06/19/2019
5 Pollinator-friendly, Sun-loving, Easy-to-grow Native Plants:
The focus this week is on pollinators, but native plants are good for gardeners, too. Because they’re adapted to Minnesota’s conditions, native plants require less water and fertilizer. BWSR’s vegetation conservation technician student worker rounded up a list of fuss-free, sun-loving native wildflowers.
Virginia bluebells: The sweet-smelling spring bloomers are especially important for the bumblebees that emerge first.
Blazing star: Purple-pink blooms borne on late-summer spikes attract loads of butterflies while providing forage for native bees.
Wild white indigo: The plant’s sculpted form adds structure to the garden. Bumblebees love its nectar; the plant hosts native butterfly larva.
Milkw**d: The easiest to grow of Minnesota’s many species are common milkw**d and the showier swamp milkw**d. Despite its name, it does fine in moist garden soil. Note: Avoid annual tropical milkw**d, which can spread disease to Monarch butterflies.
Bee balm, AKA bergamot (the purple flower in the photo): Its flowers, crushed leaves and crushed seeds produce a clean, spicy scent. A great nectar source, it tends to spread more readily out of direct sunlight.
A sixth, oft-overlooked option, Minnesota’s goldenrod species spread easily and are an important pollinators’ food source. If you’ve got space, let a patch expand and see how many pollinators you can count.
More information: Find profiles of plants good for conservation and native gardens in BWSR’s Featured Plant archive, https://bwsr.state.mn.us/featured-plant. Find more detailed information at the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database, plants.sc.egov.usda.gov.
NRCS U.S. Department of Agriculture Monarch Joint Venture SWCD Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts
