Restoring The Landscape With Native Plants

Pollinator Handouts

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:22:00 +0000

You can now download some of the recent handouts I created for pollinators and native plants from the right sidebar of my blog homepage.

More to come, stay tuned!

American Pasqueflower ~ A Welcome Sign of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:27:00 +0000

American pasqueflower ~ Anemone patens

American pasqueflower is a wonderful native alternative to tulips or daffodils, flowering in early spring. It can be found on sunny, prairie slopes with poor, dry soils. This year, it's flowering before any of the woodland ephemerals such as bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis. The leaves are held tight to the stem during flowering, looking like a prop holding the flower upwards. These palmately-divided leaves relax away from the stem and open after flowering.

American pasqueflower provides an abundant amount of pollen to pollinators, an important, early-spring resource for female bees to provision their nests. The plant is protogynous, developing the female parts first (stigmas), with the male anthers shedding pollen after the stigmas are no longer receptive. This is one of many fascinating strategies to ensure cross-pollination. In order to attract pollinators during the male phase, small staminal nectaries located at the base of the stamens produce nectar. It is likely that a visiting insect seeking nectar only will come into contact with the anthers transferring pollen on their bodies to the next pasqueflower.

The flowers when open, track the sun throughout the day turning the flowerheads. This solar tracking (heliotropism) tends to occur in plant families that flower when pollinators are scarce. The flowers facing the sun trap the sun's heat creating a warm place for pollinators to forage and warm body temperatures. The pollinators have little difficulty flying to the next flower when warm, aiding in the cross-pollination of the plant.

Small Sweat Bees, Lasioglossum spp.
Frequent visitors, small sweat bees collect the white pollen which is abundant, circling around the outside of the numerous stamens on each flower.

Large Mining Bees, Andrena spp.
Large mining bees are common in early spring and can be mistaken for bumble bees. They have shiny, black abdomens, unlike bumble bees who have hairy abdomens. Mining bees nest in the ground in sand or loose, loam soils.

Other pollinators to look for include large syrphid flies feeding on pollen. These flies are mimics of large mining bees and bumble bees. Bumble bees also visit the flowers.

Because American pasqueflower blooms in early spring during fluctuating temperatures, insect activity can be sporadic. If the sepals are closed on a cool day, look for bees forcing their way into the flower.

References:
Bock, J. H., & Peterson, S. J. (1975). Reproductive biology of Pulsatilla patens (Ranunculaceae). American Midland Naturalist, 476-478. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2424441

Emerald Ash Borer Treatment- Toxic To Bees?

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Image Source: Wikipedia

The emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis a beetle native to China, Japan and Korea was introduced into North America in the Great Lakes area in the early 1990's and populations were identified in 2002. It is suspected that this beetle was introduced from ash shipping crates. Emerald ash borer beetle larva burrow through the outer bark of ash trees, Fraxinus spp. and into the living cambium tissue.

As the larvae feed on the cambium, they create 'S'-shaped galleries in the wood. The galleries created from a large infestation weaken the ash trees causing canopy thinning and eventually canopy die-back. A secondary symptom is numerous shoots forming around the base of the ash tree.

Current Map of Emerald Ash Borer Range
Source: emeraldashborer.info

As a homeowner living in Minnesota just outside the range of emerald ash borer, I started to research the treatments being offered by local tree care companies. I only have one ash tree on my property and do not plan to treat it but many of the suburban neighborhoods in the Twin Cities were heavily planted with ash trees in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I am reminded when driving through these neighborhoods that planting a diversity of native plant species in your landscape will help with weathering the impacts from invasive species and climate change.

"Systemic insecticides containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, dinotefuran or emamectin benzoate are commonly used to protect ash trees from EAB." (Potential Side Effects of EAB Insecticides) Imidacloprid belongs to the group of neonicotinoid insecticides which has been linked to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Read a recent Xerces Society report here: Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? Today, a coalition of bee-keepers have filed a suit against the EPA for failing to suspend the use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

Imidacloprid, sold under the trade names Merit, Xytect, Optrol, ArmorTech, Enforce, Hawk-I, Turfthor, Malice, Premis, Criterion, Hunter, Submerge and Touchstone is typically applied as a soil drench or soil injection annually as a preventative treatment for emerald ash borer. For a homeowner with several ash trees, the cost can be very high. The city of Minneapolis now recommends replacing ash trees on residential properties rather than treating them due to the environmental risks from the treatments including, leaching into the surface or ground water, uptake by other plants visited by pollinators for nectar and pollen and non-target effects on woodpeckers feeding on EAB larvae.

Are your ash trees worth saving or should you be preparing for their replacement? Are the risks of using neonicotinoids too high? Purdue University offers a cost calculator for EAB treatment for homeowners here. Trees with structural defects, poorly sited, or with no historical or aesthetic value should not be treated. Read more guidelines here.

Perhaps our efforts should be focused on the conservation of ash tree species. Volunteers are needed for the collection of ash seeds to help preserve genetic variation and with a long-term goal of the reintroduction of ash trees into affected areas. Find out more information on how you can help collect ash tree seeds.

References:
The Effects of Neonicotinoids on Honey and Bumble Bees.Vera Krischik, Entomology, University of Minnesota.
Chemicals Implicated. BeyondPesticides.org
Blacquiere, T., Smagghe, G., Van Gestel, C. A., & Mommaerts, V. (2012). Neonicotinoids in bees: a review on concentrations, side-effects and risk assessment. Ecotoxicology, 1-20.
Emerald Ash Borer Info

Wild Geranium Pollinators & Floral Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:51:00 +0000

Like many spring-flowering native plants, wild geranium flowers have the ability to self-pollinate when no pollinators are present. However, the flower matures to ensure cross-pollination when insects are present, with the row of outer anthers developing on the first or second day after the flowers open, followed by the inner row on the second or third day. The stigma becomes receptive after the anthers have dehisced on the third or forth day.

