These four pollinators are endangered and facing extinction. They need our help. The Monarch Butterfly population has dropped by 90% since 1990. Milkweed is their food source of choice. Milkweed is being poisoned with pesticides and adversely affected by GMOs. GMO’s are being profusely used on corn, soy and other crops. As a result the native milkweed crop has declined in the United States by 80% in the last 20 years. There are steps that individual gardeners, farmers and flower bed tenders can take to help remedy this issue.
First
Eliminate those pesticides that kill pollinators especially malathion, sevin and diazinon.
SECOND
Grow native and garden flowering plants that attract pollinators.
Non-All Inclusive List
Allium- Bees Alyssum- Butterfly American Painted Lady- Butterfly Aster- Butterfly & Bees
Azalea- Butterfly Basil- Bees Bee Balm (all parts edible-great in salads & great as a tea) Butterfly, Bees, Hummingbirds & Hummingbird Moths
Begonia- Hummingbirds Black Eyed Susan- Butterfly & Hummingbird Moths
Bleeding Heart- Hummingbirds Blue Bells- Hummingbird Moths Blueberries- Butterflies
Brugmansia (Clara Molden is a white trumpet variety) Hummingbird Moths
Calendula- Butterfly Calla Lily- Bee Cardinal Flower ( beautiful red spikes) Bee
Clover (esp Purple Prairie Clover) Butterfly Clover White & Red Clover- Bee
Columbine- Bee Cosmos- Butterfly & Bee Crape Myrtle- Bee Dahlia- Hummingbird
Daylily- Butterfly Dianthus- Butterfly Dill- Butterfly Four O’clock- Bee & Hummingbirds
Geranium- Bee & Hummingbird Gladiola- Hummingbird Holly Hock-Butterfly & Hummingbirds
Honeysuckle- Hummingbird Moth Impatiens- Hummingbird Iris- Hummingbird
Jasmine- Hummingbird Moth Lambs Quarter- Butterfly Lavender- Butterfly & Bees
Liatris- Butterfly & Hummingbird Lupines- Butterfly, Bees & Hummingbirds
Marigolds- Butterfly
Moonflower (Ipomoea Alba) dusk blooming morning glory vine w/ heart shaped leaves Do not confuse with Moonflower (Datura Inoxia) ground plant w/ egg shaped fruit w/ spikes which is toxic
Nasturtium- Butterfly & Hummingbird Nicotiana- Hummingbird & Hummingbird Moth
Oklahoma Native Milkweed- Butterflies especially Monarchs Oregano- Butterfly
Paint Brush- Bee & Hummingbird Pale Petunia- Hummingbird Moth Parsley- Butterfly
Passion Flower- Butterfly Peas- Butterfly Petunias- Hummingbirds
Phlox- Butterfly & Hummingbird Purple Coneflower- Butterfly Queen Anne’s Lace- Butterfly
Salvia- Hummingbird Scabiosa- Butterfly & Bee Shasta Daisy- butterfly
Straw Flower- Butterfly Sunflower-Bee Sweet William- Hummingbird Tulip Tree- Butterfly
Verbena- Butterfly, Bee, Hummingbird & