Search for at-risk pollinators in your region, to learn what you can plant for them in your garden! [CORRECTION - One of you corrected my Boneset plant ID! It looks like I’m growing Eupatorium serotinum - thanks, and corrections always welcome!] Some resources I’ve found helpful: www.xerces.org/endangered-species/butterflies www.xerces.org/endangered-species/pollinators xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists Resources for those near Maryland: leplog.wordpress.com/other-resources/maryland-butterflies-of-conservation-concern/ www.marylandbutterflies.com/
Hell yeah! Thank you for not just spreading the word, but also Selling the word as well. The benefits of natives are not nearly talked about enough. I really appreciate the amount of work and you’ve put into this video and the information you have supplied us with.
I teach a middle school naturalist class and I am noticing the very same thing with the butterfly bush and I totally agree that native local plants are the way to go. We have yet to see a monarch. We humans seem to so slow when it comes to change. Thank you.
What an awesome class! I remember seeing a statistic that kids surveyed had a high positive response when asked if they wanted more classes on nature - the kiddos are definitely the future! Makes my stomach a little queasy every time someone says they haven’t seen any monarchs this year. I do wish we changed faster, but it gives me hope that a single garden can foster at least a small micro environment where life can thrive. Thanks for what you’re doing with the kids - I know teachers are way under-supported here in the states
@@gardenforbirds I do think that as individuals we can make a difference, even if it is on our own little world. WE never really know the depth and scope of our actions...and I am so glad to know you are putting out videos like this...thank you!
Your garden is gorgeous!💕 I have a couple sterile butterfly bushes (Miss Molly, Miss Ruby). I like them because theyre drought tolerant and have a lovely soft lilac smell I can enjoy long after the lilacs are out of bloom. Youre absolutely right that in the presence of other native flowers the pollinators largely ignore the butterfly bush lol. We've had a decent amount of Monarchs here in New Jersey this year. They obviously love the Milkweed, but really enjoyed the giant Gateway Joe Pye Weeds too; and of course everyone's favorite: Agastache. When we see them in the garden, we check the milkweed leaves for eggs and bring them inside to live their egg-to-pupa life on a milkweed plant. The eggs and tiny caterpillars easily succumb to predators in the garden, so it can really help the populations to protect them in their vulnerable stage🤗
The issue with your butterfly bushes is that sterile butterfly bushes tend to become fertile in a couple of years. Just don’t have it and skip the headache
Thank you so much, that means a lot! So funny you’re noticing your butterfly bushes being ignored too - really suprised me this year! I read an article that was meant to help people weigh the pros and cons of butterfly bush in the garden, and they said the same - butterfly bush was being largely ignored in favor of many of their natives. Really fascinating!
Haha, it’s colossal! 😂 Was trying to ID it and it looks like they can swarm and do a lot of crop damage, and they do seem to like seeds and legumes. I haven’t seen many of them - maybe because the farm next door had a helicopter come in and crop dust. I was wondering what they were targeting, possibly these grasshoppers 😣
This year I had come flowers, choral bells, common and fancy milkweed, drift roses, phlox, and climbing roses. I just got a butterfly bush this year. Chrysanthemums they seem to be another pollinator for fall. I have had one Monarch. Last year I raised 13 in my house. Giant marigolds are another pollinator flower that attracts a lot of bees and skippers.
So cool you mentioned checking the garden at night. I do that as a bed-time ritual and often see moths, lacewings and May beetles. Recently I came across a large toad two evenings in a row. A screech owl left me know a couple of evenings I was too close to her fledgling. Hungry caterpillars like the spicebush swallowtail have been cool discoveries as well. Oh yes, an opossum was out scrounging for persimmons one night. Can you grow pawpaw? They’re a host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly. This summer we had our first one come through and lay eggs. Great video!
That sounds like a very relaxing night ritual! There’s something very special about being outside during twilight hours. Sounds like you have quite a cast of characters over there, pretty awesome!! I’ve definitely thought about a PawPaw, but haven’t yet figured where to put one! So cool you were rewarded for planting yours!
My garden goals are the same as yours! I planted several species of Monarda this spring along with some mountain mint and a few others that you mentioned in this video. However I was under the impression that there was a native butterfly bush that was good to have. I guess that needs to be researched. The human centered attitudes that I have to deal with on a regular basis are frustrating. I have people on all sides of me that spray for mosquitoes. I've tried to tell them that they are killing much more than just the mosquitoes but they say they don't want to be bothered with them. Anyway... I will do what I can.
I’ve not heard of a native Buddlejia, but so many things go by common names it’s possible there’s a native with a similar nickname! I’ve heard really good things about Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis ) in terms of attracting butterflies and pollinators! Sorry to hear your neighbors are spraying - that’s so frustrating when you’re trying to be a sanctuary. Hopefully most of the life will dwell on your side of the fence, and hopefully they don’t spray on any windy days. 😣 Sounds like you’re doing some great things!!
