(adapted from Accuweather)
“As you plan your spring garden, consider adding pollinator-friendly trees and plants to provide food and habitat for bee populations that are in decline across the country and worldwide.
“According to Connie Schmotzer, consumer horticulture educator for Penn State Extension, many bee species have been negatively affected by habitat loss, change in climate, disease and pesticides over the past several years. However, humans can help rebuild bee communities with simple changes to their landscapes, she said.
“You need to have a succession of blooms from spring to late fall because different pollinators fly at different times,” Schmotzer said. “If every household on a street did this, bees and other pollinators would have something to go to – they’d be flying over and able to look down and see these things.”
“Schmotzer told AccuWeather there’s a close relationship between plants and their pollinators. She said diversity in your garden will bring in a variety of bees, butterflies, moths and beetles. That, in turn, will provide pollination that will protect our food supply.”
Specific recommendations:
- If you have a lawn, allow violets and clover to grow in it.
- Plant native milkweeds (consult the Xerces society for recommendations).
- Plant goldenrod. It looks a lot like ragweed but does not cause allergies in people.
- Plant asters for late summer/fall blooms.
- Maple trees are great for pollinators, especially in early spring. Consider a small maple for your garden.
A general recommendation is to use native plants, which our native pollinators have adapted to over millenia.