Tips for gardening to promote native pollinators. Focus is on plants suitable for Southern California gardens.

1. What can I do to Provide Pollinator Habitat?
2. Provide nesting sites – only the European Honeybee
nests in a hive. Most native pollinators are solitary and
nest either in the ground (need a patch of bare ground)
or in holes in dead trees. You can purchase or build your
own bee houses (search ‘bee house’ on the internet).
3. Provide a source of water – a damp patch of ground, a
bird dripper or saucer of water with gravel will do.
4. Limit use of pesticides – most insecticides kill the good
insects (including butterflies) along with the bad.
Consider using Integrated Pest Management (see our
brochure on ‘IPM for the Home Garden’).
5. Encourage your neighbors to garden for pollinators
Other Ideas for Supporting Pollinators
 Celebrate National Pollinator Week (3rd
week of June)
 Learn more about pollinators at:
o UC Berkeley Urban Bee Gardens Site -
http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/
o Pollinator Partnership -
http://www.pollinator.org/pollination.htm
o U.S. Fish & Wildlife – Pollinators Page
http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/
o USDA Insects & Pollinators page -
http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nationa
l/plantsanimals/pollinate/
 Tell your children and friends about pollinators
Learn more about Life-friendly gardening at: http://mother-
natures-backyard.blogspot.com/. You can e-mail your gardening
questions to: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
Planning for Pollinators
Bees, butterflies, moths and other insects – we see
them among the flowers but give them little thought. In
fact, we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Without these
helpful creatures, our gardens would be devoid of flowers
and our tables empty of food. Insect pollinators – along
with a handful of birds and animals - are ‘keystone species’,
without which living ecosystems would collapse.
Eighty percent of the world’s food crops are
pollinated by animal pollinators. Living pollinators carry
pollen grains from the flower’s anther (where they are
produced) to the stigma (where they begin the process of
fertilization). Fertilization is required for seeds to develop,
fruits to grow, grains to ripen and nuts to mature. Crops
as diverse as apples, cotton, peanuts, soybeans and squash
are pollinated by insect pollinators. Imagine a world without
80% of our most common agricultural and garden plants!
Several years ago, beekeepers noticed a decline in
the number of European Honeybees used to pollinate crops.
You may have noticed similar declines in your own garden.
‘Colony Collapse Disorder’, as the Honeybee die-off is
called, serves as a wake-up call to all of us. Pollinators are
vital to life on earth – and we all must do our part in
keeping them safe. By taking a few simple steps (like
providing food, water and places to raise their young),
home gardeners can help insure there will always be
enough pollinators to provide their unique services.

2. Who are the Pollinators?
The range of pollinators may surprise you. Most common
are the bees, flies and wasps. Native bee pollinators range
in size from large bumblebees to bees that are hardly
visible with the naked eye (over 300 species in California
alone). Flies and wasps pollinate many native, agricultural
and garden plants; butterflies and moths are also
important. Beetles, true bugs, ants and hummingbirds are
less common pollinators, but their services are vital for
certain types of plants. All pollinators are important;
many plants are pollinated by several different pollinators.
Why Do Pollinators Visit Flowers?
The pollinator’s primary foods are pollen and nectar (the
sweet syrup made by flowers to attract insects). Flowers
attract pollinators with color, scent and other cues.
Pollination is actually a by-product of the pollinator’s main
task - finding food for themselves and their offspring.
Can’t Honeybees Take Care of Pollination?
No – for several reasons. First, there often are not
enough honeybees to do the job; native pollinators must
supplement their services. Some native pollinators can
even work when it’s too cold, hot or damp for honeybees.
Finally, native pollinators provide an important backup
system; if something happens to the honeybees (like
Colony Collapse Disorder), other pollinators can take over.
Where do Native Pollinators Live?
The majority of them live in natural places, but native
pollinators also live in gardens. Where ever food plants,
water and nest sites occur, pollinators will live. As natural
areas become more scarce, gardens play an increasingly
important role in providing pollinator habitat.
What can I do to Provide Pollinator Habitat?
1. Choose plants that provide quality pollen &
nectar – just follow these simple principles when
choosing plants for your garden:
 Choose CA native plants when possible. They
have pollen & nectar specifically formulated for
native pollinators - local pollinators love them;
 Choose plants with many small blooms. Often
the best have white, pink or yellow flowers;
 For non-native plants, choose herbs, stone
fruits, berry bushes, melons/squash – or plants
noted as ‘open-pollinated’ or ‘heirloom’
 Choose plants from the following groups:
o Sunflower family (Asteraceae)
o Mint family (Lamiaceae) – mints, sages
& many common kitchen herbs
o Native Phacelia species
o Rose family (Rosaceae)
o Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae)
o Carrot family (Apiaceae)
o Buckthorn family (Rhamnaceae)
including Ceanothus, Rhamnus, Frangula
 Strive to have something blooming from spring
through fall – pollinators fly nearly all year;
 Plan for flowering area of at least 3 ft x 3 ft
per species. In general, the more flowers – the
better. Group flowering plants like perennials.
 Choose trees, shrubs, vines/climbers and
annual wildflowers to provide pollinator
habitat. Vines, hedge shrubs, trees and
espaliers provide many blooms in a small space.