Thank you so much! Would be fun to do an episode on some of the bird, insect, and plant species that unite some of us who live far apart! It’s fun to think of the birds that might migrate between our different regions and visit each of us!
Anise Hyssop is amazing for the amount of insects it attracts and also is blooms over 2 months. It also attracts Gold Finches when the seeds are ready. You can also make some anise-flavored tea by steeping a handful of leaves.
This put me off our butterfly bush. But when I went outside, I saw a painted lady butterfly on the bush, and changed my mind. It was the first in the garden all year. The caterpillars feed on nettles and thistles, so I'll plant some next to the bush for next year.
Similar story here yesterday! I stepped outside and saw my first Frittilary butterfly, and it’s inspired me to work in more new species of wild violets (their host plant)! As you’ve noted - sometimes the best next steps are to add, rather than subtract, plants to our garden!
Here in the US I’ve relied on a few native seed vendors for things like this - have been working to try to add in more that are local to the east coast (where I live) but sometimes that’s hard if looking for something specific!
@@gardenforbirds thanks for your reply. I'm from across the pond, but your channel's still giving me new ideas and insights. Like, your video on berries. So I'd like to share with you a little project I started this year. I let caterpillars polish off our salads, but harvested a few and put them iin the fridge for later, seeing as we can't get insects easily for our winter bird feeders. Do you have any ideas for insect options andneeds over winter,
Regarding butterfly bushes, I think it depends where you live. I have had my garden with butterfly bushes for over 30 years and they have not invaded my yard nor surrounding areas. Where I live, they have helped the western tiger swallowtail butterflies and the hummingbirds. Although, this year I have not seen as many butterflies as usual. Likewise, I have not seen as many bumblebees. On the other hand, I have seen lots of honeybees, which is unusual. Some say that the honeybees are taking over and taking food from the bumblebees, but as someone who has studied bees and has kept honeybees, I know that is not true. Bumblebees and honeybees have their favorite flowers, some are the same but not all. The bumblebees love the cotoneasters and deutzias, whereas the honeybees love the holly and the mints. They might visit the other’s favorite, but tend to stick to their own. Funny, those same people that say that about the honeybees, never seem to blame the pesticides and herbicides sprayed around or the fact that many of the weeds that both bees love have been done away with. Anyway, I appreciate your video and now will try and plant Boneset in my yard. I was wondering what kind of bees it attracts. Thanks again.😊
Yes, invasive behavior is regional for sure. And it can be kind of dynamic, shifting with climate and other changes. For now I’m planning to keep cutting mine back to try to prevent the seeds dispersing. I haven’t noticed any invasive honeybee behavior - they seem to happily coexist alongside the bumblebees and everyone else! I did discover one very funny European bee this year that goes from flower to flower and just pushes other bees off 😂 cracked me up to watch it, but the other bees just hopped back on and kept snacking. Totally agree - the systemic pesticides and broad use of herbicides is massively damaging. It’s astounding to me that it’s still going on despite all the evidence of its many negative impacts. I live next door to a farm that came through with a helicopter crop dusting this summer, we stayed indoors for several days to try to avoid it - heartbreaking to watch it in action.
@@gardenforbirds oh, I hope they quit spraying the farm next to you. That’s terrible. Anyway, I was wondering if the Boneset plant attracts bumblebees or honeybees or both.
@@bethmartof1262 It seems to attract both, although I’m seeing fewer honey bees this time of year than I was in spring and summer - not sure if that’s normal, I don’t have much experience with honey bees! On just a few plants, like the mistflower and my verbena, I don’t see many honey bees - really only bumble bees. But otherwise it’s really been a mix of both, with what seems like some seasonal variation this fall!
I have noticed the same thing in my Northern California garden. The Buddleia is not near as busy as the natives I have been incorporating into my landscape in recent years. I too, have not seen a monarch yet this year. I usually have 1. I’m anxiously looking for it. Thanks for the info. You earned my new subscription ❤🦋🐝
So fascinating, I’ve been curious to know if other people are having the same experiences and it sounds like quite a few are! Gives me hope hearing from other gardeners planting for habitat!! Fingers crossed for a Monarch visit to your garden! 🤞🤞
My current "pollinator friendly" yard kinda got started as an accident. I'm not fond of grass (allergic to the pollen, not a fan of the look of turf), so I don't care to do much as far as typical yard maintenance. In the spring, I've been having more and more english daisy show up, which are lovely and prefable to grass in every way. These eventually die off and get replaced by catsear and some american and birdsfoot trefoil, along with a few different mint family plants in the back yard. While technically catsear is considered invasive, it's drought resistant, has low-ish flowers that aren't annoying and last a long time, and the foliage is so flat that anything I plant deliberately will be able to compete with it. Watching my yard with bees moths and beetles doing their thing is honestly so much nicer than the sterility of a standard yard. Ever since I came across that surprisingly fragrant spreading dogsbane (a native milkweed here) on a hill during the driest part of summer and seeing all the different bees and moths attracted to it, I've started keeping an eye out for what plants are native, and what they attract and when. This fall and next spring, I intend to sow some native mixes, and see what survives with minimal effort and watering on my part. I also intend to put out some potential nests for solitary bees. Here in the Willamette valley of Oregon, hazelnuts pollinate during the winter, from January to march typically (add a month for the rest of the US that has a real winter instead of rain). I've found bumblebees out browsing the pollen as early as late january on very warm days, though most of what I see are in February or later. So one thing to consider is to have a Betulaceae/Corylaceae family plant with winter/spring catkins that produce that important food source when nothing else is really around. Corylus americana is native to most of the East half of the US, Corylus cornuta is native to across the northern US from coast to coast. Do be aware of potential allergies though. I'm sensitive to alder, but not hazelnuts fortunately, but one of my co-workers is allergic to both.
Sounds like we share a similar pastime of standing in our gardens and staring at things! 😄 I imagine the neighbors think I’m a bit off, but as you say, watching all the little critters is such a joy. Good idea with the early food source. This is something I’ve been working more on the past year, and it was really rewarding this spring seeing all the early bloomers getting pollinator love!
Nice video, thanks! My best clouds-of-pollinators plants are 2 kinds mountain mint and Echinacea. I started those from seed where I try to get the most basic, least fancy type species. Mountain mint muticum is one of the most beautiful plants I’ve seen and wow do weird native insects like it. Echinacea is pretty strong with butterflies. Why not try some ironweed? It’s a stunner, a gigantic perennial, has a more saturated purple, volunteers readily… Def outperforms buddleia for me
“Clouds of pollinators” - love that, sounds like heaven! I have ironweed started but it’s in a very stressful spot with extremely compacted soil. It got about a foot tall and then managed to bloom - so I take that as a sign it’s trying to make lemonade out of my lemon-site 😅 I’m curious to see how it does next year, but might add more in a less challenging location. It apparently has white pollen, so that’s pretty cool!
I absolutely LOVE your videos!! 😍😍😍 I was going to ask about the boneset..."Is that Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) or something like Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)?" But I see you've already addressed that! LOL Thanks for everything you do to promote native plant gardening!
Haha, so cool that you can tell the difference! Now I’m curious how pollinators would respond to the two species if they were planted side by side! I’ll wait to see if the E. perfoliatum volunteers so I can see! Thanks so much for watching!
@@gardenforbirds I actually have a bunch of both species that have come up as volunteers in my flower beds. Just comparing the two, the E. serotinum has way more pollinators on it. BUT, the E. perfoliatum is in an area that is shaded in the afternoon, so sun/heat may be a bigger factor than the plant itself. But sadly, none of my natives have many pollinators on them at all. My perception is that the number of insects (both over all numbers and diversity of species) has been steadily and steeply in decline here over the past ten years. Ten years ago, there was a huge patch of E. serotinum in my dad's field and it was like heaven...dozens and dozens of different species of butterflies and moths, hover flies, bees, wasps, not to mention the spiders, mantids, assassin bugs and dragonflies hunting there. But a similar patches in recent years have had almost nothing on them. I'm scared and very sad because I'm afraid it's too late to turn things around. :( *** I hope I'm wrong,*** and that's why I so love and appreciate what you're doing. It's keeping a glimmer of hope alive in my heart.
Interesting! I’d imagine the sun conditions could definitely impact activity as you say. I’ve heard a few people working on habitat gardens say they aren’t seeing many pollinators. It’s making me very curious to learn more about the different areas where pollinator activity is really reduced. Do you have many trees in your area? I think some of the trees that have volunteered on my property (oaks, cherries, sassafras, tulip poplar) might be partly why I’m seeing a decent amount of pollinator activity. I might put together some questions to ask and try a survey or something - if we can find common conditions where pollinator activity is lower / higher that could be useful.
@@gardenforbirds A survey like that would be interesting. We're in a pretty rural area but I will say that the number of houses going up near us has gone up dramatically in the last five years. Lots of trees being cut down to be replaced by lawn, and every house has to have an outdoor "night light." :(
Thank you for the great video! I am in the learning stage. I did purchase a swamp milkweed(?) plant- just one because I wanted to see if it lived. It was attacked by aphids when the flowers came out. So I did the mature thing, and squished them all with my fingers- yes, later I came back and used the soap method, and that took care of 'em! HA! But I can't wait to get more next spring(plants)! I live in MN, and my Sedum(sp?) plant just bloomed(I thought it was a weed- who knew!), and the bumble bees LOVE it! They even sleep on it! So cute! Ok, this may be a dumb question, but I don't know: Are there plants you can plant in the fall(In zone 4)? I tried many places to find out, and couldn't find anything. :( Thank you again for your wonderful videos!!!!!!!
Swamp milkweed is another common name for the “Rose” milkweed I showed - Asclepias incarnata. With milkweed comes aphids for sure - they love the stuff! Next year you could try just watching the aphids and see if you need to intervene - I didn’t remove my aphids, and the lady bugs ate just about all of them. One week there were hundreds of aphids and the next week just a few dozen were left! I love watching the sleeping bees! I’ve read that those are generally male bees that sleep out on the plants, so sweet to watch! Absolutely - Planting in fall is my favorite time!! My plants all do SO much better planting in fall because they can go dormant and focus on root growth, without the stress of heat and drought hitting them right away. My spring plantings always struggle much more than my fall plantings. Any perennial that’s cold hardy is totally fine to plant in fall, as well as shrubs and trees! Go for it!! 💓
@@gardenforbirds Thank you for the fun facts and useful info ! We used to have ladybugs, but in recent years they have vanished! I saw 1 this year, and you would have thought I had found a diamond! Well, next year I will be ready for those aphids! :D Have a great day!
Try Phlox Jeana (somewhat new native phlox) with smaller flowers but many more of them. It's my biggest draw for butterflies. I bought one the sterile butterfly bush to try and help with diversity, even though I can cover every season as it is. I live in the very outer reaches of Kansas City and one minute from me is nothing but fields, forests, pastures and even there (with a lot of natives) the pollinators aren't around. Really depressing - I think this is an all time low year for pollinators in all shapes and sizes for me. And I see no other people in our subdivision plant ANYTHING - NOT trees, shrubs, flowers. Just lawns.
My phlox are still getting established but I’ve heard they can be a huge butterfly magnet! It’s so hard to be doing your best when it feels the world is working against your goals. I’ve been trying to think of more ways to get more involved with local community gardens etc. I think that’s one of the only ways to make a dent sometimes. Hang in there and keep fighting the good fight - sounds like you’re doing good things!!
Butterfly bush is sure pretty, but you're right, it doesn't hold a candle to our native plants. I've got a couple in the garden, but the blazing star, iron weed, goldenrod, and Joe Pye Weed are the stars of the garden.
Hello from South Wales, UK. I am trying to make a garden for wildlife. I have buddleias but I am also trying to grow more native plants. This has been the worst year for butterflies in the uk. It is very worrying.
Hello! It is very worrying, and it’s been scary hearing so many people from so many areas seeing the same decline. This year I’ve actually seen a rise in the number and variety of butterflies in my garden. It’s encouraged me to keep going with planting the natives. I’m planning to work in a few plant species over the fall and winter based on some of the new butterfly species I’ve seen this year. Hopefully others have a similar experience to mine, where the pollinators discover your garden and head on over - hang in there and keep going!! 💓
An interesting potential side effect for the varieties that are sold as sterile is that they apparently produce less pollen and maybe even nectar. Makes sense, but I couldn’t find any thorough studies on that - but interesting that the sterile varieties would have even further reduced wildlife value
Search for at-risk pollinators in your region, to learn what you can plant for them in your garden!
[CORRECTION - One of you corrected my Boneset plant ID! It looks like I’m growing Eupatorium serotinum - thanks, and corrections always welcome!]
Some resources I’ve found helpful:
www.xerces.org/endangered-species/butterflies
www.xerces.org/endangered-species/pollinators
xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists
Resources for those near Maryland:
leplog.wordpress.com/other-resources/maryland-butterflies-of-conservation-concern/
www.marylandbutterflies.com/
Thank you for this list! Have a native pollinator garden in Brooklyn and I’m currently struggling to get the
🐀 to let things grow 😫😫😫
@@devleigh Ack! That’s tough! I wonder if something like the fox-urine pellets would deter them. 🤔
@@gardenforbirds I need to find where to get some ethically. Sprinkling Cayenne pepper around helped for a while, but got kinda pricey lol
Hell yeah! Thank you for not just spreading the word, but also Selling the word as well.
The benefits of natives are not nearly talked about enough. I really appreciate the amount of work and you’ve put into this video and the information you have supplied us with.
Thank you so much for all the kind words!!
@@gardenforbirds Just paying credit where credit is due
Love the amount of research and time you put into this. Everyone says natives are important, but it's wonderful to see why
Thank you! Yeah, I’ve found it so interesting to learn more and more ways in which native plants are foundational for habitat!
Even though I don't live in the same region as you, I still find your videos very informative. Plus they are fun to watch!
Thank you so much! Hopefully some of it applies for your corner of the world, too!
I teach a middle school naturalist class and I am noticing the very same thing with the butterfly bush and I totally agree that native local plants are the way to go. We have yet to see a monarch. We humans seem to so slow when it comes to change. Thank you.
What an awesome class! I remember seeing a statistic that kids surveyed had a high positive response when asked if they wanted more classes on nature - the kiddos are definitely the future! Makes my stomach a little queasy every time someone says they haven’t seen any monarchs this year. I do wish we changed faster, but it gives me hope that a single garden can foster at least a small micro environment where life can thrive. Thanks for what you’re doing with the kids - I know teachers are way under-supported here in the states
@@gardenforbirds I do think that as individuals we can make a difference, even if it is on our own little world. WE never really know the depth and scope of our actions...and I am so glad to know you are putting out videos like this...thank you!
Your garden is gorgeous!💕 I have a couple sterile butterfly bushes (Miss Molly, Miss Ruby). I like them because theyre drought tolerant and have a lovely soft lilac smell I can enjoy long after the lilacs are out of bloom. Youre absolutely right that in the presence of other native flowers the pollinators largely ignore the butterfly bush lol.
We've had a decent amount of Monarchs here in New Jersey this year. They obviously love the Milkweed, but really enjoyed the giant Gateway Joe Pye Weeds too; and of course everyone's favorite: Agastache. When we see them in the garden, we check the milkweed leaves for eggs and bring them inside to live their egg-to-pupa life on a milkweed plant. The eggs and tiny caterpillars easily succumb to predators in the garden, so it can really help the populations to protect them in their vulnerable stage🤗
The issue with your butterfly bushes is that sterile butterfly bushes tend to become fertile in a couple of years. Just don’t have it and skip the headache
Thank you so much, that means a lot! So funny you’re noticing your butterfly bushes being ignored too - really suprised me this year! I read an article that was meant to help people weigh the pros and cons of butterfly bush in the garden, and they said the same - butterfly bush was being largely ignored in favor of many of their natives. Really fascinating!
Omg you guys have grasshoppers that size holy crap! 🤩That's pretty cool.
Haha, it’s colossal! 😂 Was trying to ID it and it looks like they can swarm and do a lot of crop damage, and they do seem to like seeds and legumes. I haven’t seen many of them - maybe because the farm next door had a helicopter come in and crop dust. I was wondering what they were targeting, possibly these grasshoppers 😣
Great info, thank you!
Another wonderful video, thank you.
Thank you!
This year I had come flowers, choral bells, common and fancy milkweed, drift roses, phlox, and climbing roses. I just got a butterfly bush this year. Chrysanthemums they seem to be another pollinator for fall.
I have had one Monarch. Last year I raised 13 in my house.
Giant marigolds are another pollinator flower that attracts a lot of bees and skippers.
Wonderful you got so many monarchs last year! Did you see any caterpillars on your milkweed this year or just an adult butterfly?
Very nice, amazing
Thank you, this was so helpful!
Elderberry is another in my garden that works well and queen anns lace!
So cool you mentioned checking the garden at night. I do that as a bed-time ritual and often see moths, lacewings and May beetles. Recently I came across a large toad two evenings in a row. A screech owl left me know a couple of evenings I was too close to her fledgling. Hungry caterpillars like the spicebush swallowtail have been cool discoveries as well. Oh yes, an opossum was out scrounging for persimmons one night. Can you grow pawpaw? They’re a host plant for the zebra swallowtail butterfly. This summer we had our first one come through and lay eggs. Great video!
That sounds like a very relaxing night ritual! There’s something very special about being outside during twilight hours. Sounds like you have quite a cast of characters over there, pretty awesome!! I’ve definitely thought about a PawPaw, but haven’t yet figured where to put one! So cool you were rewarded for planting yours!
My garden goals are the same as yours! I planted several species of Monarda this spring along with some mountain mint and a few others that you mentioned in this video. However I was under the impression that there was a native butterfly bush that was good to have. I guess that needs to be researched.
The human centered attitudes that I have to deal with on a regular basis are frustrating. I have people on all sides of me that spray for mosquitoes. I've tried to tell them that they are killing much more than just the mosquitoes but they say they don't want to be bothered with them. Anyway... I will do what I can.
I’ve not heard of a native Buddlejia, but so many things go by common names it’s possible there’s a native with a similar nickname! I’ve heard really good things about Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis ) in terms of attracting butterflies and pollinators! Sorry to hear your neighbors are spraying - that’s so frustrating when you’re trying to be a sanctuary. Hopefully most of the life will dwell on your side of the fence, and hopefully they don’t spray on any windy days. 😣 Sounds like you’re doing some great things!!
