We want to take a moment to highlight native pollinators, and how you can promote their presence in your yard.

Pollinators are not just bees. Some plants are pollinated by birds, butterflies, moths, bats, beetles and flies. Many of these pollinators are beneficial to our ecosystem not only for their pollination service, but also for things like biological pest control. A good example are parasitic wasps. They kill pests and rely on having a nectar source for survival. In this article, we going to mainly focus on native bees. In a future article we will take a more in depth look at some of the other types of pollinators.

Not only are pollinators a diverse group, but many are specialized and better at pollinating certain plants than the generalist honeybee is. Some pollinators, like bumble bees, are willing to work at much cooler temperatures and in poorer weather than honeybees. This can be important for pollinating early spring flower plants like fruit trees.

There are about 4,000 species of native bees in the United States. They come in an amazing array of color, shapes and size. Most native bees are fundamentally very different than the honeybee. Honeybees are somewhat unique in that they form huge colonies that overwinter. Most native bees are solitary, and they often nest in the ground. And unlike honeybees, who will travel miles to forage acres and acres of land, most native bees don’t venture far from their nest. Some of them only as far as a couple hundred yards. They absolutely need to have access to ample nectar and pollen resources close to suitable nesting sites.

The best part about native bees is that most of them don’t sting, and they are generally very peaceful.

Despite having so many pollinators in our gardens that its hard to take a picture of a flower without one, we have no problems with them bothering us. We have had bumble bee colonies (which can sting) nest right next to our walkway. They gave us not a single problem all season despite walking past them many times a day. If you are concerned about getting stung by encouraging bees in your yard, don’t be. You can safely encourage a plethora of pollinators to make homes in your yard without fear of getting stung. Just be sure that you do not antagonize them. Leave them alone, and they’ll likely do the same to you.

How do we encourage native pollinators?

Our native pollinators really only need a few things to thrive. They need a reliable food source all season long. This needs to be near suitable sites for nesting and overwintering. Lastly, they need to be in a pesticide free area where they can forage without being killed. With a little effort you can easily provide this in your backyard.

You can provide pollen and nectar sources by planting a wide variety of flowering plants that will bloom all season. Since you are trying to feed diversity, diversity in plants is ideal. A couple acres of perfectly manicured grass and boxwood shrubs might be appealing to our desire for order, but it might as well be the Sahara Desert for native bees. And yeah, those dandelions that humans despise are an important, reliable food source for pollinators particularly in early spring.

It is also important to provide good nesting and overwintering sites.

These often look like wild, unkempt areas. Ground nesting bees typically like semi-bare soil areas, wood nesting bees need places like dead trees and hollow stems, and bumble bees like to nest in places like abandoned rodent burrows. They need leaf litter, tall grass, dead plant stems, logs, rock piles etc. for overwintering sites to protect them from the elements. In a nutshell, these pollinators need access ‘natural’ areas. And we can easily provide these areas with a little thought and planning.

Try to incorporate some more ‘wild’ areas into your landscape design and avoid over zealously cleaning up your gardens and yards during the fall and winter months. If you do you will likely be throwing out or accidentally killing many of your native pollinators and other beneficial insects. They are relying on things like dead, hollow plant stems and leaf litter to overwinter. If you are interested in learning more about how to create pollinator habitats in your landscape, the Xerces Society has an excellent publication on it.

Lastly, avoid using pesticides if at all possible.

If you do have to use pesticides, try to opt for those with minimal effects on bees. Only spray them on non-flowering plants or when bees are not present. Keep in mind that a yard does not need to be insect or even pest free to be beautiful, healthy, and productive. It is our opinion that if you create a healthy ecosystem in you yard, you will have very few pest problems that require pesticides. If you have been spraying a lot of pesticides, it may take a few years for a large enough population of beneficial insects to return and for things to re-balance.

Part of creating a healthy ecosystem is also proper plant selection. While many people scream native plants only. Not all environments are suitable for all plants, including native ones. We firmly believe right plant in the right place is more appropriate than native vs non-native. Non-native plants are not inherently bad, and some natives are plagued with pest and disease problems.

Many plants, while native, are really not adapted to a given environment that we have created. Many non-native plants are rich resources for wildlife and pollinators. So rather than getting hung up on whether a plant is native, focus on whether it is a good food source for pollinators, and whether it is adapted to thrive under your local conditions.

We hope this has inspired you to join us in supporting native pollinators. With a little effort and a few changes, you can help prevent native pollinators from starving to death Plus, you can have an amazing array of beautiful, beneficial insects gracing your garden like we do.

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post Helping Native Pollinators Thrive In Your Yard first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.

1. Passiflora incarnata

Passiflora incarnata, the maypop, is much loved by pollinators. This is evidenced by the copious amounts of edible fruit the vine produces every year. Because Passiflora incarnata is native to the south eastern United States, it makes sense that native bees love this plant.

