Pollinator Gardens Now!
By Ross Dees
Pollinator populations are in decline. A variety of stressors, such as disease, habitat destruction, climate change, and chemical usage, have been linked to this reduction. Honeybees, some of our most well-known and bee-loved pollinators, have had their populations regularly monitored: Penn State’s Department of Entomology found that beekeepers have lost roughly 30% of their colonies every year since 2006. More recently, a 2014–2015 survey found that Oklahoma had the highest annual bee loss in the nation at 64% (compared to Hawaii at 14%).
Butterflies, specifically monarchs, have also seen their populations plummet. Monarch populations dropped over 80% in the last two decades, falling 50% from 2019 to 2020. Today, there are thought to be less than 30,000 monarch butterflies, compared to 1.2 million in the early 2000s.
Though bees and butterflies don’t account for all pollinating species, their decline shows a disturbing pattern in our ecosystem. What can we do?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strongly encourages the planting of pollinator gardens to aid in the recovery of our declining pollinator population.
A pollinator garden focuses on planting species which attract pollinators. It’s recommended to choose native plants when starting a pollinator garden. Native plants will often require less maintenance than non-native plants. Also, choosing perennials will lower the maintenance related to replanting.
A great species to start your pollinator garden with is milkweed (Asclepias spp). Milkweed is a flowering perennial with over 100 species native to the Americas. The name comes from the milky sap, latex, which bleeds from the plant when cut. These native plants range in height from one to five feet tall, and will spread via seed as well as rhizomes. Milkweed is well-known as being the only plant which monarch butterfly larvae feed on, but it’s quite versatile: over 450 other insects also feed on milkweed vegetation and blooms. Not all milkweed available for purchase are perennial in our hardiness zone, so check with your local garden store to make sure you’re getting the right species for your climate.
Here are Philbrook we have bee boxes, feral beehives, and a pollinator garden that is a Certified Monarch Waystation and part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge. Why not join us in helping pollinators flourish? Whether you have several acres to plant, or just a few containers, planting a pollinator garden can be great way to positively impact our environment while creating a beautiful space to be enjoyed by bees, butterflies, and more.
Ross Dees is an Assistant Horticulturist at Philbrook Museum of Art.
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