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LATE BONESET – AN IMPORTANT POLLINATOR PLANT

Sep3

      Once September arrives, pollinator plants become increasingly more difficult to find.  However, a native plant that helps fill that void is an herbaceous perennial known as late boneset (Eupatorium serotinium).

       Late boneset provides nectar to a wide range of pollinators such as native bees, moths, and butterflies. 

       In addition, it is the host plant for the clymene and other species of moths.  The dorsal side of this moth is most distinctive.  Its wings are creamy and marked with bold black markings that resemble a cross. To me, the markings look much like the symbols seen on the shield of an English knight.

       While I often see boneset blooming in old fields and along country roads, I rarely encounter it in backyards.  Interestingly, my daughter recently found one blooming in her suburban backyard.  She finds this volunteer so fascinating; she plans to let it continue to prosper.

       Since the plant is easy to grow and is deer resistant, it is a valuable addition to the backyard of anybody interested in promoting native pollinators.   

TWO LATE AUGUST POLLINATOR FAVORITES

Aug11

        By this time of the year, gardens are often losing their value to pollinators day by day.  The reason for this is many of the plants we plant for their beauty and ability to provide pollinators with nectar and pollen have already stopped blooming.  This is unfortunate because butterflies, bees and other pollinators still desperately need sources of food.  Consequently, if you spot bees and butterflies flying about your yard vainly looking for flowers, don’t let this happen again. With that in mind, I suggest that next spring you add some nectar plants that continue to bloom until frost. Two of the best are purple coneflower and cosmos.

       Both bloom throughout the summer into the fall. They are also hardy. In addition, birds will eat the seeds produced by both plants.  Although a number of birds eat the seeds, American goldfinches are especially fond of them.

FEED THE BEES

Jul17

        There is a growing interest in promoting both honeybees and native bees in backyards throughout Georgia.  One way that you can enhance both the number and diversity of bees in your backyard is to provide them with plants that provide these important pollinators with food.

       Here is a list of ten plants favored by bees. They help provide food for bees from spring into fall. These special plants are blueberry, redbud, beebalm, blanket flower, black-eyed susan, milkweed, goldenrod, horsemint, blazing star (liatris) and fleabane.

       All of these plants are growing in my yard.  How many are growing in your yard?

       If you want to promote bees in your neighborhood, encourage your neighbors to plant bee-friendly plants in their yards too.  Studies have revealed that neighborhoods where gardeners plant such plants host more bees than neighborhoods where homeowners do not.

       While all of these plants are rooted in my yard, unfortunately I am certain that most of these plants are not growing in my neighbors’ yards. With that in mind, I need to encourage them the feed the bees by plant bee food plants in their yards too. If they do, everyone in this neck of the woods will benefit.

IT’S GEORGIA MINT’S TIME TO BE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Oct22

       One of the things I really enjoy about gardening for wildlife is that it has made me more attuned to the parade of plants that bloom and are replaced by others that begin flowering somewhat later during the course of a year.  Currently, in my yard it is the time for Georgia mint (Clinopodium georgianum) to be in the spotlight.

       Georgia mint (also called Georgia savory) is a sub-shrub that grows in clumps 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide.  The plant features upright stems. In addition, when you crush the leaves, they give off a pleasing peppermint-like scent.  Each plant produces scores of small pinkish white blossoms.

       Georgia mint requires little, if any, maintenance.  In addition, it does well with little water and grows in direct sunlight.       Throughout most of the year, you would hardly notice it.  However, when it comes time for it to bloom, scores of blooms seemingly magically appear. 

      The Georgia mint that is growing alongside a section of my driveway is now in full bloom.  While I do have a number of other plants that are also blooming, the sheer number of pollinators they are attracting pales in comparison to those visiting the Georgia mint.  By far the most common visitors are small bumblebees.  However, carpenter bees are also present.  Butterflies such as gulf fritillaries, ocolas, fiery and long-tailed skippers, cabbage whites, and cloudless sulphurs are visiting the floral show.  In past years, I have also seen monarchs nectar at the tiny blooms.

