Pollinators & others

I decided that I'd be bold and start a thread. So help me out here!

Have you noticed what plants are pollinated by which bug? I touched on this topic briefly on another thread about the hated hornworms. And I can understand some people's hatred, they are destructive little beasts, but I'm also a moth & butterfly fan, so caterpillars don't rile me that much. And I'm all for the night pollinators. They don't get enough press, as far as I'm concerned.

That said, one thing that drives me crazy in the garden books, and even with online sources, is that rarely does an entry about a particular plant mention its pollinators. I grew some celosia flamingo feathers once, and discovered that it attracted these huge black wasps. Which was ok, but I found myself constantly dodging them and got a little freaked out in the process. At the end of the season, I decided that I was done with that plant! Another wasp attractor was the Asclepias curassavica, the annual milk weed. Those wasps were even bigger, with bold orange abdomens. Eryngium (sea hollies) are pollinated by flies, and the bloom, if you stick your nose up close, is rather unpleasant. Bleah!

On the good side, I discovered that Eupatorium coelestinum, the perrenial argeratum, is pollinated by the 8 Spotted Forester moth, and the Grape Leaf Skeletonizer moth, both of which are delightful to see. The Sketetonizer looks like a firefly!

So, have you noticed a plant that attracts a particular pollinator? Good or bad?

Very interesting thread. You are right, they may at times say attracts butterflies or hummers but that is the extent of it. The agastache 'Blue Fortune' always has loads of bees of all types on it and occasional butterfly will horn in too. Although many times hummers are mentioned in descriptions, I have never seen one there. Two out of three aren't bad as this pic shows.

Coneflowers, Bee Balm & my Mock Orange seem to call in the most bee's and butterflies. Last year I had a dozen butterflies on the top of my Mock Orange, you could actually hear the flutter of their wings there was so many!!

Great thread idea. I am just not good at butterfly and moth ID! I am just happy to see as many pollinators around as possible.

Interesting topic.

Mom is threatening to rip out my patch of Lambs ears because it draws hundreds of little tiny bees. Almost like a sweat bee, but they don't hover in front of your face and stare into your eyes like a sweat bee does...

I'm trying to wintersow both annual and perannial Asclepias, but we've had a big problem with yellowjackets in he past and they'd better not like the milk weed! i want to see me some of them Monarchs.

x, Carrie

Thanks for your replies. And yes, it seems that descriptions are slanted towards the butterfly or hummer. And that's good info, we love the hummers & butterflies. But sometimes a flowering plant will attract something you don't want right by your door or window. Or at eye level. A garden designer pal once told me a tale about lining a client's path on both sides with Angelica gigas- which are very stunning, five foot or more high plants with big burgundy blooms. Well, the client called later in the season saying that the bees & wasps were dive bombing them as they entered & exited the building, and wanted them gone. Pronto! Angelicas are considered "butterfly" plants. (Plantfiles does mention bees, but I suspect that's an exception to the general description of them you find elsewhere.)

I just love that blue agastache, but they're best in the back of the bed, since the bumbles are outta control when it comes to them!

The wasp on the butterfly weed was a caterpillar killer type of wasp, I can't recall it's proper name. It's interesting that it enjoys both the pollen of the milkweed & the caterpillars that eventually show up! Versatile! Maybe a good companion plant for those who hate the hornworm? Might be worth trying!

Nothing attracted bees for me like my marigolds. They were a nightmare to deadhead because there were SO many bees.

amy
*

The only huge wasp problem I have had is my pink pussy willow got infected with giant willow aphids... and in a way it's a good thing hundreds of bees and wasps were getting attracted to it..... got my attention to wonder what that was all about.. if not for the infest I wouldn't have noticed those little black bugs all over.... even after I knew they were there it still looked like a shadow from a few feet away

it was difficult to get this picture... but they were so busy trying to get in there... I was able to sneak a few pictures

http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/1150/

OMG onewish, look at the size of those things. Creepy buggers. Wow, yuck and eeeewwww!

they were actually smaller than a beetle ... more like a large tick... just a good close up... but yes I even got the hebie geebies after taking the photos

Yup, thats a hebie-geebie picture! How do you get rid of them? Or did you just let the wasp do their thing?

sprayed everything with that all in one spray fungal & insect... towards the end of the summer I didn't see to many of them left and it didn't seem to effect the wasps or yellow jackets... even in the cool hours of the morning... I was still seen tearing butt across the yard when being chased

:)

LOL Morning run?

and sometimes a very brisk run

:)

There are so many bees, bugs, moths, etc. (lions, tigers, and bears, oh my!) that I never noticed who lands on what. Except the milkweed - they get covered with every "bee" around.

Sue, I was planning on one or two small (is there such a thing?) milkweeds as Monarch hosts but more like mini specimen plants. Yours are huge! I would get lost in that jungle if there were a paved 36" wide path with handrails through it, LOL. Are all milkweeds so big?

x, Carrie

You're so funny! I don't know if there are shorter specimens. But BEWARE! Deadheading is crucial, as you can see!

Sue, I just misread "they get covered with every" as "they get covered with envy". LOL LOL LOL! x, Carrie

My rhodies get the nice fat bumble bees, I love to watch them and they don't bother you.

Yes, Carrie, my milkweed have "bee envy"!

Ha ha ha. XX, Carrie

Everyone wants more bees - the "bee-ness" is traditionally enviable...

Boston University used to have a button that read "BE YOU". x, Carrie