Native Plants' Benefit to Biodiversity

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Bee Notes

From Linn County Master Gardeners,
in association with OSU Extension Service

Native Plants’ Benefits to Biodiversity
Insights from Gail Langellotto

Gail Langellotto has written the third of a five part series for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon, and we'd like to share some of the highlights, particular five native plants we can provide to encourage native bees and other pollinators.

"In the Oregon State University Garden Ecology Lab, we study relationships between native garden plants and native bees. To be honest, I did not expect that native bees would prefer native plants. Whereas the leaves and other vegetative parts of a plant include an array of chemical and physical defenses to protect the plant from insect herbivores, flowers have few such defenses. In fact, flowers function to attract pollinators to a plant."

Read the full article

". . . the native plants in his study attracted more native bees and more species
of native bees than his non-native comparison plants. For example, non-native
lavender ‘Grosso’ attracted a large number of bees, but most of these bees
were non-native honey bees. By and large, the native plants were better for
bee abundance and bee diversity, compared to the non-native comparison
plants. In particular, Globe Gilia, Farewell to Spring, Oregon Sunshine, Douglas Aster, and California Poppy were all particularly attractive to native,
wild bees in Aaron’s study."

Five plants that native bees prefer

Globe gilia (Gilia capitata) is a an annual wildflower with lacy green foliage, upright 2-3 foot stalks, and round clusters of small, blue flowers. It's hardy in USDA zones 6-10, and should re-seed freely.

Farewell to Spring (Clarkia amoena) (also known as Godetia amoena) is an annual, often found in wildflower seed mixes. It readily self-sows, and is fairly drought tolerant.

Oregon sunshine (Eriophyllum lanatum) is an easy to grow native perennial, bothered by almost nothing except too much water. It can range from four to twenty-four inches in height, in a garden setting typically reaching somewhere in the middle. Excellent for dry, rocky soils.

Douglas aster (Aster subspicatus) is a perennial wildflower, which grows on beaches, along streams, disturbed areas, and other open moist sites, at low elevations.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) may be the state flower of California, but it's native to the Pacific slope of North America from Western Oregon to Baja California. During mild winters, it's a perennial, but even if knocked out by a freeze, it self-sows so readily that it will always grow back.

Cocoon harvesting classes will be offered via Zoom, due to a resurgence of Covid-19. Classes will be scheduled in mid-October or early November.
You can also find more information about registration soon at: LinnMasterGardeners.com.

Note: this website also has archived Bee Notes & other information that may be helpful.

As always, thank you for supporting bees!

Note: Our guidelines are tailored to the Willamette Valley of Oregon. We want blue orchard mason bee cocoons that you purchase from us to be used within the east to west boundaries of the Coastal Range to the Cascades. The northern boundary is the Portland/Columbia River areas and southern boundary is the Umpqua Valley area. Check with your county Extension agent if you live outside these areas.

Questions? Contact:
Ranee Webb - Email Ranee
Rich Little - Email Rich

Link to Blue Orchard Mason Bee Calendar

Link to Leaf Cutter Bee Calendar

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Linn-Benton Master Gardener Program

Linn County MG Website

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Native Plants’ Benefits to Biodiversity Insights from Gail Langellotto

Native Plants’ Benefits to Biodiversity
Insights from Gail Langellotto