gardening for bee pollinators 2011

© Project SOUND

Buzzing of Bees

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake

CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve

July 2 & 5, 2011

Colony Collapse Disorder – our wake-up call

© Project SOUND

http://bee-rapture.blogspot.com/2009/04/found-cause-of-colony-

collapse-disorder.html

© Project SOUND

Why worry about bee pollinators?

Bees are “keystone organisms” in most terrestrial ecosystems.

Bees are essential for maintaining the integrity, productivity and sustainability of many types of ecosystems: natural areas, pastures, fields, meadows, roadsides, many agricultural crops, fruit orchards, and backyard vegetable and flower gardens.

Without bees, many flowering plants would eventually become extinct.

Without the work of bees, many fruit- and seed-eating birds and some mammals, including people, would have a less varied and less healthy diet.

Even before colony collapse disorder,

some people were concerned…

Depending on a single source – for anything – should make us all nervous

Better to ‘diversify the portfolio’

© Project SOUND

http://therealnewsjournal.com/?tag=colony-collapse-disorder

http://urbangardencasual.com/2009/04/28/possible-cure-

for-honey-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-discovered/

European Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

© Project SOUND

Pollinators at risk:

Non-native pollinators are vulnerable to environmental factors - limited genetic variability

Native pollinators are at risk due to habitat loss, climate change and use of pesticides & herbicides

Decline in native bee species world-wide since 1980

Crop production world-wide is decreasing (since at least 1990) due to decreasing numbers of pollinators

So we all should be worried – and taking action

The third week of June is designated National Pollinators Week (The fifth annual National Pollinator Week was June 20-26, 2011 !

Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

What’s all the buzz about down on the farm?

© Project SOUND

California: leader in bee research & practice

Active bee research center at UC Davis – over 75 years of practical research

Laidlaw Honey Bee Research Facility

Initial research focused on the European Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Increasing research into the biology, ecology and use of a variety of native bees

© Project SOUND

http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/dept/beebio.cfm

Increasing interest in the role of urban & suburban gardens in maintaining & using native bee populations – ‘Neighborhood Pollinator Preserves’

http://beebiology.ucdavis.edu/

Lessons about pollination from ag research

1. Native bee pollinators and pollinator relationships are complex:

a. ~ 1500 native bee species in CA

b. Honey Bees are actually quite unique compared to most native bees

c. Bees differ greatly in food & nesting requirements; we need to understand & plan for these differences Food sources: generalists & specialists

Time of year food is needed

Nesting requirements: ground; wood; etc.

d. We need to better understand species-specific requirements in order to design conservation plans that maintain pollination function in natural and man-made habitats.

© Project SOUND

We don’t notice native bees

unless we’re looking for

them


1. Native bee pollinator relationships are complex:

c. Wild bee populations fluctuate widely from year-to-year (4-fold variation for some species). To ensure reliable pollination from non-domesticated species, maintaining a community of bees, rather than just one species, is necessary

d. Despite year-to-year composition variability, pollination rates fairly constant in farms near natural areas – diversity acts as a buffer

e. More species = greater pollination success

f. Honey bees play a key role in pollinating native plants – and probably don’t influence the numbers & composition of native bees

© Project SOUND

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1648/2283.full

Number of seeds in

pumpkins vs. number of

bee species

http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1648/2283/F1.large.jpg

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods) Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

Superfamily Apoidea (Bees) Social Bees - True social insects. Communal nests are

built in the soil (bumble bees) or in cavities (honey bees). Workers (sterile females) forage for nectar and pollen. Family Apidae -- bumble bees and honey bees

Solitary Bees - Adults construct individual nests and provision them with plant materials (usually nectar or pollen). Family Apidae (formerly Anthophoridae) -- carpenter bees

Family Halictidae -- sweat bees

Family Megachilidae -- leafcutting bees

Family Andrenidae: mining bees

© Project SOUND

Bees have been around for millions of

years, evolving with the flowering plants

Early insects, in their rummaging for food, inadvertently became the agents of pollination; pollen adhering to their bodies was transferred to the female organs of the plant.

A mutualistic relationship resulted: the plants benefitted by

increased pollination;

and the insects were helping to ensure a better supply of their food source.

© Project SOUND

Trigona prisca, A stingless

meliponine bee-- a fossil of which

was preserved in Cretaceous

amber 74-96 million years ago.

http://www3.telus.net/conrad/beevolve.htm

Plants and insect pollinators became

intimately linked

Eventually, both plants and insects became more and more specialized as a result of the pollinator relationship (co-evolution)

Many pollinator insects evolved behavior and physiology completely dependent upon the cycles of flowering plants.

Similarly, certain plants developed flower structures which benefitted – or excluded - particular types of insects.

© Project SOUND

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/wildlife-habitat/science/critical-species/pollinators/

http://idoradesign.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

The pollination duet

continues

Even the structure of pollen, itself, changed. Pollen transferred by insects or other animals usually has spines, ridges or an adhesive surface which aids in attaching to the animal vector.

To attract pollinators, some plants developed specialized organs, nectaries, that secreted a sugary nectar, at the base of the flower. This proved an adaptive advantage since the nectar, as a food source, was a further attraction to many insect species.

Ultimately, the lifestyles of flowering plants and of pollinating insects became forever intertwined.

© Project SOUND

http://hanesexterminating.com/insect_information

http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/

And this explains why native bees

are often the best pollinators for

native plants

Bees have four wings (two pair; difficult to see when folded over the body).

Bees have long, elbowed antennae.

Bees have large, well separated eyes with three small eyes (or “ocelli”) on top of the head.

Bees are more robust (i.e. rounder bodies) than wasps and flies; abdomen usually broad near thorax (vs. most wasps).

© Project SOUND

Is it a bee? The anatomy of a bee

Is it a bee? Most bees are hairy-bodied, with multi-branched hairs (resemble pipe-cleaners or brushes) for carrying pollen.

Female bees can carry large loads of pollen, either on their legs or on their abdomen in a “scopa”.

If you see an insect toting a load of pollen either on its hind legs or beneath its abdomen, it is a female bee. The pollen may be carried as a dry powder in a brush of hairs, or moistened with nectar to form a clump or pellet.

© Project SOUND http://gardenbees.com/garden/gardpol.htm

What makes a bee a good pollinator?

Anatomic adaptations

Size

Fuzzy body

Leg adaptations for pollen capture/transport

Behavioral adaptations

Generalist feeding patterns

? Eusocial behavior

Long foraging range

© Project SOUND

http://www.rochester.edu/college/bio/labs/Minckley/Bee_Photos/Anthophora_californica.jpg

Digger (Miner) Bee – a good pollinator

2. Native bees are important pollinators –when available in suitable numbers

a. Native, unmanaged bee populations provide important pollination services in nature & on the farm

b. Native bees provide up to 30-40% of pollination on some CA organic farms

c. Native bee species are an undervalued asset worth up to $2.4 billion to California farmers

d. Honeybees are not always the most effective pollinators of a given crop; native bees pollinate some crops not pollinated by honey bees (cherry tomatoes)

© Project SOUND

http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-

grow-hanging-tomato-plants/


Native bees can be more efficient pollinators (on a

bee-for-bee basis)

Example: 250 female blue orchard bees (Osmia lignaria) can effectively pollinate an acre of apples; this would require one to two honey bees hives, each containing 15,000 to 20,000 workers.

Reasons for this increased efficiency:

Greater tolerance for cold and wet weather.

Native bees usually must collect both pollen and nectar, ensuring that they contact the anthers (pollen-producing structures); some honey bees just collect nectar.

© Project SOUND

http://www.osmia.com/bluebee.htm

Reasons for increased efficiency of some

native bees: specialization

High degree of specialization (some bee species). Example: Squash bees (genus Peponapis), for

example, primarily visit flowers of the squash family

Better fit between flower structure & bee anatomy/behavior. Example: The stamen (the structure holding the

anthers) of alfalfa flowers is held under tension - springs forward with force when released by a visiting bee. The alkali bee (Nomia melanderi), a native ground-nesting bee, is not discouraged by this unusual flower structure and is a major pollinator of alfalfa seed in some western states.

Example: buzz pollination (sonication) - very important for some plants such as blueberries, cranberries, tomatoes and peppers

© Project SOUND

Sex & the single tomato plant

Tomato flowers do not produce nectar

Some newer tomatoes are self-pollinating (through breeding); old varieties require cross-pollination

Tomato pollen is released from pores within the anthers (similar to salt being shaken from a salt shaker)

Pollen is generally accessible only to bees that use ‘buzz pollination’ – the ability to grasp a flower and vigorously vibrate their flight muscles, releasing pollen from the anthers [sonication].

© Project SOUND

Most visitors to tomato are

non-Apis bees, particularly

bumble bees; greenhouse

tomato growers use bumble

bees extensively now

http://www.ericwallnursery.co.uk/glasshouse.html

3. Agricultural and native ecosystems are intimately linked:

a. Crop-pollinating bee species are often generalists that pollinate many native plants; restoring pollination services for agriculture could also benefit wild plants and thereby promote conservation of biodiversity across the agro-natural landscape.

b. To maintain agricultural pollination services for the future, attention must be given to a variety of strategies including both native ecosystem conservation and on-farm management

© Project SOUND

http://groups.ucanr.org/jacksonlab/Project_1/Biodiversity_and_Ecosystem_

Function_in_an_Organic_Farmscape_in_Y.htm


4. Proximity matters

a. The presence native pollinators strongly correlates with the amount of native habitat nearby

b. Native bees venture farther into agricultural fields than honey bees

c. The flight distance varies with the size of the bee. Small sweat bees and mining bees may not fly more than 200 or 300 yards from nest to forage area. Large bees (bumble bees, for example) can cross a mile or more of inhospitable, flowerless landscape to forage.

© Project SOUND

http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml


Applications to the home garden

© Project SOUND

Attracting native bees has the potential to increase

yields for home vegetable & fruit crops

Urban pollinator habitat takes a neighborhood –

radius of about 6-10 houses

© Project SOUND

The plant choices you make can benefit your entire

neighborhood

What does it take to bee a good neighbor?

Bee response to urban habitat fragmentation was best predicted by ecological traits associated with nesting and dietary breadth

Provide the right habitat – even in a small area – and you can make a difference in your neighborhood

© Project SOUND

Schools and other public lands provide the perfect venue to provide

both habitat and education to the neighborhood

5. Some plants are better nectar/ pollen sources than others for native bees

a. Some crop species [Ex: squash] are important nectar sources for selected native bees [squash bees]

b. Native plants provide nectar for both wild and honey bees

c. The more intensive the planting of non-native farm crops, the less the bee species diversity – less intensive organic farms had more diversity & more open space

© Project SOUND


Characteristics of good native bee plants

Long bloom season

Many flowers (often individually small – but many per plant)

Produce both high quality nectar & pollen

Designed specifically to attract bees:

Scent cues

Color/patterning

Shape: good place to land while nectaring

© Project SOUND

http://photobucket.com/

© Project SOUND

Plant families & genera that provide nectar & pollen

for a wide range of native pollinators

Arctostaphylos - Manzanitas

Ceanothus species

Phacelia – Fiddlenecks

Lamiaceae – Mint family

Asclepias - Milkweeds

Polygonaceae – Buckwheat Family

Asteraceae – Sunflower family

Clematis – Virgin’s Bowers

Eriogonum - Buckwheat

Grindelia - Gumplant

© Project SOUND

The Sunflower family

(Asteraceae) provides

important food in fall

Bloom in summer/ fall

Long bloom season

Nectar and pollen available to many types of pollinators (even ants, beetles)

Lots of small flowers

Flower shape allows many bees to land & feed/collect

Goldenbushes – Hazardia & Isocoma

Baccharis species

Sonoran Bumblebee -

Bombus sonorus

All black head; thorax yellow, with broad black band between the wings; abdomen yellow except for the hind three segments, which are black.

Early spring through summer

Generalist pollinator – visits many species to nectar

© Project SOUND http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/SonoranBumblebee.shtml

http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=I_SD10871&res=640

Generalist & specialist pollinators

Most native bees aren't too choosy (native; some non-native garden plants; alien weeds); if they can reach the nectar or gather pollen, they can supply their nest.

Some bees, however, are very choosy and will only gather pollen from a small number of plant species. In extreme cases, the bee may be restricted to just a single plant species.

“Generalist” bee species visit a large variety of plants and crops, in contrast to “specialist” bee species which forage on a restricted group of plants.

‘Generalist’ pollinators can be extremely useful in both the farm & garden setting

© Project SOUND

Floral timing is also important when

considering native pollinators

Social bees with a long-lived colony, such as bumble bees and honey bees, need flowers blooming throughout the season. You will see these bees most of the year except when it is very cold

Solitary bees usually have a much shorter active period, often no more than five or six weeks, and have life cycles synchronized with the blooming of preferred flower species.

If you want to attract most native bees (the solitary types) you need to plant the appropriate species

© Project SOUND

Digger (Miner) Bee – summer

Black-tailed Bumblebee -

Bombus melanopygus

edwardsii

More yellow on body

most of California and Southern Oregon

Very early season

Works furiously polluting Arctostaphylos species, Ribes species, (Native Gooseberries and Currants) and some Cultivated Plum Varieties (early blooming).

© Project SOUND

Bombus – the

Bumblebees

> 250 known species; 45 in the U.S.

Large and hairy; black and yellow body hairs, often in bands.

They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the form of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula: a shiny concave surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs used to transport pollen (‘pollen bag’)

Like their relatives the honey bees, bumble bees feed on nectar and gather pollen to feed their young. Believed to be responsible for the pollination of approximately 25% of crops in northern California.

High metabolic rate (75% higher than a humming bird's!) allows them to forage in early spring

© Project SOUND

Bumblebee life cycle

Bumble bees live in a colony with a caste system of workers, males and a single egg-laying queen.

Similar to honey bees, bumble bees construct a wax comb

Bumble bees nest in cavities such as abandoned rodent burrows, brush piles and dried grass tussocks

© Project SOUND

The colony grows through 3-4 generations and may have several hundred workers at the peak in mid-summer.

Unlike honey bees, bumble bee colonies do not survive over the winter. However, the fertilized queens ‘hibernate’ until spring

© Project SOUND

A typical front yard….

What can we use to give the look of the

old crepe myrtle, and provide ‘bee food’?

The following all provide many flowers loved by bees:

Early: Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos)

Early/Mid-season California Lilac (Ceanothus)

Late spring/summer Desert Willow (Chilopsis)

Toyon

Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis)

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca

© Project SOUND

Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3477

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabu

s2/factsheet.cfm?ID=479

CA foothills from central CA to Baja; includes foothills of Mojave Desert mtns.

Locally in Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mtns.

Rocky slopes, chaparral, woodland < 4500 ft

Soils range from sandy loam with considerable coarse fragments to loam.

© Project SOUND

Big Berry is a large manzanita

Size: usually 8-12 ft tall; may reach 20

8-15 ft wide

Growth form: Large woody shrub to small, multi-

branched tree; mounded shape

Lovely branch structure – one of the ‘sculptural’ manzanitas

Peeling red bark – showy

Can live 100+ years

Foliage: Evergreen; leaves pale blue-green

Vertical orientation on branch – looks very precise

Roots: relatively shallow

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Arctostaphylos_glauca.htm

© Project SOUND

Flowers: Manzanita type

Blooms: One of the earliest

usually Dec-Mar in our area

Flowers: typical Manzanita

Small pink flowers

Urn-shaped; in terminal clusters

Key early nectar source for bees and other early-season pollinators

Fruits: Red ‘little apples’ of manzanita

Relatively large (1/2”); edible

Ripen in late spring/summer

Vegetative reproduction: cannot re-sprout

http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya

© Project SOUND

Manzanita for sandy soils Soils:

Texture: well-drained, sandy or rocky soils are best

pH: 6.0-7.5 is best

Light: full sun to light shade – typical chaparral shrub

Water: Winter: needs good winter

rains; supplement w/ deep waterings as needed

Summer: treat as Zone 2 first year; then Zone 1-2 or 1 for mature plant. Don’t over-water mature plants (fungal diseases)

Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

Other: use an organic mulch

Note: leaves and litter contain toxic

amounts of arbutin and phenolic acids.

These compounds allelopathically inhibit

germination and growth of annuals for a

distance of 3.3 to 6.6 feet (1-2 m) from

the edge of the canopy drip line

© Project SOUND

Bigberry Manzanita: shrub or tree

Easy-care shrub for slopes; good for erosion control

Specimen shrub; needs little pruning

As a small shade tree; open shade

As a key shrub/tree for the habitat garden: bees, butterflies, birds, humans

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-glauca


Converting your yard to bee habitat: one

step at a time

© Project SOUND

http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Los-Angeles/960-Manzanita-St-204_11-512831.htm

Each time you add a food source or create

a nesting site you improve the

Neighborhood Pollinator Preserve

6. Size matters:

a. More native plants = more native bees; around 30-40% optimal for watermelons, but even less provides some pollination service

b. Amount of native vegetation nearby is best predictor of pollinator services; even 10% by area increases pollination rates

c. You can achieve native flower density with a few big plants or lots of small ones

© Project SOUND


http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/nealwilliams.html

© Project SOUND

* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus

© 2010 Andrew Borcher

© Project SOUND

* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus

J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database


http://the-chaparral-sage.blogspot.com/2009/03/ceanothus-verrucosus.html

Strictly coastal (western San Diego County and adjacent Baja California)

Possibly collected by Theodore Payne from Seven Oaks (LA Co.) in 1919

Dry hills, mesas, chaparral; elevation < 900‘

AKA ‘Wart-stemmed Ceanothus’


© Project SOUND

White Coast Ceanothus: large shrub

Size: 6-12 ft tall

6-8 ft wide

Growth form: Evergreen shrub or small

tree; rounded shape

Fast growth – at first

Dense, stiff branches with gray bark & small ‘wart-like’ bumps (leaf attachment)

Foliage: Shiny dark green above;

hairy & white beneath

Simple, rounded leaves

© 2009 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © 2003 Charles E. Jones

© Project SOUND

One of the best white-

flowered Ceanothus

Blooms: very early – usually Jan-April

Flowers: Usually white; occ. light blue

Many tiny ceanothus flowers in tight ball-like clusters at ends of branches

Really showy – looks like covered in snow or white Crepe Myrtle

Sweet scent attracts bees & other pollinators

Fruit: Dark sticky fruit in summer –

birds love it

© 2006 Steve Matson

J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

© Project SOUND

Chaparral shrub Soils: Texture: well-drained a must;

sandy or rocky best

pH: any local; 6.0-7.0 optimal

Light:

