15 SPECIALIST POLLINATOR PLANTS for the Garden - Ep. 129

[@FlockFingerLakes]

We have a free handout, which highlights the native plants based on region of the United States, which you can access here: bit.ly/3sktBYJ Feel free to take that handout to your local nursery or garden center and encourage them to carry more specialist pollinator plants.

[@rezayaseri2790]

💚💚💚

[@LINativePlantConservation]

thank you so much!!!!! Ive been looking. im on Long island NY. thank you again

[@lat7805]

I've got distracted so much by the back of the shirt you are wearing that I had to rewind to listened again.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

haha. Didn't 'plant' that flower.

[@Sheltervol77]

I planted some Calico Aster in a pot, late in the season last year. Wow, what a plant. Beautiful. I’m definitely gonna put some in the ground this year.

[@tiwowo1234]

OTTAWA CANADA, I GOT A WARNING FROM THE CITY, TO CUT DOWN MY WILDFLOWERS FRONT OF MY HOUSE!! ASTER GOLDENROD…..SOOO SAD

[@HowardRice]

Your pollinator series is really interesting. And thanks so much for giving the latin names. Some of the plants you mention are widely grown in the UK but many of them you just don't see in cultivation here which is surprising as they are very ornamental. I shall look them up.

[@karldean5728]

Hi Howard, we in the UK could certainly learn from such efforts across the pond, prioritising native British flora species is crucial, they are just as beautiful aesthetically in horticulture and are far more beneficial to our declining wildlife. I often visit garden centres and see no native plants! We urgently need a culture shift away from Victorian obsessions of exotics and back to appreciating the wild flowers of the British Isles.

[@LINativePlantConservation]

i love how you said If you want to have the cultivated variety, do that, and make sure to also have the native variety.

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thank you Ms. Summer, I found your information very interesting.🍁🍂🍁💚🙃

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad you enjoyed.

[@Pervydachny]

Hello! Thank you for the interesting video. These plants must grow in our gardens. Good luck to you👍🌻💙

[@georgekurywczak6766]

There are very many medicinal herbs that do the same functions and are native to local areas. The biggest problem for the specialist pollinators is that habit is not provided, and/or is being destroyed. Pastures are mowed and planted with grass. At least if not mowed, certain animals species live in those grasses, hide in those grasses. But a wild maintained pasture, I know contradictory but it isn't if you use stewardship, provides habitat and cover for small animals from predators in the sky or on the watch. A more diverse and healthy community of animals is created, bringing in all the wanted pollinators and other wild creatures that help the ecosystem of our gardens/forests. The addition to having medicinal benefits, these herbs provide many textures, colors, sizes, shapes, and are beautiful to observes and in many cases wonderful aromas are present in the air. Love that you care about these specialists. Permaculture demands they are needed for a thriving and producing system. It makes it less work for us as nature takes care of itself and therefor us as a consequence.

[@mdalerodger8844]

Would your provide several herb examples. Thanks

[@georgekurywczak6766]

@@mdalerodger8844 I would love to, but unfortunately all my books and notes are packed right now as I'm moving. I am starting my own project in WV Dec 1st, so all my stuff is packed right now. I can give a few off the top of my head ones like St. John's Wort, Chives, Oregano, Lavender, all Thistles, Clovers. I'm struggling to bring them to mind, reason I keep notes. But if you ad to those mentions by Summer, you have an abundant amount to use. Not to mention many fruits and vegetables that need all kinds of pollinators as well.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

One thing to add to this is solid research out of Cornell here to show that it is our native pollinators that provide the most effective pollination services for tree crops, like apples, for instance (see ref here: www.danforthlab.entomology.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/blitzer_etal_2015_agee.pdf). Many of our apple farmers here have opted to leave wild sections of Solidago and Symphyotrichum to encourage those pollinators between or near tree rows.

[@Pervydachny]

Hello! Thank you for the interesting video. These plants must grow in our gardens. Good luck to you👍🌻💙

[@cefcat5733]

Snow drifts of tiny flowers is something for which one could strive, to place in protected from mower places, like next to a steel fence.

[@karldean5728]

We can't go wrong with planting native plants for wildlife! Great job, your local wildlife will be grateful. So many intricate ecological benefits that we may never understand. My favourite specialist flower is the beautiful Foxglove (unfortunately invasive in your country) however, in England it is a powerhouse for our longer tongued bumblebees!

[@samuraioodon]

I really wanted to have asters and goldenrod as part of my garden but rabbits demolish them if I don't put up something. Dallas Texas.

[@LINativePlantConservation]

Pityopsis graminifolia narrowleaf silkgrass is only available at wilcox nursery and they only do local tampa bay FL delivery or pick up in Largo Fl, they dont ship anywhere else. so rare to find. have to have it in my garden for the pollinators and to save seed so its not so rare, lets make them common!

[@YurioZet]

Varieties do prove a garden magnificent! Great! :)

[@LittleSpaceCase]

Salix are the best but they really need a lot of water. Not good for dry locations at all. They host all my favorite moths where I live

[@emkn1479]

I had a boltonia self sow in my annual flower patch so I let it grow. It grew taller than me and is always buzzing with every type of bee, etc. as autumn takes over. I absolutely love it!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Total score!

[@LINativePlantConservation]

the curly cup gumweed seeds are so expensive and rare, wow, i have to get some so i can share more seeds and plants with everyone. We have to make them more available, they cant be rare

[@bretfurgason7615]

Love this (o; Salix a bit aggressive, so many are very controllable. So many positives here in Indiana. Nearly first to bloom in spring. Plus use for crafts, furniture on and on. Might let folks know Goldenrod gets the very bad rap of unmerciful allergic reactions. When its not. Its just a campion of ragweed. The pollen spread-ability between the 2 at opposite ends of the range.. (sure you know (o;)

[@FlockFingerLakes]

It's strange that goldenrod gets a bad rap. I try to explain to folks that if you see pollinators on a plant, chances are the plant is NOT wind-pollinated. The plants that ARE wind-pollinated (like ragweed) are the ones that will give an allergic effect to those who are sensitive. It seems common sense when you lay it out that way, but is often overlooked.

[@charlesbale8376]

I really appreciated the information you shared. I will go on to research this further for my area.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Glad it was helpful!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Thank you for sharing with the viewers.

[@judyingram-kh1vm]

Thistles are against the law here in NE Oklahoma.

[@jeanneamato8278]

Thank you for this. I love thistles.

[@joansmith3492]

Your garden looks happy. I have such a hard time with latin names and appreciate that you call out both names.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I'll try to do both names more often. I rarely use the common names on our other channel 'Plant One On Me' because a lot of those plants are tropical and sub-tropical and I didn't grow up with those plants, so only know them by their scientific names. That being said, I think it's important to mention the scientific names because too often, a plant's common name is misconstrued with another plant.

[@nathanaelcard]

This is a book I would buy, just saying!

[@tuhkathri9126]

This great info as I get prepared for next spring to make my all native gardenscape

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I'm already creating my lists for spring too. Winter gives a good time to collect ones thoughts and make some plans. :)

[@allonesame6467]

These are very suited to my soil and zone! Thank you so much for turning me on to these!

[@FlockFingerLakes]

You are most welcome.

[@cefcat5733]

Thistles standing stately, side by side, in royal purple colors, at almost 7 feet tall, is a setting for photo models and now specialized pollinators. My roommate was an amateur photographer. I stood in the thistles at age 22. When it was suggested that I put on my new long, off-white, thin flowing cotton dress and place myself, as if sleeping still, on a floating carpet of lime green pond algae, I angrily declined. The thistles were difficult, but a better choice. The bees really like the largest of sunflowers here too. This October they still stand, as usual, in front of a Church. They have huge flowers, stalks and are 9-10 feet tall. That made me think of your deer. 🌻🌻🌻🦌🦌🦌

[@FlockFingerLakes]

I just listened to a report where Sam Droege mentioned research that the annual sunflower provides enough pollen for 100 bees. That is just one flower. Partially because of all the disc florets in the center-their are multiple flowers that bloom throughout the year. Fabulous data point for others to know here.

[@cefcat5733]

@@FlockFingerLakes I just see them so busy on those big flowers. They don't care if I photograph them. 🐝🌻It is October and they still have a flower to visit! Rode to the countryside once and there were fields of them as crops. 🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻It was a beautiful site/sight.

[@cefcat5733]

@@FlockFingerLakes Another KZbinr mentioned that deer love to munch on them 🦌🌻as well. He did not mention if they ate the green leaves and stalks or if it is a source of food in the Winter.

[@ourcozygarden]

Great list reference. We’re in western Canada so definitely can use it 😀

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Fantastic! Glad it's useful.

[@sandylee1717]

All beautiful

[@at1the1beginning]

Kuddos for putting in this much effort, really. However, your language and teriminology use is not always 'correct' (in se) and/or confusing. For instance: you keep saying "Do (also) plant the native species of X cultivar". Nativity and - what you actually mean to say: wild - are not the same and/or interchangeable. 'Native' means 'naturally ocurring in a specific geographic area', while 'cultivar' means 'a by humans cultivated/selected VARIETY - meaning phenotypically different from the wild occuring type - of a certain plant species. With that in mind it would be better to say: "If you want to plant cultivar of native plant X, do also try to include the (naturally occurring/evolved) WILD TYPE of said SPECIES". I know this sounds like nitpicking, but when you want to be educational (or scientific certainly), this is important imho.

[@shephusted2714]

bee balm and butterfly bushes are great - you have to plant a lot to make any impact - go big or go home

[@ceciliasalcedoelizondo7118]

🌸 🌸🌸

[@silverflame2501]

😍😍😍

[@botanyboy5454]

❤️

[@nathanaelcard]

Loved this ep. I too am on to the specialists

[@naturecare6072]

They’re so pretty. That’d be hard to watch them freeze in the middle of winter. Are they perennial?

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Everything mentioned here is perennial or biennial. Annual sunflowers are in fact annual, but can reseed and return.

[@LINativePlantConservation]

absolutely love this video.

[@lucysalas1949]

Thank you so much for these videos. I have a small 1/4 acre garden and would like to improve the environment for pollinators. This year, I was overjoyed to see so many return following many years of decline. I learned that asters were very important from a British garden revival video so I have a lot of asters but your video provides more specific information that will help me improve my garden. Thanks to your bulb shopping video, I am planting many native tulip species and very early flowers.

[@FlockFingerLakes]

Fantastic! Glad both videos were helpful to help round out your garden. Have lots of fun and joy in your gardening!