Bees, flies and beetles visit the flower for nectar and pollen. Nectar is secreted from five glands located between the stamens and sepals. In a study by Bertin et al, bees visiting for nectar were responsible for depositing more pollen than pollen collecting bees. Larger bees such as bumble bees and mason bees are considered effective pollinators because pollen brushed onto the underside of their abdomen contacts the stigma. Smaller bees are able to circle around the base of the stamens feeding on nectar without coming into contact with pollen from the anthers above.

Wild geranium flowers are over one inch in width and extremely showy. Dark lines on the flowers act as nectar guides, showing pollinators the location of the nectaries at the base of the stamens.

Small Carpenter Bees, Ceratina spp.
Smaller bee species circle the base of the flower seeking out nectar without coming in contact with the anthers and stigmas above.

Cuckoo Bees, Nomada spp.
Wild geranium is a nectar source for this cuckoo bee in early spring. Female Nomada bees lay their eggs in the nests of ground nesting native bees, especially mining bees (Andrena spp.). The cuckoo bee eggs hatch and the larvae kills the host bee larvae and consumes the provisions provided by the host. Nomada bees are reddish-brown to black with yellow or white markings.

Mason Bees Osmia spp.
Mason bees visit wild geranium for both pollen and nectar. Females land on top of the anthers gathering them together with her legs. Pollen is brushed onto the pollen-collecting hairs on the underside of the abdomen. Wild geranium is an important source of pollen and nectar for mason bees, it flowers when females are provisioning their nests.

Sweat Bees Halictus spp.
Sweat bees visit the flowers to feed on nectar.

Fruitworm Beetles Byturus unicolor
Long, dense hairs cover the elytra of these beetles where pollen grains attach. Adults emerge from the soil in early spring, feed on host plants (raspberries, blackberries and avens), mate, then lay eggs. Larvae burrow into the flower buds and fruit of the host species and buds drop off or decay. Fruit becomes misshapen and ‘wormy’. Look for adult beetles feeding on the pollen of woodland natives in early spring such as Viriginia waterleaf and wild geranium.

References
Bertin, R. I., & Sholes, O. D. (1993). Weather, pollination and the phenology of Geranium maculatum. American Midland Naturalist, 52-66. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2426435

Willson, M. F., Miller, L. J., & Rathcke, B. J. (1979). Floral display in Phlox and Geranium: adaptive aspects. Evolution, 52-63. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2407365

Ten Great Native Plants for Dry, Sandy Soils

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:37:00 +0000

Flower: June - Late July | Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Loam

Butterfly milkweed develops a substantial taproot and is not easy to transplant. Find the right sunny location and let it grow. It is an excellent plant for pollinators, and a larval host plant for the monarch butterfly, queen butterfly and milkweed tussock moth caterpillar.

Flower: Late April - June | Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Loam

Prairie smoke's most unique feature is the wispy, feathery ends attached to the seeds that persist into the summer and wave in the wind. The fern-like foliage stays green under the snow and is a welcome sight in spring. Prairie smoke is pollinated by bumble bees who use buzz pollination to release the pollen from pores.

Flower: June - September | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Loam

Harebell has a fine, dainty form but is very tolerant of tough sites. It's native range covers most of North America except for the southern-most states. It likes high alpine rocky terrain, growing from cracks in rocks on the edge of lake superior and sandy bluffs.

Flower: July - October | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Clay/Loam

Stiff goldenrod is a well behaved goldenrod with an upright form and large flat-topped flowerheads. The flowers are very long-lasting and combine well with prairie grasses such as little bluestem. An absolute pollinator magnet in late summer, the shallow disc flowers allow most types of pollinators access to nectar.

Flower: July - September | Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Moisture: Dry Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Sandy Loam

Spotted bee balm can be short lived but if planted in suitable sites will reseed enough to maintain a stand. The interesting whorled/tiered flowers are unique, the lower bracts can range from pink to white in color. If you're looking for a plant that stands out at dusk, this is a good candidate.

It a larval host plant for the gray marvel moth and two snout moths, Pyrausta spp.

Flower: July - September | Exposure: Full Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Loam

Hoary vervain is common in disturbed sites with sandy soils. It is a great performer in the garden, with an upright form and showy flowers arranged on narrow spikes. The flowers open from the bottom upwards and are visited by bees and butterflies for the nectar. It a larval host plant for the verbena moth and fine-lined sallow moth.

Flower: May - June | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Soil Moisture: Dry Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Sandy Loam

Wild lupine loves sandy soils. It is an excellent perennial for early spring color. The flowers lack nectar but it still attracts bumble bees and mason bees for pollen. It a larval host plant for the endangered karner blue butterfly, as well as several duskywings and sulphur butterflies.

Flower: June - September | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Clay/Loam

You can't find a more versatile plant than black-eyed susans. It flowers in its first year from seedlings, reblooms throughout the summer months, and is very showy. It can be short-lived but but reseeds. It a larval host plant for the wavy-lined and southern emerald moths, and the

silvery checkerspot butterfly.

Flower: June - September | Exposure: Full - Part Sun

Soil Moisture: Mesic to Dry | Soil Type: Sand to Clay/Loam

Fragrant hyssop belongs to the mint family, and like many plants in this family the leaves are fragrant. If you like black licorice, then you will enjoy nibbling on the leaves of fragrant hyssop.

It can get quite tall in soils that are too rich - close to 60", but in dry prairies 30" is more typical. It works well to mass this plant which highlights the range in flower colors from light blue to dark

purple.

