Joe Pye weed is an ideal food source for newly hatched butterfly larvae. (Photo by Jonah Holland)
When honeybees and bumblebees, butterflies, moths, bats, birds, flies and beetles unwittingly transfer pollen from the male part of a flower (stamen) to the female part (pistil) as they forage for food, they become pollinators. They are the critical first link in the biomass hand-off that begins when plants convert sunlight into chemical energy, fueling themselves, and then, in turn, becoming fuel for the animals that feed on them. It’s nature’s bucket brigade, and it begins in your backyard.
“Plants that support pollinators by providing food, shelter or space for raising their young are thought of as pollinator plants,” explains Peggy Singlemann, director of park operations and horticulture at Maymont, where she and her team are responsible for Marie’s Butterfly Trail.
Singlemann encourages homeowners to weave pollinator plants throughout their whole yard so that the entire landscape supports pollinators. “Consider planting different colors, shapes, heights and bloom times (spring, summer, fall) to create an array of opportunities for a variety of pollinators,” she suggests. “The perfect pollinator garden helps perpetuate many species, with a varied and balanced diet.”
Plant diversity is important for another reason. “Most plants have a relationship with a specific insect,” Singlemann explains. “Different pollinators are attracted to different plant attributes like shape and color. Butterflies need to land before feeding, so they prefer a broad, flat flowerhead like yarrow, Queen Anne’s lace or spirea. Hummingbirds prefer sages, salvias, bee balm or lantana, whose trumpet-shaped blooms accommodate their long slender bills. Because moths and bats work in the dark, they depend on flower fragrance to signal food.”
Other plants, called host plants, are highly specialized. Think of them as butterfly nurseries, their leaves chosen by egg-laying females as an ideal food source for newly hatched larvae. “The hardest part about growing host plants,” Singlemann says, laughing, “is that you have to let the leaves be eaten.” Swallowtail butterfly larvae will defoliate a parsley plant overnight. Locate host plants where leaf damage is tolerable. And accept the fact that some host plants are outright weeds. Baptisia, fennel, dill, Joe Pye weed and milkweed are all host plants that support butterfly larvae.
Singlemann cautions against using pesticides and herbicides, even if they are organic. Pesticides can harm pollinators and herbicides will destroy pollinator food plants because many of them are considered weeds. Instead, choose native plants that support native pollinators to keep the local ecosystem in balance.
In addition to food and water, pollinators need shelter for resting and nesting. Dead trees and limbs or bare patches of sandy soil make ideal nesting sites for native bees; hummingbirds prefer the protection of dense shrubs; and butterflies like sunny spots with a windbreak.
The future of our ecosystem is borne on the fragile wings of pollinators. Offer them the same warm hospitality that you would extend to any welcome visitor — their favorite food and drink and a comfortable place to stay.