@@gardenforbirds OH I'm thinking of butterfly weed, aka Asclepias tuberosa which is native to NY where I live... upstate NY that is! ;-)
I’ve had great luck with Butterfly Weed - it’s been a happy, easy plant that’s almost always covered in happy bugs!
Great info, thanks!
Thank you for watching!
Thanks for this video. It’s helpful , and entertaining.
Thank you much!
I am from Brazil, Love your videos
Thank you so much! Would be fun to do an episode on some of the bird, insect, and plant species that unite some of us who live far apart! It’s fun to think of the birds that might migrate between our different regions and visit each of us!
Anise Hyssop is amazing for the amount of insects it attracts and also is blooms over 2 months. It also attracts Gold Finches when the seeds are ready. You can also make some anise-flavored tea by steeping a handful of leaves.
I’ve been astounded at what an amazing little plant it is. I’m hoping to work in some more Agastache species - more of a good thing can’t hurt!
So very true. There are so many important native plants out there that are far better than butterfly bush, where we live.
It’s hard to argue with the evidence!
@@gardenforbirds exactly!
This put me off our butterfly bush. But when I went outside, I saw a painted lady butterfly on the bush, and changed my mind. It was the first in the garden all year. The caterpillars feed on nettles and thistles, so I'll plant some next to the bush for next year.
Similar story here yesterday! I stepped outside and saw my first Frittilary butterfly, and it’s inspired me to work in more new species of wild violets (their host plant)! As you’ve noted - sometimes the best next steps are to add, rather than subtract, plants to our garden!
@@gardenforbirds wild violets?!! 💓 are they National Trust? we are waiting on our garden centre for native species....
Here in the US I’ve relied on a few native seed vendors for things like this - have been working to try to add in more that are local to the east coast (where I live) but sometimes that’s hard if looking for something specific!
@@gardenforbirds thanks for your reply. I'm from across the pond, but your channel's still giving me new ideas and insights. Like, your video on berries. So I'd like to share with you a little project I started this year. I let caterpillars polish off our salads, but harvested a few and put them iin the fridge for later, seeing as we can't get insects easily for our winter bird feeders. Do you have any ideas for insect options andneeds over winter,
Maybe a video coming soon on insect farming?
Goldenrod and asters are big magnets here
Yes, definitely here too!
Regarding butterfly bushes, I think it depends where you live. I have had my garden with butterfly bushes for over 30 years and they have not invaded my yard nor surrounding areas. Where I live, they have helped the western tiger swallowtail butterflies and the hummingbirds. Although, this year I have not seen as many butterflies as usual. Likewise, I have not seen as many bumblebees. On the other hand, I have seen lots of honeybees, which is unusual. Some say that the honeybees are taking over and taking food from the bumblebees, but as someone who has studied bees and has kept honeybees, I know that is not true. Bumblebees and honeybees have their favorite flowers, some are the same but not all. The bumblebees love the cotoneasters and deutzias, whereas the honeybees love the holly and the mints. They might visit the other’s favorite, but tend to stick to their own. Funny, those same people that say that about the honeybees, never seem to blame the pesticides and herbicides sprayed around or the fact that many of the weeds that both bees love have been done away with.
Anyway, I appreciate your video and now will try and plant Boneset in my yard. I was wondering what kind of bees it attracts. Thanks again.😊
Yes, invasive behavior is regional for sure. And it can be kind of dynamic, shifting with climate and other changes. For now I’m planning to keep cutting mine back to try to prevent the seeds dispersing. I haven’t noticed any invasive honeybee behavior - they seem to happily coexist alongside the bumblebees and everyone else! I did discover one very funny European bee this year that goes from flower to flower and just pushes other bees off 😂 cracked me up to watch it, but the other bees just hopped back on and kept snacking.
Totally agree - the systemic pesticides and broad use of herbicides is massively damaging. It’s astounding to me that it’s still going on despite all the evidence of its many negative impacts. I live next door to a farm that came through with a helicopter crop dusting this summer, we stayed indoors for several days to try to avoid it - heartbreaking to watch it in action.
@@gardenforbirds oh, I hope they quit spraying the farm next to you. That’s terrible. Anyway, I was wondering if the Boneset plant attracts bumblebees or honeybees or both.
@@bethmartof1262 It seems to attract both, although I’m seeing fewer honey bees this time of year than I was in spring and summer - not sure if that’s normal, I don’t have much experience with honey bees! On just a few plants, like the mistflower and my verbena, I don’t see many honey bees - really only bumble bees. But otherwise it’s really been a mix of both, with what seems like some seasonal variation this fall!