       If you are looking for an attractive, native plant that is a great source of food for pollinators at this time of the year, Georgia mint might prove to be a great addition to your yard.

MOUNTAIN-MINT—A SUMMER POLLINATOR FAVORITE

Aug20

        Throughout this summer’s unprecedented heart wave, many of the plants my wife and I have planted for pollinators are requiring regular watering.  Such has not been the case with a native plant named mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum ssp.).  We have not watered our three patches of mountain mint a single time.  In spite of this, the plants in all three spots have flourished and are attracting more pollenators than other plant growing in our yard.

       This was dramatically illustrated week when we participated in the Great Southeast Pollinator Count.  We selected the two plants (mountain-mint and butterfly bush to survey.  During the 15-minute count at the mountain mint plants, 39 individual pollinators were recorded.  This list included bumblebee – 1, carpenter bee – 2, small bees – 2, wasps – 8, flies – 7, butterflies – 18, and ant -1.

       We saw two juniper hairstreaks and 16 red-banded hairstreaks.  To put this in perspective, the day before I surveyed butterflies on the Annual Fall Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge/Rum Creek Wildlife Management Area Butterfly Count.  In spite of the fact that the team I was assigned to spent 7.5 hours in the field and walked some 2.2 while visiting a number of sites scattered across much of the eastern side of Monroe County and a small piece of Jasper County, we spotted only three red-banded hairstreaks.

       The value of mountain-mint to wild pollinators has been long recognized.  For example, Penn State conducted a research project to determine the value of a number of pollinator plants o wild pollinators found mountain-mint to be the plant most attractive to these special insects.  In addition, it tied with stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) for the top spot for its ability to attract the greatest diversity of pollinators.

       This fragrant plant grows up to six feet tall.  The plants blooms appear in clusters of small white to lavender tubular-shaped flowers arranged on a button-like base.  Each flower cluster is surrounded by a cluster of bracts (modified leaves) that appeared to be covered with flour or powdered sugar. In addition, it blooms for weeks during the summer.

       Mountain-mint is easy to grow. Like most folks that have it growing in their yards, a friend gave me, a handful of plants several years ago.  They did not produce any flowers the first year they were in the ground but have bloomed ever since.

       Keep in mind that the plant spreads rapidly, so place put it in a spot where it has room to spread.  If they do venture into areas where you don’t want them, they can be easily controlled.

       Like so many plants, they seem to attract more pollinators when planted in large groupings.  This is in partly because a large number of plants are more easily seen by pollinators.  In addition, larger patches of plants such as mountain-mint produce scents that can be more easily detected by potential visitors.  This appears to be particularly true in urban areas suffering from air pollution.

       If you do not have a friend or two that is willing to give you a few mountain-mint plants, I am sure that a nursery that deals in native plants can provide you with all that you need.

TAKE PART IN THE 2023 GREAT SOUTHEAST POLLINATOR CENSUS

Jul26

       If you live in the states of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina and would like to take part in a citizen science project that will help you hone your ability to identify pollinators while collecting valuable data concerning the status and abundance of our valuable pollinators; you should take part in the 2023 Great Southeast Pollinator Census.  The count will take place August 18 and 19.


       For more information regarding the census, click on the link Great Southeast Pollinator Census | UGA Cooperative Extension Here you will learn how to participate in the count as well as a list of the neat things you can receive for taking part in this important survey.

NURSERY SELLS NATIVE PLANTS & MORE

May17

       For quite some time now, I have been letting you know when somebody recommends a nursery that deals in native plants.  Here is a new one.

       At this year’s Fantasy of Flowers staged by the Fort Valley Garden Club, I met the folks that run Everyday Farm and Garden (Josh and Nikki Perry).  They were one of the vendors at this year’s event.  They were selling a variety of ornamental and wild plants.  They also sell plants that they say are neonicotinoid-free.   As you know there are not enough folks that can boast that their plants are free of these systemic pesticides.   This is great news for wild pollinators and other backyard neighbors.

       Here is the contact information for this retailer: 

Everyday Farm & Garden

1028 Macon Road,

Perry, Georgia 31069

Telephone numbers: 

478-256-2045 and 478-338-2821

FIND A PLACE FOR THE CHICKASAW PLUM

Feb12

       If you are looking for an attractive native wildlife friendly plant that blooms early in the spring, Chickasaw plum (Prunus angustifolia) is a plant you should consider.

       Normally the Chickasaw plum reaches a maximum height of only 15 feet (most I encounter are much shorter).  In March-April, the plant produces a bounty of delicate, fragrant flowers well before the plant’s leaves burst forth.

       Since it is an early bloomer, it is an important source of for pollinators such as butterflies.  Some of the butterflies I find nectaring on the flowers are hairstreaks like the great purple hairstreak, and the eastern tiger swallowtail. However, other pollinators are also drawn to the woody plant’s pollen.

       From May to July, the plant is laden with small drupes.  These tasty plums can be range in color from red to yellow.  If you want to eat your share of these sweet morsels, you had better do so early as they are also relished by a host of birds and mammals such as the red-headed woodpecker, quail, gray catbird, American robin, wood thrush, northern mockingbird, gray fox, raccoon, white-tailed deer and others.

       Insectivorous birds feed the insects drawn to the large shrubs especially when they are in bloom.

       If allowed to form a small thicket, birds such as catbirds, loggerhead shrikes, brown thrashers are others will nest and among this native plum’s thorny branches.

       Butterfly enthusiasts will be happy to know that a number of butterflies such as the eastern tiger swallowtail, coral hairstreak, and spring azure lay their eggs on the Chickasaw plum.

       Chickasaw plums do well in most soil types, are drought tolerant, and grow best in partial shade to full sun.

       Should you decide to transplant this valuable native plant in your yard, set out a couple.  This ensures cross-pollination will occur.

      Also, be aware that Chickasaw plum produces suckers.  This is great if you want to create a thicket.  However, if you prefer to grow the plant as a single tree, simply cut down the suckers.

 

      

BUMBLEBEES HAVE BEEN FLYING ON COOL MORNINGS

Oct5

        I am sure you have recently been enjoying waking up to temperatures in the low 50s as much as I have.  On these special early fall mornings, I love stepping out on the deck and take in the sights and sounds that surround me.

       One thing that I have noticed is no butterflies are visiting the globe amaranth, zinnias, garden balsam, and scarlet sage growing in pots on the deck.  However, each day I have spotted small bumblebees visiting scarlet sage blossoms.

       Being able to begin feeding before butterflies and other pollinators arrive is a definite advantage to the hard-working bumblebees.

        Remarkably, bumblebees can fly when it dips down as low as 40º F. As such, since the temperatures in my neck of woods should not drop below 40º F for a few weeks, I will be able to enjoy a cup of coffee while watching bumblebees are hard at work for some time to come.

 

     

TAKE PART IN THE GREAT GEORGIA POLLINATOR CENSUS

Aug14

       If you want to engage in an activity designed to help conserve our valuable pollinators, take part in The Great Georgia Pollinator census. This year the census takes place August 19-20, 2022.

       The University of Georgia, Garden Club of Georgia, Inc., and a number of other conservation groups sponsor the count.

       You do not have to be an expert in the identification of the state’s pollinators to take part.  The reason for this is UGA provides participants with a color tally sheet.  The pollinators are divided into eight broad categories ranging from honeybees and butterflies to flies and spiders.  All you have to match the insects you spot with photos on sheet.

       Simply select an area you want to census.  Then count all of the pollinators you see in just 15 minutes.  Once the survey is complete, upload your data and your duties as a citizen scientist are completed.

      Now that is what I call simple.

       If you would like more information concerning all aspects of the count, visit the count’s official website The Great Georgia Pollinator Count – Citizen Science at Work (ggapc.org)