PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BIRDS AND POLLINATORS

 

PLANTS THAT ATTRACT BIRDS AND POLLINATORS 

Here in Barrie we will celebrate Pollinator Week from June 19-June 25.

Since our precious pollinators are declining at an alarming rate, we all need to provide as many food sources for pollinators as possible.

“WITHOUT POLLINATORS, THE HUMAN RACE AND ALL OF THE EARTH’S TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS WOULD NOT  SURVIVE.”

NATIVE FLOWERS THAT ATTRACT POLLINATORS Native plants have had 1000’s of years to adapt to their surroundings and therefore are very hardy, drought, and pest resistant, and can grow in all kinds of soil conditions. black-eyed Susan, rubberneck, purple cone flower, iron weed, bee balm, cup plant, silver weed (ground cover), butterfly weed, blue vervain, coreopsis, cardinal flower. NON-NATIVE FLOWERS THAT ATTRACT POLLINATORS zinnia, lantana, fuchsia, sweet alyssum, calendula, daisy, lavender, most herbs, scarlet runner, portulaca, snapdragons, dahlia, asters, butterfly bush, marigold, salvia NATIVE SHRUBS/TREES THAT ATTRACT POLLINATORS red maple, sugar maple, New Jersey tea, red-osier dogwood, eastern teaberry, eastern witch hazel, winterberry, northern spicebush, eastern ninebark, black cherry, chokecherry, staghorn sumac, red currant, black raspberry, red elderberry, basswood
Dr. Lovejoy an American ecologist states emphatically, “If you take care of BIRDS you take  care of most of the problems in the environmental world.” NATIVE FLOWERS THAT ATTRACT BIRDS Purple cone flowers, milkweed, cardinal flower, trumpet honeysuckle, Virginia creeper,s downy sunflowers, cup plants, false dragon heads, New England astersm and downy sunflowers attract chickadees, blue jays, goldfinches, and nuthatches  False dragon heads (obedient plants) attract hummingbirds Cup plants attract chickadees, blue jays, goldfinches, and nuthatches. Asters attract cardinals, chickadees, goldfinches, indigo buntings, nuthatches, sparrows, towhees. The fibre from milkweed is used by American goldfinches to spin nests. Purple cone flowers attract black- capped chickadees, dark eyed juncos, American goldfinches, downy woodpeckers, mourning doves, northern cardinals, and ruby-throated hummingbirds.  

In autumn Virginia creepers attract woodpeckers, chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, thrushes, robins, and catbirds. Cardinal flowers attract hummingbirds which are attracted to red.

NATIVE SHRUBS/TREES THAT ATTRACT BIRDS

Pussy willows, chokecherry, button bush, red osier dogwood,s bush honeysuckle, witch hazel, winter berry, spice bush, sand cherry, choke cherry, ninebark, pasture rose, common blackberry, raspberry attract cedar waxwings, yellow-rumped warblers, woodpeckers, northern mockingbirds, and American robins.

The following native trees attract all kinds of birds- eastern red cedar, spruces, pines, service berries, mulberry, crabapple, white oak, hawthorn, and hickory.

If you do not have a garden to grow pollinators-friendly flowers and shrubs you can grow herbs on your balcony or a sunny window.

1. Basil 

Basil is an annual whose blooms welcome bees and other important pollinators.  Basil is a versatile herb that can be used with meat, cheese, eggs, sauces, salads, vegetables, and of course, in talian cuisine.

2. Catnip  Catnip is perennial that belongs to the mints family, re-seeds easily, and has white flowers that are loved by pollinators.

3. Chives There are onion chives  and garlic chives which are distinct species of alliums. Use only the green from garlic chives and use both the green and bulb from onion chives. Onion chives produce a round ball of small purple flowers (like a miniature pompom), whereas, garlic chives produce a dainty upright bouquet of white flowers. Pollinators love the flowers of both species and wasps which are big pollinators in the fall are especially attracted to chive flowers.

4. Cilantro Cilantro is the same herb as coriander. It is predominately used in Indian, Mexican, and Indian cooking. It can be used as a garnish or in salads. Tiny native bees, syrphid flies, and other small pollinators equipped to forage the flowers’ dainty structures are attracted to the tiny flowers of cilantro.

5. Dill Dill is an extremely pollinator-friendly herb. Its showy clusters of yellow flowers will buzz with pollinators such as lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, braconid wasps, tachinid flies, and others. The dill is a host plant to black swallowtail butterflies which will lay its eggs on dill plants. If the caterpillars eat most of your plant, be happy you helped provide food for our declining pollinators.

6. Lavender 

Lavender grows best in Mediterranean climates and is used a lot in French cuisine. The leaves and purple flowers have medicinal benefits as well. Grow your lavender in a pot that drains easily. You should see buzzing bees as well as butterflies, which hare attracted to purple, frequenting the aromatic lavender flowers.

  7. Lemon Balm Lemon balm derives its name from from the fact the leaves from this perennial (in zone 5-9) mint family plant taste like lemons. The ancient Greeks planted lemon balm near their bee hives as the lemon balm has nectar- rich flowers flowers and the bees were less likely to swarm. Modern beekeepers might want to follow the example of the ancient Greeks.

8. Oregano   Oregano belongs to the mint family and is a perennial in hot counties and an annual in countries with cold winters. It is recommended to be grown in a pot and brought inside in winter. It’s associated with Italian cuisine and is actually more flavourful when dried. Since it has dense clusters of purple white flowers pollinators will swarm to this herb, especially, bees, beetles, and flies which are attracted to white.

9. Sage Sage is a perennial with a strong aroma and distinctive flavour which prefers full sun, and dry well drained soil. It is used to flavour foods such as meats, vegetables, stuffing, and sauces. Sage attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

10. Rosemary  Rosemary is a perfect herb! It’s drought-tolerant, pest-resistant , and will bloom all summer right into winter! It has a woody stem with fragrant, needle-like leaves. Many people’s favourite spud dish is rosemary potatoes. It will tolerate winter temps as low as 5 degrees Celsius. In warmer climates it can grow as high 50 cm. Bees love rosemary’s nectar-rich, bluish-purple flowers.