Milkweed Pollination - A Sticky Situation

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:43:00 +0000

Milkweed plants, Asclepias spp. have a unique method of transferring pollen from one plant to the other for cross-pollination. Pollen is aggregated in sac-like bundles called pollinia, located on either side of the stigmatic chamber. The two bundles are strung together with a gland (filament) at the top of the stigmatic chamber.

Bees, wasps, flies, beetles and butterflies visit the flowers for nectar. Milkweed plants typically produce a lot of nectar, it is replenished overnight, to the delight of nocturnal moths, and the remaining nectar is ready for the first diurnal visitors in the morning.

For accessing nectar, floral visitors prop themselves on one of the five flower hoods, sliding their tongues down the side of the hood where the nectar is held. They must be careful not to slip their leg down into the flower between the anthers.

When pulling their leg out, they could snag it on the filament holding together the sticky pollinia sacs.

Pollina stuck to the legs of a great
black wasp, Sphex pensylvanicus

The sticky pollinium sacs are carried to other milkweed plants on their legs and if the insect again ‘slips’ the pollinia can be inserted into the stigmatic chamber ensuring cross-pollination. Unable to pull their leg out, smaller bees can become trapped in the flowers and perish.

In a study by Fishbein and Venable (1996), small- and medium-sized bees, and medium-sized butterflies had the lowest removal rates of pollinia. Their study found that it was the larger bees, like bumble bees that were most effective at transferring pollinia from one plant to the other.

Leafcutter bee, Megachile sp. alighting
on top of the flower hoods to nectar.

Ivey et al. (2003), also found large carpenter bees, Xylocopa spp. and bumble bees, Bombus spp. effective pollinators, partly due to their foraging efficiency; they visit flowers methodically, probing all the hoods of a flower, and visiting more flowers per flowerhead.

Leafcutter bees are common visitors of milkweed feeding on nectar. They rarely snag pollinium sacs so are considered ineffective pollinators.

Small carpenter bees, Ceratina spp. prop themselves on the top of the hood and slide their tongue down the side of the hood to reach nectar.

Cuckoo bees, Coelioxys spp. are true nectar thieves. The have no pollen-collecting structures on their legs. They only visit flowers for nectar because they are cleptoparasites, laying their eggs in the nests of other bees.

This particular cuckoo bee is a cleptoparasite of leafcutter bees, Megachile spp. Females have a tapered abdomen ending in a sharp point that is used to break through leafcutter brood cells.

Another example of a small-sized bee, yellow faced bees, Hylaeus spp. are frequent visitors to swamp milkweed in late summer for nectar.

Soldier beetles, Chauliognathus spp. also love to feed on nectar on milkweed plants but are rarely found carrying pollinia.

What seems to be a not-so-mutualistic relationship between floral visitor and plant, where floral visitors are exploiting nectar resources, cross-pollination is still occurring due to the effective visitation by large bees, who transfer the polllinium sacs from one plant to another.

References
Fishbein, M., & Venable, D. L. (1996). Diversity and temporal change in the effective pollinators of Asclepias tuberosa. Ecology, 1061-1073.

Ivey, C. T., Martinez, P., & Wyatt, R. (2003). Variation in pollinator effectiveness in swamp milkweed, Asclepias incarnata (Apocynaceae). American Journal of Botany, 90(2), 214-225.

Kephart, S. R. (1983). The partitioning of pollinators among three species of Asclepias. Ecology, 120-133.

Plan Now for Spring Pollinators

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Grass-carrying Wasps ~ Isodontia spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Grass-carrying Wasps ~ Isodontia spp.

Grass-carrying wasps are a flower-visiting solitary wasp, common in late summer and early fall. Because they are solitary-nesting, and not colonial like yellowjackets or hornets, they do not sting humans to defend their nests. It's an important distinction to make with wasps in our landscapes, so many are solitary and not aggressive.

They perform important ecosystem services, pollinating the plants in our landscape, and preying on foliage eating insects, crickets and katydids in particular.

Females look for prey, stinging them several times to paralyze and immobilize them. They carry their prey back to their nests, which are preexisting cavities such as hollow stems or holes bored in wood.

The paralyzed prey are stocked for their developing larvae to feed upon. Using nearby grasses, nests are divided into sections with pieces of grass, they also close the end of nest with grass.

If you erect a mason bee nest board (board with nesting holes drilled in it), grass-carrying wasps will sometimes build nests in the cavities. Look for pieces of grass sticking out the ends of the board holes or plant stems.

I have several different variations of stem nests hung in the yard for solitary bees (and wasps), this one in particular has been utilized almost exclusively by grass-carrying wasps. Cup plant and pale Indian plantain stems work extremely well, both are hollow.

Here's a cross-section of one of those stems with the wasp larvae and stocked prey. In my yard, the grass-carrying wasps like to use little bluestem to seal off the cavities.

Look for grass-carrying wasps in late summer. In my yard, they like to visit stiff goldenrod, common boneset and pale Indian plantain flowers for nectar.

12 Great Native Plants for the Mesic Woodland Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:08:00 +0000

If you are planning a woodland garden, or already have one established, these 12 native plants are definitely worth considering. One of the major components in developing a native woodland garden is to build, and establish a good duff layer of leaves and humus.

If you are just starting out, don't throw your leaves away in the fall, woodland natives need the protection of leaves to help keep their roots cool in summer, and blanketed in winter.

Bishop's Cap has extremely dainty flowers, the petals are fringed and look like snow flakes. This native plant is similar in growth habit to Heuchera species, with a cluster of basal leaves and long narrow flower stalks.

It blooms from May to June and likes sandy-loam to loam soils, dry-mesic to mesic moisture.

It spreads by rhizomes forming a nice mass once established. Combine with woodland phlox or large flowered bellwort.

Wild Geranium is one of my favorites, flowering from April to June, the large pink to purple flowers are extremely showy and abundant. It has a mounding habit with attractive palmately-divided leaves that turn bright red in the fall. Combine with false solomon's seal, and woodland phlox. It can get up to three feet tall in rich soils, so don't plant next to tiny ephemerals that can get overpowered by wild geranium.

Woodland phlox flowers can be a soft blue, pink or white. The large, five-parted flowers are showy and held above attractive foliage. Woodland phlox can be browsed by herbivores. It flowers from April to June. Utilize woodland phlox inter planted with other smaller-statured natives such as downy yellow violets or large flowered bellwort.

The white umbel flowerheads of long-styled sweet cicely brighten any shaded woodland garden. Stems are dark maroon in color with fern-like compound leaves. Flowers from May to June, combine with Wild Geranium.

Virginia waterleaf is extremely easy to grow, it readily reseeds once you have some established plants. The young leaves are speckled with silver to white spots. Pink to purple flowers arranged in cyme bloom from late April to June. Virginia waterleaf can reach heights of 24", but more typically the flowerheads top out at 12-16". Combine with false solomon's seal and downy yellow violets near the edge of your woodland planting.

Wild Ginger is a very attractive, low growing native. Often used massed for best effect, the red to maroon flowers develop under the leaves and are not always visible. The foliage however, looks great through the summer months in mesic soils. It spreads by rhizomes and easy to divide. Seeds are dispersed by ants.

Blue cohosh flowers in early spring from April to May. It is a tall plant, usually reaching heights over 30". The compound foliage has soft, delicate leaflets that set off the panicle of green-yellow flowers. The resulting fruit looks like a cluster of blue berries, but it's actually a hard seed covered by a blue skin. Make sure you have plenty of leaf litter and soils rich in humus.

White baneberry has many great attributes including its white flowers that bloom from May to June, followed by a cluster of white berries with a black dot on the end. The other common name for white baneberry is doll's eyes, named after the fruit. Red baneberry is similar, withstanding drier soils than white baneberry and the fruit is bright red. It flowers a few weeks before white baneberry.

Another woodland plant that is rhizomatous. The large, terminal flowerheads are extremely showy, and the flower stem zigzags slightly as it arches over. It flowers from May to June and is very tolerant of drier woodland soils, great to utilize under trees.

Early meadow rue has softly lobed foliage and delicate flowers that dangle downwards. The plants produce either male or female flowers, the male flowers are showier; bright yellow anthers mature and flutter in the slightest breeze.
Very good plant for dry soils.

The native plants above all flower in the spring; for some interest in late summer in the woodland garden, try big-leaved aster. It can start flowering in late July and continue into September. As the common name suggests, the leaves are large and slightly heart-shaped. Many white to light blue flowers are arranged in a flat-topped flowerhead (panicle). This native spreads by rhizomes and forms a dense cluster. It performs best in mesic soils.

One of the most shade-tolerant goldenrod species, zigzag goldenrod flowers from mid August to October. The bright yellow flowers are a welcome site in the woodland landscape. The leaves are very attractive with serrated edge and pointed tips. The common name is for the zigzagging flower stalk.

Harebell ~ Campanula rotundifolia Pollinators & Floral Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:32:00 +0000

Harebell ~ Campanula rotundifolia

Typically, small to medium sized bees visit harebell flowers. The five-parted, nodding flowers have a prominent, large, central style that may restrict access to large bees such as bumble bees. Bumble bees could reach the nectaries with their long tongues, but I have not seen one attempt this. Every visiting insect has a different approach and objective while visiting the flowers, some affect the rate of the flower development process and others get away with feeding on nectar without aiding in cross-pollination.

Filament bases surround the nectar-producing disc at the bottom of the style. When harebell anthers release pollen, the tube formed by the filaments around the style traps pollen. As the style elongates, the pollen collecting hairs on the style push the pollen upwards, exposing the pollen to pollinators.

The pollen collecting hairs are stimulated by visiting insects, more stimulation with pollen feeding, and less with nectar feeding. The more the hairs are stimulated, the shorter the duration of the male phase. Hairs retract causing the remaining pollen to fall out of the nodding flower. The female phase then begins with the separation of the stigma. This process, accelerated by pollinators, ensures cross-pollination of the flowers.

Leafcutter Bees ~ Megachile spp.
Leafcutter bees are frequent visitors of harebell feeding on nectar. Their pollen-collecting hairs (scopa) on the underside on their abdomens come into contact with the pollen held on the style.

Digger Bees ~ Anthophora spp.
Long tongues allow digger bees to reach the nectar at the base of the style and avoid contact with pollen on the style. The flower in this image has released all the pollen, the filaments are drying up and the stigma is preparing to separate to receive pollen.

Green Sweat Bees ~ Agapostemon spp.
Green sweat bees visit harebell flowers for nectar. This bee is holding itself in the nodding flower by grasping onto the base of the style. The stigmas have separated and are ready to receive pollen transferred from visiting insects.

Small Carpenter Bees ~ Ceratina spp.
Small carpenter bees are some of the early visitors of harebell flower development. After the style elongates and the pollen collecting hairs are covered with pollen, small carpenter bees visit and feed on and collect pollen stuck stigma.

References
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies 
The Pollen-Collecting Hairs of Campanula (Campanulaceae). II. Function and Adaptive Significance in Relation to Pollination. Yvonne Nyman. American Journal of Botany , Vol. 80, No. 12 (Dec., 1993), pp. 1437-1443

Wasps in the Wildlife Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:05:00 +0000

Did you know that most wasps are solitary nesting and don't sting humans?

There are some fascinating wasp species that visit our garden plants for nectar, and use our landscape to hunt for food for their young including caterpillars, sawfly larvae, crickets and katydids.

Find out more about the behavior and lifecycles of some of the wasps who share our landscape with us on my post this week at Native Plants Wildlife Gardens.

Native Bee Spotlight: Green Sweat Bees ~ Agapostemon spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 16:49:00 +0000

Green Sweat Bees (Metallic Green Bees) ~ Agapostemon spp.

Green Sweat Bees are one of the most brightly colored native bees in our area. A bright emerald green head and thorax, with a striped abdomen of pale to bright yellow. Some females in this genus are entirely green, and often difficult to distinguish from bees in the Augochlora genus.

We see Green Sweat Bees in late May, some of the first females visit Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) to collect and feed on pollen. No nectar is offered by this native. Read about other visitors to Spiderwort here.

Green Sweat Bees nest in the ground, building long vertical nest cavities. Most are solitary nesting like the majority of native bees, but some species share the same nest entrance but build their own cavities.

Another good source of pollen for Green Sweat Bee females in early spring is Great St. John's Wort (Hypericum pyramidatum).

Green Sweat Bees are short tongued, so they visit shallow or easily accessible flowers for nectar. They like to visit both the prairie native Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta), found in dry, sunny locales as well as the wetland native Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata for nectar.

Visiting Blue Vervain for nectar.

Look for Green Sweat Bees on Coneflower (Echinacea) species. Females collected pollen and feed on nectar on our Pale Purple Coneflower.

They will investigate the flowers of Wild Bergamot, possibly feeding on pollen but cannot reach the nectar in the long flower tubes.

Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum) is a late summer favorite of Green Sweat Bees. The numerous shallow white tubular flowers provide an abundance of nectar.

Look for Green Sweat Bees in late summer on Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) as well as many of the fall flowering Asters.

These native bees are fast moving and camera shy. It's often difficult to capture them because their flower visits are very short, so have your camera ready if you spot one.

References:
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies 

Tall Beard Tongue Insect Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:16:00 +0000

Tall Beard Tongue ~ Penstemon digitalis
Beard tongue flowers have a large, hairy staminode on the lower half of the tubular flower which restricts access to bees to the flower and helps in pollen deposition. Small to medium sized bees are the most frequent visitors.

Tall Beard Tongue flowers can be white to light pink, sometimes with darker pink to purple stripes which act as nectar guides for bees.

Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina spp.) visit Tall Beard Tongue flowers primarily to feed on pollen. Their small size allows them to easily climb over the staminode into the tubular flowers to access the pollen on the anthers.

As they feed on pollen, they often inadvertently contact the stigma. The hairs on the staminode keep their bodies held closer to the stigma, resulting in more contact and pollen transfer.

Digger Bees (Anthophora spp.) are frequent visitors to Tall Beard Tongue flowers as well. They are fast moving and visit flowers for a very short time frame compared to Small Carpenter Bees.

Their medium sized bodies and long tongues allow them access into the tubular flower which results in abundant pollen removal as their bodies scrape on the anthers above.

Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.) are not primary pollinators of Tall Beard Tongue. Visiting the flowers for nectar, they are able to reach the nectar reward with their long tongues without having to insert their body into the corolla and come away with pollen on their bodies.

Look for small holes chewed at the base of the flower. Mason Wasps will chew holes to reach the nectar reward without having to enter the flower. Smaller bees will take advantage of these nectar thievery holes.

References:
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies

The Interaction between Pollinator Size and the Bristle Staminode of Penstemon digitalis (Scrophulariaceae) Gregg Dieringer and Leticia Cabrera R. American Journal of Botany , Vol. 89, No. 6 (Jun., 2002), pp. 991-997

Native Bee Spotlight: Yellow Faced Bees ~ Hylaeus spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 20:57:00 +0000

Yellow Faced Bees ~ Hylaeus spp.

Yellow Faced Bees are tiny black bees with yellow (sometimes white) markings on their face, thorax and legs. Often mistaken for tiny solitary wasps, these bees have quite shiny bodies due to the lack of hairs.

Occurring from late May through to September, we will see Yellow Faced Bees in early spring, then again in late summer with a gap in between.

Some of the first native plants to look for Yellow Faced Bees in spring are Golden Alexanders (Zizia spp.). This female is feeding on pollen of Golden Alexander. Yellow Faced Bees are different from other native bees because they collect pollen and nectar in their crop. They have no pollen-collecting combs on their legs or abdomens.

Pollen is brushed with their forelegs from their head and thorax and then collected in the mouth.

Females collect pollen and nectar, and regurgitate the liquid mixture to provision the brood cells. An egg is laid on top of the mixture where the larva will hatch and consume the liquid.

Yellow Faced Bees nest in cavities, tunnels in pithy wood, or even holes in wood. Their brood cells are separated with a cellophane like material.

A Yellow Faced Bee visiting Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis) for pollen in early spring.

In late summer look for Yellow Faced Bees nectaring on Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). I had several dozen visiting just one plant this summer.

Although Yellow Faced Bees are short-tongued, their small size allows them access to the nectar of many flowers.

They also visit Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) in late summer.

Source: Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies

Native Bee Spotlight: Leafcutter Bees ~ Megachile spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:19:00 +0000

Leafcutter Bees ~ Megachile spp.

Leafcutter Bees are a medium sized, long-tongued native bee. They have a flattened or deflated looking abdomen, and often visit flowers with their abdomen curved upwards.

We start to see Leafcutter Bees in our landscape in early June. Some of the first native plants they visit are Harebell and Pale Purple Coneflowers.

