MG Native bee habitat

Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 23:42:25 -0700
From: "Strata R. Chalup"
To: Sunnyvale_Sustainable_Gardening
Subject: [SSG] garden plantings: consider native bee habitat

I was reading an article in OnEarth today about the decline in native bee
populations due to habitat loss. I found a link to a local botanist who lists
annuals and perennials that provide interest and habitat for native bees (e.g.,
non-honeybees). [1]

If there's room in the planting list for native-bee-friendly plantings, that
would be of great benefit to the garden. It's been demonstrated that native
bees provide pollination that is equal to, and in many cases, in exceeds, that
of honeybees. [7] Habitat for wood-nesting or ground-nesting bees is easy to
create (bundles of twigs, drilled blocks, grass tussocks on a well-drained
mound). [6]

Suggested Plants for Native Bees [2]

The following plants attract pollen bees. Native bees, unlike honeybees, do not
fly great distances from their nests to forage. Plantings for native bees should
be within 200 yards of the target crop. Some of these plants are also good for
attracting beneficial insects.

Shrubs & Trees
Blackberry (Rubus) Red maple (Acer rubrum)
Dogwood (Cornus) Raspberry (Rubus)
Fruit trees (apple, cherry, plum) Sumac (Rhus)
Juneberry (Amalanchier) Willows (Salix)
Flowers & Herbs
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Goldenrod (Solidago)
Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) Goldfields (Lasthenia chrysostoma)
Asters (Aster) Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) (single varieties)
Beard tongue (Penstemon) Impatiens (Impatiens)
Bee balm (Monarda) Milkvetch (Astragalus)
Birds-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) Milkweed (Asclepias)
Borage (Borago officianalis) Mints (Mentha, Saliva)
Buttercup (Ranunculus) Marjoram (Origanum)
Calendula (Calendula) (single varieties) Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum)
Coneflower (Echinacea) Oilseed rape (Brassica napus)
Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema) Pincushion (Chaenactis)
Crown-beard (Verbesina) Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
Daisies Scorpion weed (Phacelia)
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Sunflowers (Helianthus)
Evening primrose (Oenothera) Tickseed (Coreopsis)
Forget-me-not (Myosotis) Wild mustard (Brassica)
Fuchsia (Fuchsia) Vervain (Verbena)
Gilia (Gilia) Wild buckwheat (Eriogonum)
Globe mallow (Sphaeralcea)

cheers,
Strata

[1]http://jeffreycaldwell.blogspot.com/2005/01/native-bee-garden-notes-san-francisco.html
[2] http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/nativebee.html
[3] http://www.yerbabuenanursery.com/BayAreaBeeList.htm
[4] http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/biology.htm
[5] http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/generalplantsforbees.htm
[6] http://www.xerces.org/Pollinator_Insect_Conservation/nativebeenests.htm
[7] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/05/21/HOGIBCQN9Q1.DTL