In nature on N-facing slopes

Full sun along coast; part-shade in hotter inland

Water: Winter: needs adequate water

Summer: low needs once established – Zone 1-2 probably best (1-2 times per summer) in most soils; to Zone 2 in sandy

Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

Other: organic mulch recommended

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slope_effect.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Slope_effect.JPG

© Project SOUND

Shrub or tree: your choice Low-care plant for slopes

Background evergreen shrub in dry gardens

Trained as a small tree

As an informal or clipped (semi-formal) hedge or screen

© 2006 Steve Matson

http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/tag/ceanothus-verrucosus/

Yellow-faced Bumble Bee

Bombus vosnesenskii

Most common bumblebee of California ; San Diego throughout most of California (except the desert areas) to British Columbia

Largely a summer bee - most of the hive living from April to September

Wide generalist feeder

Slow and easy to photograph

Nests in the ground, commonly in old gopher holes.

Has a wicked sting, and they can sting repeatedly - but only when provoked

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

*Desert-willow – Chilopsis linearis

Toyon/California Christmas Berry – Heteromeles arbutifolia

Not all situations are suitable for native pollinator

plants: good, productive alternatives

© Project SOUND

7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a serious limitation to native pollinator conservation

a. Species differ in their nesting needs

b. In many California locations, habitat alteration or destruction, not lack of food, eliminated native pollinators.

c. Bare ground needed for ground-dwelling native bees; this is becoming rare in both rural & urban areas

d. Certain practices destroy nest sites: tilling, early cutting, grazing – even mulching – decrease nest sites for some species

© Project SOUND


http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/solitary_bees/Diversfy.htm

Most native bees are not hive-builders

~ 70 percent of native bees excavate underground nests. Solitary bees dig narrow tunnels leading to a series of brood chambers, each one provisioned with a mixture of pollen and nectar and each holding a single egg.

~30 percent of bees nest in wood

tunnels, usually pre-existing holes such as those made by wood-boring beetles, but some will chew out the center of pithy twigs. Females create a line of brood cells, often using materials such as leaf pieces or mud as partitions between cells.

© Project SOUND

http://www.askthebuilder.com/695_Woodpecker_Damage.shtml

© Project SOUND

Providing homes for native pollinators

Learn more about the nesting requirements of local bees – they may be quite specific

Provide natural sites if possible: bare ground; old tree stumps

Learn about how you can construct pollinator ‘homes’ in your garden: many good resources on-line

http://beechronicle.posterous.com/?tag=beehouses

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yycxWQxFRMI/TW_o7fxLnbI/AAAAAAAAAB4/cerlscC2ocw/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG

Large Carpenter Bees - Genus Xylocopa

~ 500 species worldwide

Large – sometimes mistaken for bumble bees, but they have a shiny (not hairy) abdomen

Their name comes from the fact that nearly all species build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers

Female carpenter bees are capable of stinging, but they are docile and rarely sting unless caught in the hand or otherwise directly provoked

© Project SOUND http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/valleycarpenterbees.html

http://www.insectaculture.com/xcalifornica.htm

A widespread western US species

Generalists - may be found foraging on a number of different species : Asclepias, Salvia, Trichostema, and Wislizenia for nectar; Eschscholzia and Lupinus for pollen.

They, like bumblebees are early morning foragers.

Quite active – but can be photographed with patience

Carpenter bees can “buzz pollinate” - excellent pollinators of eggplant, tomato and other vegetables and flowers.

Can be nectar robbers in plants with tubular flowers. Using their mouthparts they cut a slit at the base of corolla and steal away with the nectar without having pollinated the flower.

© Project SOUND

Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta): fun to watch

http://insectsgalore.blogspot.com/2010/05/valley-carpenter-bee-xylocopa.html

Also utilize culinary herbs

such as basil, mint,

rosemary, oregano,

lavender, and thyme.

Sex life of the Valley Carpenter Bee: it

just gets better the more we know!

Green-eyed golden males (the females are all black) have huge perfume glands in their thoraces.

Territorial males take up positions in non-flowering plants near other males – often near Mulefat.

As a group (lek) they actively release their rose-scented blend of chemicals.

Females are attracted from downwind and choose a male with which to mate.