Instead of collecting pollen on combs on their legs, females collect pollen on the underside of their abdomen where they have long hairs.

A female nectars on Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) showing off her pollen-laden belly.

If you don't see Leafcutter Bees on your native plants, look for circular or oval shaped cuts in the foliage like this.

Females use their sharp mandibles to cut pieces of leaves from foliage. I captured this female cutting an oval-shaped piece of leaf from our Great St. John's Wort (Hypericum pyramidatum) this summer. Leafcutter Bees use these pieces of leaves to line their brood cells where they build nest in pre-existing cavities such as in wood or hollow stems.

Look for Leafcutter Bee females collecting pollen and nectar from a wide variety of prairie plants such as this Gray Headed Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata).

Also feeding on nectar on Wild Bergamot in July. This Leafcutter Bee is taking advantage of a short cut created by a wasp. The wasp chewed a hole near the base of the tubular flower to get easy access to the nectar (nectar thievery).

Leafcutter Bee on Fragrant Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), a licorice (anise-scented) prairie native.

In moister locations, Leafcutter Bees will visit Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum).

Also Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum) in late summer.

Source: Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies

Ohio Spiderwort Insect Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 20:39:00 +0000

Ohio Spiderwort ~ Tradescantia ohiensis

Ohio Spiderwort flowers open in the mornings for insect visitors, then close up during the heat of the day. The attractive blue to purple flowers have a fuzzy appearance due to the fine hairs on the filaments. Spiderwort flowers from late April through to July.

Bees are the primary visitor, for the abundant pollen in particular. Bumble Bees such as Bombus bimaculatus pictured here collect pollen to provision their nests.

Another common spring occurring bee is the Mason Bee (Osmia sp.), their hairy, blue metallic bodies make them fairly easy to identify.

Mason Bees build nests in cavities, they are the primary nester in bee boards in our area.

Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina sp.) feed on the pollen of Ohio Spiderwort. They nest in hollow or pithy stems.

A great reason to leave dead, pithy branches such as Elderberry in your landscape to provide nesting habitat for this small bee.

Small Sweat Bees (Lasioglossum sp.) also like the pollen of Ohio Spiderwort. We have a lot of Small Sweat Bees in our landscape, probably because our soils are sandy which is where this ground nesting bee likes to excavate its nests.

Larger Sweat Bees such as this Green Sweat Bee (Agapostemon sp.) are brightly colored and hard to miss. They also nest in the ground.

These are one of the more difficult bee species to photograph, they're fast-moving and not as willing to stay in one place for very long.

The one type of bee that doesn't visit Ohio Spiderwort flowers for pollen is the European Wool Carder Bee (Anthidium manicatum). An introduced species from Europe, females like to visit Ohio Spiderwort for the fine hairs on the buds and flower stalks. Females chew the hairs with their sharp mouthparts, and use the 'wool' to make brood cells.

Syrphid Flies of many types will visit flowers and feed on pollen.

Also look for Bee Flies investigating the flowers.

And where there are bees, there are predators about such as this crab spider, legs outstretched waiting for the unsuspecting bee to stop by.

Ohio Spiderwort is a very adaptable prairie native of medium to dry soils, in full to part sun. It's a great early spring source of pollen for our native pollinators.

Long-Styled Sweet Cicely Insect Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:29:00 +0000

Long-Styled Sweet Cicely ~ Osmorhiza longistylis
Long-Styled Sweet Cicely is one of my favorite woodland native plants. Its other common name is Aniseroot for its licorice-scented roots. Flowering in May, it's an attractive, medium sized, shade-tolerant perennial with tiny, five-parted white flowers arranged in an umbel. Another common Cicely is Sweet Cicely, Osmorhiza claytonii.

Unlike some other spring flowering woodland natives such as Bloodroot or Rue Anemone, Cicely offers both nectar and pollen rewards to visiting insects.

Mining Bees (Andena spp.) visit the flowers for nectar, but in the process their hairy faces get covered with the white pollen which will aid in cross-pollination.

Mining Bees emerge in early spring and start building nests, Cicely provides much needed nectar energy for both males and females.

Cicely was the first plant I noticed this Syrphid Fly visiting (Sphegina spp.). These flies are common visitors to woodland natives in early spring, and they seem to have a preference for white flowers. They feed on both nectar and pollen of Long-Styled Sweet Cicely.

They resemble a thread-waisted wasp, with narrowed waists, and an over-sized rear femur. Larvae develop in water-logged wood as well as under wet bark. Look for these Syrphid Flies on Bishop’s Cap, Tall Meadowrue, Marsh Marigold and Goat’s Beard in the spring.

Small Sweat Bees (Lasioglossum spp.) visit Cicely flowers for both nectar and pollen. Nectar is easily accessible for short-tongued bees as the tiny flowers are shallow.

Cicely also attracts beneficial insects like this Tachinid Fly, possibly a Siphona spp. Tachinid Flies lap up nectar with their sponge-like mouthparts. Adults lay eggs near or on their prey, primarily caterpillars, and the hatching larvae feed on their hosts.

I have also seen some day-flying moths visiting Cicely flowers for nectar, but did not get a photo.

Cicely foliage stays attractive throughout the summer months in the landscape but it does produce seeds with fine hairs that stick to animal fur and clothing.

If you have a shady to part sun location with average soils, Cicely is an excellent candidate.

Wild Lupine Insect Visitors

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Wild Lupine ~ Lupinus perennis

Wild Lupine is a native perennial of dry, sandy sites in full sun. Flowering from late April/early May into June, the flower color ranges from light blue to dark purple.