@@gardenforbirds thank you.
I have noticed the same thing in my Northern California garden. The Buddleia is not near as busy as the natives I have been incorporating into my landscape in recent years. I too, have not seen a monarch yet this year. I usually have 1. I’m anxiously looking for it. Thanks for the info. You earned my new subscription ❤🦋🐝
So fascinating, I’ve been curious to know if other people are having the same experiences and it sounds like quite a few are! Gives me hope hearing from other gardeners planting for habitat!! Fingers crossed for a Monarch visit to your garden! 🤞🤞
@@gardenforbirds thank you.
My current "pollinator friendly" yard kinda got started as an accident. I'm not fond of grass (allergic to the pollen, not a fan of the look of turf), so I don't care to do much as far as typical yard maintenance.
In the spring, I've been having more and more english daisy show up, which are lovely and prefable to grass in every way. These eventually die off and get replaced by catsear and some american and birdsfoot trefoil, along with a few different mint family plants in the back yard. While technically catsear is considered invasive, it's drought resistant, has low-ish flowers that aren't annoying and last a long time, and the foliage is so flat that anything I plant deliberately will be able to compete with it.
Watching my yard with bees moths and beetles doing their thing is honestly so much nicer than the sterility of a standard yard. Ever since I came across that surprisingly fragrant spreading dogsbane (a native milkweed here) on a hill during the driest part of summer and seeing all the different bees and moths attracted to it, I've started keeping an eye out for what plants are native, and what they attract and when. This fall and next spring, I intend to sow some native mixes, and see what survives with minimal effort and watering on my part. I also intend to put out some potential nests for solitary bees.
Here in the Willamette valley of Oregon, hazelnuts pollinate during the winter, from January to march typically (add a month for the rest of the US that has a real winter instead of rain). I've found bumblebees out browsing the pollen as early as late january on very warm days, though most of what I see are in February or later. So one thing to consider is to have a Betulaceae/Corylaceae family plant with winter/spring catkins that produce that important food source when nothing else is really around. Corylus americana is native to most of the East half of the US, Corylus cornuta is native to across the northern US from coast to coast. Do be aware of potential allergies though. I'm sensitive to alder, but not hazelnuts fortunately, but one of my co-workers is allergic to both.
Sounds like we share a similar pastime of standing in our gardens and staring at things! 😄 I imagine the neighbors think I’m a bit off, but as you say, watching all the little critters is such a joy. Good idea with the early food source. This is something I’ve been working more on the past year, and it was really rewarding this spring seeing all the early bloomers getting pollinator love!
Nice video, thanks! My best clouds-of-pollinators plants are 2 kinds mountain mint and Echinacea. I started those from seed where I try to get the most basic, least fancy type species. Mountain mint muticum is one of the most beautiful plants I’ve seen and wow do weird native insects like it. Echinacea is pretty strong with butterflies.
Why not try some ironweed? It’s a stunner, a gigantic perennial, has a more saturated purple, volunteers readily… Def outperforms buddleia for me
“Clouds of pollinators” - love that, sounds like heaven! I have ironweed started but it’s in a very stressful spot with extremely compacted soil. It got about a foot tall and then managed to bloom - so I take that as a sign it’s trying to make lemonade out of my lemon-site 😅 I’m curious to see how it does next year, but might add more in a less challenging location. It apparently has white pollen, so that’s pretty cool!
Monarchs were just announced as endangered. love your videos
Yes, finally! I hope now that some meaningful protections can be implemented to give them a fair shot 💓
I absolutely LOVE your videos!! 😍😍😍 I was going to ask about the boneset..."Is that Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) or something like Late Boneset (Eupatorium serotinum)?" But I see you've already addressed that! LOL Thanks for everything you do to promote native plant gardening!
Haha, so cool that you can tell the difference! Now I’m curious how pollinators would respond to the two species if they were planted side by side! I’ll wait to see if the E. perfoliatum volunteers so I can see! Thanks so much for watching!
@@gardenforbirds I actually have a bunch of both species that have come up as volunteers in my flower beds. Just comparing the two, the E. serotinum has way more pollinators on it. BUT, the E. perfoliatum is in an area that is shaded in the afternoon, so sun/heat may be a bigger factor than the plant itself.
But sadly, none of my natives have many pollinators on them at all. My perception is that the number of insects (both over all numbers and diversity of species) has been steadily and steeply in decline here over the past ten years. Ten years ago, there was a huge patch of E. serotinum in my dad's field and it was like heaven...dozens and dozens of different species of butterflies and moths, hover flies, bees, wasps, not to mention the spiders, mantids, assassin bugs and dragonflies hunting there. But a similar patches in recent years have had almost nothing on them. I'm scared and very sad because I'm afraid it's too late to turn things around. :( *** I hope I'm wrong,*** and that's why I so love and appreciate what you're doing. It's keeping a glimmer of hope alive in my heart.
