t take action to preserve the habitats they need. They can’t create local sanctuaries where they can rest, eat, and breed. You can help.
Pollinator gardens use plants that provide nectar or pollen, bloom throughout the growing season, provide targets of native, or non-invasive species, and eliminate, or minimize the use of herbicides, and pesticides.
Here is a great list of pollinator-friendly plants to add to Mom’s garden today:
Herbs
- Basil
- Marjoram
- Oregano
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
Perennials
- Aster
- Bee Balm
- Coneflower
- Daylily
- Galliardia
- Goldenrod
- Helianthus
- Hollyhock
- Hyssop
- Iris
- Penstemon
- Phlox
- Salvia
- Scabiosa
- Shasta Daisy
- Sunflower
- Yarrow
- Yucca
Annuals
- Alyssum
- Cleome
- Cosmos
- Fuchsia
- Geranium
- Lantana
- Nasturtium
- Marigold
- Verbena
- Zinnia
In addition to planting one or more of these nectar or pollen-rich plants, add areas of shelter, water and restrict the use of herbicides. By working with nature to control pests and disease, beneficial organisms and pollinators will be able to thrive. Shop with a purpose this Mother’s Day and help support the pollinators that play a critical role in our ecosystem.