Do I have enough early nectar sources for pollinators?
Early blooming trees and shrubs provide most of the truly early nectar available. All those Maple trees, Salix, redbud, apple, crabapple, serviceberry, and fruit trees all provide abundant bloom very early. Many berry producing shrubs and canes also provide plentiful early blooms for pollinators emerging from hibernation and looking for an energy source. What blooms and how early in the year will depend on the climate in your area.
What about bulbs? Do any provide a real pollinator food source? Many do and like most plants the species rather than the hybrids will more likely serve this purpose. Galanthus nivalis, Crocus tommasinianus, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, chose those you have seen blooming where the stamens are readily visible and loaded with pollen.
This iris reticulata is blooming in our garden in Chicago now in March.
A native north eastern Dwarf iris that blooms early is iris cristata. Both are visited by bees stimulated to search for food on warm sunny days.
And we always grow a few dandelions...
Flowers for pollinators
Native bees
Native shrubs
Native trees
Prairie plants A-H
Prairie plants I-Z
We have very little flowering now, it being pretty early and all. (Last of the snow drifts in the veggie garden melted today.) But the bees work the hellebores and iris pretty hard. Not sure how nurtitious they are. There's must not much else.
ReplyDeleteellis hollow, the last week has finally started to green up the garden here in Chicago. Soon the blooms will be plentiful. I have not seen much bee activity so they must be waiting for better weather.
ReplyDeleteCounty Clerk,thanks for stopping by.You are fairly close but farther from "the" Lake. Is your new neighborhood going green?