Interesting! I’d imagine the sun conditions could definitely impact activity as you say. I’ve heard a few people working on habitat gardens say they aren’t seeing many pollinators. It’s making me very curious to learn more about the different areas where pollinator activity is really reduced. Do you have many trees in your area? I think some of the trees that have volunteered on my property (oaks, cherries, sassafras, tulip poplar) might be partly why I’m seeing a decent amount of pollinator activity. I might put together some questions to ask and try a survey or something - if we can find common conditions where pollinator activity is lower / higher that could be useful.
@@gardenforbirds A survey like that would be interesting. We're in a pretty rural area but I will say that the number of houses going up near us has gone up dramatically in the last five years. Lots of trees being cut down to be replaced by lawn, and every house has to have an outdoor "night light." :(
Thank you for the great video! I am in the learning stage. I did purchase a swamp milkweed(?) plant- just one because I wanted to see if it lived. It was attacked by aphids when the flowers came out. So I did the mature thing, and squished them all with my fingers- yes, later I came back and used the soap method, and that took care of 'em! HA! But I can't wait to get more next spring(plants)! I live in MN, and my Sedum(sp?) plant just bloomed(I thought it was a weed- who knew!), and the bumble bees LOVE it! They even sleep on it! So cute! Ok, this may be a dumb question, but I don't know: Are there plants you can plant in the fall(In zone 4)? I tried many places to find out, and couldn't find anything. :( Thank you again for your wonderful videos!!!!!!!
Swamp milkweed is another common name for the “Rose” milkweed I showed - Asclepias incarnata. With milkweed comes aphids for sure - they love the stuff! Next year you could try just watching the aphids and see if you need to intervene - I didn’t remove my aphids, and the lady bugs ate just about all of them. One week there were hundreds of aphids and the next week just a few dozen were left! I love watching the sleeping bees! I’ve read that those are generally male bees that sleep out on the plants, so sweet to watch! Absolutely - Planting in fall is my favorite time!! My plants all do SO much better planting in fall because they can go dormant and focus on root growth, without the stress of heat and drought hitting them right away. My spring plantings always struggle much more than my fall plantings. Any perennial that’s cold hardy is totally fine to plant in fall, as well as shrubs and trees! Go for it!! 💓
@@gardenforbirds Thank you for the fun facts and useful info ! We used to have ladybugs, but in recent years they have vanished! I saw 1 this year, and you would have thought I had found a diamond! Well, next year I will be ready for those aphids! :D Have a great day!
Try Phlox Jeana (somewhat new native phlox) with smaller flowers but many more of them. It's my biggest draw for butterflies. I bought one the sterile butterfly bush to try and help with diversity, even though I can cover every season as it is. I live in the very outer reaches of Kansas City and one minute from me is nothing but fields, forests, pastures and even there (with a lot of natives) the pollinators aren't around. Really depressing - I think this is an all time low year for pollinators in all shapes and sizes for me. And I see no other people in our subdivision plant ANYTHING - NOT trees, shrubs, flowers. Just lawns.
My phlox are still getting established but I’ve heard they can be a huge butterfly magnet! It’s so hard to be doing your best when it feels the world is working against your goals. I’ve been trying to think of more ways to get more involved with local community gardens etc. I think that’s one of the only ways to make a dent sometimes. Hang in there and keep fighting the good fight - sounds like you’re doing good things!!
Butterfly bush is sure pretty, but you're right, it doesn't hold a candle to our native plants. I've got a couple in the garden, but the blazing star, iron weed, goldenrod, and Joe Pye Weed are the stars of the garden.
Those are definitely some hard to beat powerhouses you’ve got there!! 🙌
Hello from South Wales, UK. I am trying to make a garden for wildlife. I have buddleias but I am also trying to grow more native plants. This has been the worst year for butterflies in the uk. It is very worrying.
Hello! It is very worrying, and it’s been scary hearing so many people from so many areas seeing the same decline. This year I’ve actually seen a rise in the number and variety of butterflies in my garden. It’s encouraged me to keep going with planting the natives. I’m planning to work in a few plant species over the fall and winter based on some of the new butterfly species I’ve seen this year. Hopefully others have a similar experience to mine, where the pollinators discover your garden and head on over - hang in there and keep going!! 💓
buddleja species are known to be notoriously weedy since they germinate easily and love poor underdeveloped soils
An interesting potential side effect for the varieties that are sold as sterile is that they apparently produce less pollen and maybe even nectar. Makes sense, but I couldn’t find any thorough studies on that - but interesting that the sterile varieties would have even further reduced wildlife value