Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - March 12, 2012
From: Philadelphia, PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Pollinators
Title: Plants for pollinators & honey bees in PA
Answered by: Anne Bossart
QUESTION:
In the database section entitled "Value to Beneficial Insects" on the page for "Tilia americana L" (also known as the Bee Tree, or Linden Tree, American Basswood); the tree is identified as being of "special value to Honey bees". Is there a way to search your database or the USDA plant database for this category? I have been trying all day to do so, but cannot. There are thousands of new honey beekeepers who would like to know (I know that they are not native pollinators, but they are important to our gardens), which have many non-native fruits and vegetables).ANSWER:
You are right ... we can search our database for a number of different characteristics, but wildlife benefit is not one of them at this time. However, as you are already aware, there is a huge interest in honey bees and pollinators in general because of their importance to our food crops. So there is plenty of information out there for you.
You will find valuable information and many other links here at the University of Georgia Honeybee Program and (closer to home) here at the Penn State Center for Pollinator Research. The Penn State site has recommendations for making your garden more pollinator friendly and links to resource groups and organizations.
You can find the information in the database but with a bit more work than you had in mind. If you visit the database and do a Combination Search for Pennsylvania, selecting the plant type (shrub/tree/herbacious perennial or annual) and your conditions (sun/shade or part shade) it will generate lists of plants with links to the detailed page. You can quickly scan for the pollinator information. You can also create separate lists for bloom time (as you know, your bees will be looking for food throughout the growing season).
Here are some shrubs that are native to Pennsylvania and may be of interest to you:
Blooms springtime
Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)
(all the hollies are good nectar sources for bees)
Blooms spring/summer
Amorpha fruticosa (Indigo bush)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (Common buttonbush)
Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush blueberry)
Blooms mid summer
Aralia spinosa (Devil's walkingstick)
Baccharis halimifolia (Groundseltree)
Clethra alnifolia (Coastal sweet pepperbush)
And don't forget about your Basswood; it is considered one of the very best native trees for attracting pollinators of all types.
From the Image Gallery
More Pollinators Questions
A list of bloom times for wildflowers in Michigan
July 03, 2013 - Hello, I am new to bee keeping and live in central Michigan. Can you tell me or do you know where I could find a list of the Michigan wild flower bloom times? This would be very helpful to me.
Than...
view the full question and answer
Making a pollinator garden
August 11, 2014 - Hello, I have a ditch right by my house and I want to turn it into a pollinator garden using native plants. My problem is, right now it's so full of weeds that we have to mow those down so soon. For ...
view the full question and answer
When may I remove seed heads from yuccas?
June 07, 2010 - Soft tip yuccas dominate my home's landscape. When is the best time to remove the heavy seed heads after flowering? In addition to being difficult to work around, the pods seem to attract infestatio...
view the full question and answer
Hummingbird Bushes for Broken Arrow OK
August 27, 2014 - I am looking for bushes that attract hummingbirds. I live in Broken Arrow, OK. Can you recommend some?
view the full question and answer
Pollinator for Hymenocallis palmeri
August 06, 2007 - Okay, Ms. Smarty Plants, let's see if I can stump you. I feel blessed to have seen an alligator lily (Hymenocallis palmeri) in the Everglades, while doing photopoints with my boss. Please tell me w...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |