Honeybees and butterflies may be the poster children for pollinator awareness, but these charismatic garden visitors actually make up a very small portion of the species that move pollen from plant to plant. Commonly overlooked creatures like wasps, flies, moths, beetles, birds, bats, and even lizards can all serve as plant pollinators. Another misconception is that most pollinator activity occurs from the height of summer and into early fall, but in fact pollination occurs during most months of the year when temperatures are within an acceptable range for insect activity and there is a pollen or nectar source available. In this article I will talk about an array of plants that feed and support pollinators at specific points throughout the growing season. As you plan your wildlife-friendly plantings, use these suggestions as a springboard for creating your own unique, multiseason plant combinations.
Claytonia virginica
Zones: 3–8
Size: 6 to 9 inches tall and wide
Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; moderately moist, well-drained soil
Native range: Eastern North America
In undisturbed, moist woodlands in much of the eastern United States, coming across a mass of spring beauty in full bloom is a breathtaking experience. This diminutive spring ephemeral isn’t commonly grown in garden settings, but with its aesthetic beauty and ecological benefits it certainly deserves more attention. Many of our ground-dwelling native-bee species spend most of their lives underground. Often their emergence from the soil coincides with that of a specific plant species that provides an essential nutrient that allows for their life cycle to continue. Spring-beauty mining bees (Andrena erigeniae) rely heavily on spring beauty’s distinctive
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