Host plants for pollinators
by Christine Yesko
Even though this topic is not relevant now, it could be something to think about when planning our gardens and landscape come spring. While an array of plants provide nectar for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects, some pollinators require individual host plants to develop from their larval to the adult stage.
There are a few that meet these criteria, one is milkweed (Asclepias, zone 2-11) Famed for their relationship to monarch butterflies, a wide variety of species can serve as sufficient larval host plants for this poster butterfly of national habitat conservation efforts. Take care to select plants with known native provenance to your region. Nonnative tropical milkweed(A.curvassica), is known to present challenges to monarchs by harboring a potentially deadly protozoan pathogen that results in deformed wings to emerging butterflies. This parasite is reported to be an issue in areas where tropical milkweed does not die back from the cold.
Willow (Salix zones 2-12) There is perhaps no more useful garden plant to wildlife than the lowly but mightily willow. They support the third-highest diversity of lepidopteran caterpillars of any plant, with at least 455 species using it as a host plant. Willow also supplies nectar-rich flowers adored by bees and other wildlife.
Viburnum (Viburnum Zones 2-12) Native viburnum is found from southern Florida to northern Maine, and across to the Pacific Northwest. More than 100 types of lepidopterans are known to feed on it. The ripe berries are beloved by native birds, with at least 35 bird species devouring them to obtain energy before winter.
Violets (Viola, zones 3-10) Great spangled fritillary butterflies are a delight in summer, and their relative abundance is due to the widespread native range of their larval host plants: violets. Whether common blue violet, bird’s foot violet, or another native type, the butterflies lay their eggs near the base of these plants, which provide a ready food source for the young caterpillars. Common blue violets are seen in our lawns, so perhaps we should all start seeing them as helpful rather than a nuisance to dig or spray to eradicate them.
On a brighter note, spring is only 40 days away.