© Project SOUND

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Male_valley_carpenter_bee_in_flight_with_flower.jpg

Landscape established: shrubs, lackluster

Considerations: 1. Appropriate size/scale

2. Fits with existing home/landscape: water; color scheme; etc.

3. Provide better bee habitat – focus on generalist foragers

© Project SOUND

http://www.estately.com/listings/info/1728-fraser-circle--1 http://yuba_city.california.freemls.us/

Lupines provide early/mid-season nectar

for large bees

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

Silver Bush Lupine – Lupinus albifrons

© Project SOUND

Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius

http://www.solardarkroom.com/blog/2011/06/04/grizzly-flat-after-the-station-fire/

© Project SOUND

Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius

Formerly Lupinus chamissonis var. longifolius

Southwestern CA from Santa Barbara to Baja

Coastal sage scrub, chaparral and oak woodland

Formerly frequent in the foothills and on bluffs along the seashore in Los Angeles, Orange & San Diego counties

Longifolius = long-leaved


© Project SOUND

Ah… a bush lupine

for your CSS garden

Size: 3-5 ft tall & wide

Growth form: Mounded perennial shrub – typical

shrub Lupine Stems are woody, erect

Foliage: Gray-green leaves; slightly hairy Leaves on 4” petiole; 6-9 leaflets

that are slightly longer than other local bush lupines

Flowers: Spring: usually April-June Light violet-purple lupine flowers

with yellow banner spot Flowering quite typical for lupines

Seed pod: typical lupine pod

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html

© Project SOUND

Lupines are good for sunny, dry places

Soils: Texture: well-drained is a must (as for

most local bush lupines) pH: any local is fine

Light: full sun (coastal) to part shade

Water: Young plants: weekly (as needed) until

established Winter: moist soils; monitor & supplement in

very dry years Summer:

Quite drought-tolerant; can get by with no water in part-shade

Will take infrequent (1-2 x per month) if soils are well-drained

Fertilizer: None needed & use will likely decrease

lifespan (true for all the bush lupines) Plant will improve soil fertility by increasing

available nitrogen (typical of Pea family)

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html

Salvias: good bee

plants, but large size

Remember: consider mature size when choosing any plant to include in a mature landscape

You get a lot of ‘habitat’ area from shrubs – most productive

© Project SOUND

Sunflowers are good summer bee plants

But many of them are also rather large

So what choices do I have if I want attract these little bees – but have so little/no space?

© Project SOUND

Family Halictidae,

Sweat Bees

Large (> 2000 known species) and

diverse Family

Small (> 4 mm) to midsize (> 8 mm)

Usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance. Several species are all or partly green

Commonly referred to as sweat bees (especially the smaller species), as they are often attracted to perspiration; when pinched, females can give a minor sting.

The oldest fossil record of Halictidae dates back to Early Eocene with a number of species known from amber deposits.

© Project SOUND

http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/?start=474&blogasset=3627&close=yes

Halictid bees are summer foragers

Generalists – will visit many different species of summer-blooming plants; love sunflowers – but you’ll see them on other species as well

Adults are pollen eaters; larva are pollen & nectar eaters

Nesting:

Solitary or slightly social. Depending on the species, the females might dig their nests close together, sometimes even sharing a common entrance tunnel.

Build their vertical burrowed nests in the ground, usually in clay or sandy soil.

Populations are declining due to loss of habitat

© Project SOUND

http://www.laspilitas.com/animals/insects/halictini/halictini.htm

9. ‘Out of the way’ places can be utilized for bee habitat

a. Bees can seek out patchy resources and persist within small fragments of habitat

b. Restored patches can be largely located in less productive, larger “source” areas off-farm and as small patches of “stepping-stone” habitat on nonproductive farm areas [e.g., around tail water ponds and ditches, as hedgerows, along roads, etc.

© Project SOUND

http://www.citrona.com/nativeplanthedgerow.htm

http://dietrick.org/projects/bbb.html


What’s all the buzz in farm land?

Native hedgerows & windbreaks around farm borders promotes pollinators and natural enemies to pests without taking land out of production.

Green manures/orchard groundcovers provide erosion & pollination services

Bee pastures and other native patch restoration

Riparian buffers provide habitat for bees and other wildlife as well as flood control and water purification

© Project SOUND

Providing habitat for native pollinators

Native groundcovers for

roadsides, irrigation ditches and

other non-cultivated areas

Applications to the home garden

Many Ag growers may already have an abundance of potential habitat for native pollinators on or near their land. Having semi-natural or natural habitat available significantly increases pollinator

You may also have ‘out-of-the-way’ places that can support pollinators

There are good pollinator plants that do well in small spaces: vines, sub-shrubs, perennials & annuals

© Project SOUND

Coastal (Dune) Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium

© Project SOUND

Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum

© Project SOUND

California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum

© Project SOUND

Characteristics of California Buckwheat

Size: similar to Dune Buckwheat

2-5 ft tall

3-5 ft wide; ‘fill-in’ an area

Growth form:

low mounded semi-evergreen shrub

Many-branched

http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html

Foliage:

Leave alternate, but densely clustered at nodes, evergreen, narrow lanceolate (nearly needle-like)

http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerspink.html

© Project SOUND

Dune Buckwheat – E. parvifolium CA Buckwheat – E. fasciculatum

http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html

Garden requirements are similar for most

local Buckwheats Soils:

Texture: Best in well-drained soils; Dune

Buckwheat thrives in sandy soils

Most will do fine even in clays with careful water management

pH: any local

Light: Most are fairly adaptable; full sun

best near coast; part shade in hotter gardens

Summer water: Very drought tolerant once

established

Look a little better with occasional summer water; let soil dry

Fertilizer: none; like poor soils

© Project SOUND

CA Buckwheat:

showy for months Great for summer color: May-

Nov. possible

As an alternative to the non-native Rosemary

In perennial beds

On parking strips & bordering paths and driveways

For erosion control

larval foodsource for Morman

Metalmark, Bramble Hairstreak,

Common Hairstreak, Avalon Hairstreak

Shrubby Buckwheats can even be

sheared to shape for a more formal

look

© Project SOUND

CA Buckwheat cultivars make good

groundcovers

‘Dana Point’ - brighter green leaf, more mounding than species

'Bruce Dickinson' – good for

groundcover; stays close to the ground, spreads nicely, and holds good form throughout the year.

‘Theodore Payne' – low groundcover (1 ft high; 1-3 ft spread)

'Warriner Lytle' - A sprawling low growing California buckwheat; can grow to 2 feet tall but is often more prostrate, hugging the ground like a mat

‘Dana Point’

© Project SOUND

Phacelias are among our best general nectar sources

in spring

Many flowers per stalk

Produce lots of high-quality nectar

Nectar is easy for many types of pollinators to get to

Open over a long period of time – open ‘up the stalk’

High flower to foliage ratio – lots of energy put into floral production

Easy to grow – under many conditions - dependable

Large-flowered Phacelia - Phacelia grandiflora

Tansey-leaf Phacelia – Phacelia tanecetifolia

© Project SOUND

* Coast Phacelia – Phacelia californica


Coastal bluffs and canyons from Santa Clara County to Del Norte County, below 1500‘ & into OR

?? 1 report from San Gabriel Mtns

Rocky bluffs and canyons; grows in chaparral, woodland, and coastal bluffs and grassland

© Project SOUND

Coast Phacelia: a delightful perennial

Size: 1-3 ft tall (foliage ~ 1 ft)

1-3 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous perennial

Low-growing (1-2 ft in garden); ground-cover

Fast-growing

Foliage: Light to medium green; hairy

(contact dermatitis)

Large, mint-type leaves growing in basal rosette

Looks like a garden plant

© 2011 Neal Kramer

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Phacelia-californica/

© Project SOUND

Showiest of Phacelias

Blooms: Long bloom season: spring to

summer

Can bloom April to July with some summer water

Flowers: Pale lavender to pink

Typical bell-shaped Phacelia flowers

Open up along a stout flowering stalk

Excellent nectar source for bees, butterflies

Seeds: many small seeds – will naturalize if happy

© 2011 Neal Kramer

Coast Phacelia: from seed or plugs

Phacelias tend to be easy to grow from seed

No pretreatments; plant in winter/spring

Plants available from Hedgerow Farms

© Project SOUND

http://hedgerowfarms.blogspot.c

om/2011/03/nursery-update.html

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yycxWQxFRMI/TW_o7fxLnbI/AAAAAAAAAB4/cerlscC2ocw/s1600/IMG_1617.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8bi58JLvvIY/TXFT0b1EXeI/AAAAAAAAADg/cRxNhmJsnoI/s1600/IMG_1679.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8bi58JLvvIY/TXFT0b1EXeI/AAAAAAAAADg/cRxNhmJsnoI/s1600/IMG_1679.JPG

© Project SOUND

Versatile Phacelia Soils: Texture: likes a well-drained soil,

but will tale most any

pH: any local

Light: Quite adaptable

Full sun to part-sun, dappled shade; some shade best in hot gardens

Water: Winter: good winter rains

Summer: wide range from weekly irrigation to drought tolerant; best Zone 2 to 2-3

Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer

Other: organic mulch OK but not required

© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14316

© Project SOUND

Coast Phacelia: a filler plant

In pots & planters; along walls

An herbaceous groundcover under high trees

Mixed with grasses & other plants for a N. CA coastal prairie

Around lawns & other irrigated areas

http://www.gapphotos.com/featuredetails.asp?featureref=75

9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’ confers additional benefits

a. Attracts other beneficial insects

b. Attracts beneficial birds and wildlife; food, cover & nest sites

c. Erosion/soil conservation benefits: wind & water

d. Makes the landscape more attractive for human inhabitants

© Project SOUND

http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml


© Project SOUND

Advantages of ‘Pollinator Plants’ for the

home garden

They are often showy & pretty; usually lots of blooms and attractive scents (remember, they have to attract their pollinators)

They will increase pollination of food plants, leading to better production

They will attract wonderful insects to your garden – hours of entertainment for the whole family (or neighborhood)

They are ecologically sound – an important part of local ecosystems

Indian Milkweed - Asclepias eriocarpa

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_eriocarpa

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Asclepiaseriocarpa.jpg

Milkweeds

Milkweeds are found in many areas of CA

In the South Bay, Narrow-leaf Milkweed found only in S. Channel Islands

Sites are typically

Dry

Sunny

Barren soil (bare areas in chaparral/Oak woodlands; streambeds; alluvial areas)

Narrow-leaf Milkweed

Indian Milkweed

Characteristics of Indian Milkweed

Hairy, gray-green perennial

2-3 ft. tall and wide

Flowers cream-pink, June-Aug.

Pollinated by bees, insects and butterflies

Has a long taproot – best if planted in place

http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/chap/scientific/bjc-974.htm

http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/images/chap/bjc-974.jpg

Indian Milkweed is a food source for

butterflies and other insects

Photo by Gabi McLean

http://www.natureathand.com/Gallery/Asclepias_eriocarpa

_29025.htm

Variable checkerspot butterfly

(Euphydryas chalcedona)

http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pag

es/Tarantula_Hawk.htm

Tarantula Hawk (Pepsis mildei)

http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asclepias%20eriocarpa

http://www.natureathand.com/NAHPhotoGallery.htm

Narrow-leaf Milkweed - Asclepias fascicularis

Tricks to gardening with Milkweeds

Easy to grow

Plant (seeds) in place if possible

Do best in well-drained soil – but can tolerate clay if not over-watered

Full to part sun

Average water needs – keep somewhat dry. Can tolerate winter flooding

Cut back to ground in winter (native Californians burned it to encourage healthy growth)

Consider Using Milkweeds

For butterfly/pollinator gardens

For showy white-pink flowers in summer

Along paths and walkways

In mid-beds – would look nice with brighter pinks and purple flowers

http://www.fourdir.com/p_wooly_milkweed.htm

10. Farm practices matter a. Use of pesticides & herbicides

decreases number of native & honey bees

b. mowing, haying, burning or grazing and other farm (and garden) practices can destroy nests

c. Growing a diversity of plants – crop & native – benefits pollinator diversity

© Project SOUND

http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/


http://www.immersivmedia.com/gardensoft/garden_detail.aspx?garden=1085

© Project SOUND

Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/

© Project SOUND

Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Linaria+canadensis

Grows in much of N. America from Canada to Mexico

In western CA from OR to Baja; locally in coastal prairie, PV

Open sandy areas that are moist in winter/ spring , then dry with summer

http://flippetyfloppety.blogspot.com/2011/05/blue-toad-flax.html

© Project SOUND

Blue Toadflax: an annual for small places

Size:

1-2 ft tall

~ 1 ft wide

Growth form: Herbaceous biennial/

annual

Foliage: Blue-green to green

Leaves long & narrow

Many leafy stems from the base

Foliage poisonous if eaten

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/bl_toadflax.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuttallanthus_canadensis

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Toadflax-166f.jpg

© Project SOUND

Flowers are dainty

Blooms: late spring/summer ; can be Apr-Sept with a little summer water

Flowers: Small (1/2”), lavender-white

Look like small snapdragons; on sturdy stalk

Open up the stalk – long bloom period

Butterflies (Buckeye larval food) & bees (bumblebees & long-tongued bees)

Seeds:

Many tiny seeds; will naturalize

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/

http://oc.encydia.com/es/Nuttallanthus

http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Nuttallanthus_texanus.htm

Let Toadflax weave

through the garden

As a secondary plant in cottage gardens or mixed flower beds

In rock gardens, ‘streams’ or rain gardens

In a native prairie area

Consider non-native Purple toadflax as an alternative

© Project SOUND

http://mashpedia.es/Linaria

http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/vrn/linaria_texana.htm

http://www.mycornerofkaty.com/2011_03_01_archive.html

Summary: lessons about bee pollinators

1. Native pollinators and pollinator relationships are complex

2. Native bees are important pollinators when available in suitable numbers

3. Agricultural and native ecosystems are linked

4. Proximity matters: food sources must be near nest sites

5. Some plants are better nectar/pollen sources than others for native bees

6. Size matters: there must be enough suitable food

7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a serious limitation

8. Often ‘out of the way’ (non-productive) places can be utilized for bee habitat

9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’ confers additional benefits

10. Farm/garden practices matter

© Project SOUND

© Project SOUND

What can we do to promote our native

pollinators? Plant the plants they need

for food – at all stages of their lives.

Provide places where they can reproduce and provide for their young

Protect them by practicing Integrated Pest Management – limited use of pesticides

Teach others – by word and example – about the importance of native pollinators

© Project SOUND

Share with your neighbors: three simple things to

make your neighborhood pollinator friendly

provide a range of locally native flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season

create nest sites for native pollinators

avoid using pesticides

gardening for bee pollinators 2011

Education