Passiflora incarnata typically produces small to medium sized light purple blooms in abundance all summer long. However, it can also be found with pure white flowers, or pink blooms. While many other passion flowers produce larger blooms, incarnata more than makes up for the lack of size with sheer number. Many passion flowers are stingy with their blossoms, not so with incarnata! This plant will churn out flower after flower all summer long even in cooler climates. It is a vigorous, care free vine once established. However, when choosing a location to plant it, keep in mind that it can get quite large and spread by root suckers if it is not controlled.

Passiflora incarnata, is one of the most cold hardy of all passion flowers.  So, if you want an exotic, tropical looking plant, but you don’t live somewhere hot, this is the vine for you. It grows and flowers profusely even in colder climates adding a touch of exotic flare to almost any garden.

2. Passiflora ‘Fata Confetto’

The second plant on our list is Passiflora ‘Fata Confetto. In many ways Fata Confetto reminds us of P. incarnata. However, it is smaller, less vigorous vine with significantly larger, more fancy blooms. Like incarnata, Fata Confetto produces bloom after bloom all summer long. It is also relatively cold tolerant though not quite as hardy as incarnata.

Fata Confetto produces 4 inch blossoms in a very pleasant light purple shade. The petals are topped with a zillion long wavy filaments They are easy to grow and are a very well-mannered plant that can find a home in most any garden.

Passiflora Fata Confetto is a complex hybrid consisting of several different species including Passiflora incarnata. While it doesn’t qualify as a native plant, we find Fata Confetto to be equally as appealing to pollinators as incarnata. If you do not have the garden space to commit to a massive incarnata vine, Fata Confetto would make an excellent wildlife friendly substitute.

3. Passiflora ‘Blue Velvet’

The third variety on our list is Passiflora ‘Blue Velvet’. Blue Velvet is another incarnata relative and was a new addition to our collection for 2023. So far we have been very impressed both with its ornamental characteristics, but also its pollinator appeal.

Blue Velvet is very free flowering, producing huge, intensely purple blossoms all summer long. The flowers are heat tolerant, and the vine is a very attractive deep lush green. In addition to the curb appeal this on one of the more cold hardy passion flower varieties available. Not only is it cold tolerant, but also heat tolerant, and capable of continuing to bloom in high temperatures.

Blue Velvet is a remake of the very popular Passiflora ‘Incense’, so if you are familiar with Incense, it is similar in many ways. However, in our opinion it is a much improve option. Blue Velvet has larger, more intensely colored blossoms, and it is much more free blooming. It also seems more attractive to pollinators as evidenced by both their presence and the fruit it sets.

4. Passiflora ‘ Blue Eyed Susan’

Passiflora ‘Blue Eyed Susan’ is #4 on our list, and is once again, a P. incarnata child. By now you have probably noticed a theme. Our pollinators seem to love incarnata and its many hybrids. This makes sense as we are located in the heart of Passiflora incarnata’s native range.

Blue Eyed Susan has the largest, showiest blossoms of the plants on this list. They are a purplish-blue color with copious amounts of wavy filaments. The vine has a large coarse texture and glossy foliage courtesy of its relative Passiflora edulis.

Blue Eyed Susan is not cold hardy like most of the varieties on this list. However, it is well suited to container culture, and is much easier to maintain to a reasonable size than many passion flowers. Its fragrant blooms would make it the perfect addition as a patio container plant. It loves warm weather and flowers freely for us in the summer months. Often the flowers are followed by edible fruits similar to, but in our opinion a bit sweeter and tastier than maypop fruits.

5. Passiflora ‘Blue Bouquet’

The last plant on our list is not an incarnata hybrid, but rather a Passiflora caerulea hybrid. Passiflora ‘Blue Bouquet’ is significantly different looking than the other varieties on this list. It does not get as much attention as many other varieties, however, it is one of our garden favorites. This is because it is very reliable.

Blue Bouquet produces an abundance of blueish-purple 3″ flowers, all summer and until frost. It is very free flowering, and our vine will often have dozens of open flowers on it at any given time. Most of those flowers will have a swarm of bees pollinating them. One unique thing about this vine is that despite the pollinator attention, it has never set any fruit for us. So, if you want to attract pollinators without producing messy fruit to clean up, Blue Bouquet is a good choice.

One thing we really love about this care free vine is that it is so ambitious about producing blossoms, that it will often produce flower buds in pairs. It is also a large, rapidly growing vine that can cover an ugly fence quickly.

Blue Bouquet is heat tolerant and will continue flowering through the hottest days of summer in our garden. It is also somewhat cold tolerant. It seems to reliably reappear in our zone 8 garden. For those of you who live in colder climates, it is easily adapted to growing in a container and will flower equally as freely as if it were planted in the ground.

If none of these passion flowers suit your tastes

Keep in mind that many of our other passion flowers are also visited by bees. These just seem to be their top 5 choices in our garden. If none of these flowers suit your tastes, check out one of our other varieties that come in a range of colors. Regardless of what variety you choose, you are likely still providing food for pollinators. If you find that a different variety is a pollinator favorite in your garden, we would love to hear about it!

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Please remember

The information provided is for general informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith, for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals. We do not provide any kind of professional advice. THE USE OR RELIANCE OF ANY INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. View full disclaimer here.

The post The Best Passiflora For Pollinators first appeared on Snowdrop Farm.