Because of its early flowering time, overwintering queen Bumble Bees or their female offspring will visit the flowers. The irregular flower form means that the larger Bumble Bees don't have too much difficulty prying open the lower wing petals to reveal the reward inside.

Bombus auricomis

According to Illinois Wildflowers, there is no nectar reward provided by Wild Lupine, and pollen is forcibly ejected into the faces of bees.

Butterflies and moths will visit the flowers looking for nectar but come away with no reward. I photographed this Hummingbird Clearwing Moth this spring on our Wild Lupine flowers.

I also observed many Mason Bees (Osmia spp.) visiting Wild Lupine flowers this spring. They start with their rear legs prying open the petals, get a start on it opening, then use their mid and forelegs to hold the flowers open.

Wild Lupine and Mason Bees were built for each other, as Mason Bees collect pollen on their abdomens. Perfect for where the fused stamens are located just above the bottom keel, rubbing off some pollen for cross-pollination onto the Mason Bee abdomen.

Look for Mining Bees (Andrena spp.) a ground nesting native bee that emerges in early spring and visits flowers to collect pollen and nectar for nest provisioning.

Small Carpenter Bees (Ceratina spp.) also look in vain for nectar on flowers that have been forced open and are accessible as they cannot pry open the petals themselves.

Wild Lupine is a larval host plant to several butterfly and moth species, the most notable is the specialist Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa) an endangered butterfly.

Native Bee Spotlight: Cuckoo Bee ~ Nomada spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Cuckoo Bee ~ Nomada spp.

There are many types of native Cuckoo Bees, this Cuckoo Bee falls in the same family (Apidae) as Bumble and Honey Bees.

As the common name suggests, like Cuckoo Birds, Cuckoo Bees lay their eggs in the nests of other bees. In our region, the Cowbird would be a good comparison.

Why go to all the work of collecting pollen and nectar to provision a nest when another bee can do it for you?

I typically see this particular Cuckoo Bee in early spring, from March - May. A cleptoparasite of Mining and Sweat Bees, females sneak in to the ground nests of the host bee, lay 2-4 eggs alongside the host egg. When the first Cuckoo Bee larva hatch it kills its siblings and host egg/larva.

As the Nomada larva develop, it consumes the host bee bread (a combination of pollen and nectar).

Nomada sp. are typically a reddish-brown color with yellow spots, thick antennae and thin legs. The rear legs do not have any pollen collecting hairs because they have no need to collect pollen. If you see Cuckoo Bees visiting flowers, they are only there for the nectar.

Pictured visiting the flowers of Wafer Ash (top), American Bladdernut (middle), and Wild Geranium (left).

Also on spring beauty (left).

I have Mining Bees (Andrena spp.) nesting in the sandy soil of the south slope in our yard. In early spring, several of these Cuckoo Bees will be flying low to the ground landing on sticks and leaf litter seeking out the nests of the Mining Bees.

Source: Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies

Native Bee Spotlight: Mason Bees ~ Osmia spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 21:44:00 +0000

Mason Bees ~ Osmia spp.

Mason Bees were one of the first native bees we knew were nesting in our landscape because we provided bee boards for them. They will nest in many types of natural cavities such as under rocks, behind bark or in the pithy stems of plants.

Mason Bees are a small to medium sized bee, with a blue/green metallic body which is moderately hairy.

There are many types of cavity nests that you can create, simply drilling holes in an untreated wood block and hanging it in a sunny location works well.

We started with some holes drilled in the end of a 2x4 board (maximizing the hole depth). For the first couple of years, we had a lot of Mason Bee activity.

We have since made simple wood holders out of plywood that are stuffed with hollow plant stems (Cup Plant, Pale Indian Plantain). Stems can be changed out every two years (after the adult bees emerge in spring). This ensures that you are providing clean nesting cavities.

Females collect pollen and nectar, combine the two ingredients forming a bee bread. They deposit the bee bread at the back of the cavity, lay a single egg on it where the larva will develop and consume the bee bread. She repeats the process of depositing bee bread in the cavity, walling off each section creating separate brood compartments.

We start to see these bees active in early spring, visiting Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) flowers in May. Females collect pollen on their abdomen as illustrated in this photo.

They also love our American Plum (Prunus americana) tree which is extremely fragrant and a great pollinator plant.

Mason Bees are being used as alternative pollinators of commercial crops. They have been fairly successful in filling voids left by honey bees for almond tree pollination in California.

These medium sized bees seem surprisingly strong, able to pry open the Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis) flowers to access the rewards offered.

We see the last adults in early June visiting the Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) flowers.

There's lots of resources online on how to build Mason Bee houses, and some very creative examples.

A Mason Bee house is a great holiday gift idea for the wildlife gardener.

Source: Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies

Native Bee Spotlight: Small Carpenter Bees ~ Ceratina spp.

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 16:32:00 +0000

Small Carpenter Bee
on Hepatica flower

Small Carpenter Bees ~ Ceratina spp.

In my landscape, I start to see Small Carpenter Bees in March when the first woodland ephemerals are blooming.

Small Carpenter Bees are very tiny, for identification I look for white markings on the face and a shiny blue-green to black body. Not all species have white on the face although.

Small Carpenter Bee on
Wild Geranium ~ Geranium maculatum

These native bees nest in cavities of plant stems. Females will chew holes through the center of soft, pithy wood and create a nesting cavity. The female "places herself as a guard at the entrance. She will die during the winter but remains in place to block the nest access." (Attracting Native Pollinators, p. 248.)

Small Carpenter Bee
visiting Virginia Waterleaf

Leaving dead plant material in your landscape standing helps provide habitat for cavity nesting bees. If you have Elderberry species, think of those soft wood branches that often die back significantly each season providing nesting habitat.

This Small Carpenter Bee is visiting a Bluestar flower (Amsonia spp.) looking for available nectar and pollen.

Small Carpenter Bees continue to visit my native perennials throughout the spring into July. Pictured here on Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis).

Also Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia). Their small size gives them an all access pass to small open flowers.

Look for these bees also on Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.),

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa),

Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis),

and Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata).

Native Plant of the Week: Riddell's Goldenrod ~ Oligoneuron riddelli

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:51:00 +0000

Riddell's Goldenrod ~ Oligoneuron riddellii (Solidago riddellii)

Riddell's Goldnerod flowerered earlier this year, like most plants due to the early, warm spring. Last year, it was in full bloom in the first week of October.

Riddell's Goldenrod is a native perennial of moist prairies, wetland edges and calcareous fens. It's distribution is somewhat sporadic in its range because of its favored habitat.

Flowers are comrpised of a branced cluster with a large number of flower heads, each with several rays.

Leaves are narrow, arching downwards in a concave curve away from the stem. The center vein is very pronounced and many field guides describe the leaves being folded along the midrib.

Last year, I did not get a chance to observe insect activity when it flowered in the first week of October. This year however, it was a magnet to many native bees including Bumble Bees, and Mining Bees.

If you have a moist, limy location in your landscape, Riddell's Goldenrod would be a good candidate. Be sure to buy seed or plants from reputable growers. Riddell's Goldenrod is listed as threatened in Manitoba and Arkansas.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

Riddell's Goldenrod is native to the midwest and southern Great Lakes states. See map for range.

Native Plant of the Week: New England Aster ~ Symphyotrichum novae-angliae

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:49:00 +0000

New England Aster ~ Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (Aster novae-angliae)

New England Aster is a wonderful perennial native for late season color. We added some to our landscape last fall and it's flowering for the first time this year.

I associate this Aster with the southern Great Lakes region and northeast, but it does occur here in Minnesota.

Flower color can range from a medium purple/violet to pink. Blooming from late August and sometimes continuing into early November.

I thought I would see more bumble bees visiting the flowers but their preference right now is the Showy Goldenrod in our landscape. One Spotted Cucumber Beetle was crawling on the flower rays.

New England Aster can get extremely tall, especially in moister soils reaching heights over 6 feet, but shorter in sandy, well drained soils.

The leaves are relatively short and narrow, hairy and clasp the flower stem. The stem is also hairy. The lower leaves on a tall cluster of New England Aster will brown out and die off. Plant some medium height prairie grasses around this Aster such as Little Bluestem if you want to hide the unattractive lower stems.

This native perennial is tolerant of partial to full sun, sand to loamy soils. Plant in combination with Showy Goldenrod for an outstanding contrasting color display in the late fall.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.

New England Aster is native to (mostly) eastern North America. See map for range

Ruby Crowned Kinglets ~ Regulus calendula

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Ruby Crowned Kinglets ~ Regulus calendula

This morning I watched six Ruby Crowned Kinglets foraging for insects in our Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) trees.

One of the smallest birds in our area, they look very warbler-like with their olive/yellow coloring.

They have a white eye ring much like some vireos but the give-away is their small size and needle-like beak.

These Kinglets are migrating south, nesting just north of us in northern Minnesota and Canada.

It's fun to see them arrive in spring, and again this time of year as they forage through our native shrubs and trees in search of insects. Insects are their primary diet.

"Ruby-Crowned Kinglets prey on spiders, pseudoscorpions, and many types of insects, including aphids, wasps, ants, and bark beetles. Kinglets usually forage in high tree foliage, hovering and pecking in order to glean insects from the surface of leaves and branches." (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

Many of the Kinglets I saw this morning were males. One would be foraging for insects and a second would fly by and try to displace him from his choice place. A chase would follow, and the male would return back to the same place, now agitated. When males are agitated they raise the bright red crest feathers on the top of their heads.

These red feathers are hard to spot otherwise, when they lay flat against the male's head.

Kinglets never stay still for long. They're constantly on the move in trees and shrubs, looking for insects above and below leaves.

Keep your eyes open for more bird species passing through. I saw several warblers last week, and this afternoon Fox Sparrows were foraging on the ground in our woodland leaves.

Native Plant of the Week: Black-Eyed Susan ~ Rudbeckia hirta

noreply@blogger.com (Heather Holm) — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:09:00 +0000

Black-Eyed Susan ~ Rudbeckia hirta

This native perennial (sometimes biennial) deserves a place in any sunny landscape. A very versatile plant, it will grow in dry to wet soils in prairies, roadsides and woodland edges.

The bright yellow-orange flowers open in late June, continuing to flower and often rebloom into the fall months.

The dark brown central disk iscomprised of many florets and is surrounded by 8-21 yellow-orange rays.

The whole flower is two - three inches in width making it extremely showy.

The leaves are very coarse to the touch as they are covered with hairs, along with the flower stalk and flower bracts.

In our landscape, Black-Eyed Susans are short-lived but they do readily reseed themselves so we always have some. If you plan to add this native to your landscape, it works well to buy seed because Black-Eyed Susans will often flower the same year as seed is sown.

Native bees like this female Long Horned Bee will visit the flower for pollen, along with smaller Sweat Bees.

Insect larvae will feed on the central cone and bore holes in it. Several of the flowers in our landscape will have a single ray floret folded over the top of the cone to create a protected feeding area.

Beetles will also visit the flowers, a Soldier Beetle and Blister Beetle pictured here. Read more about this Blister Beetle's lifecycle here.

Black-Eyed Susans are native to central and eastern North America. See map for range.

Kartesz, J.T., The Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
2011. North American Plant Atlas. Chapel Hill, N.C.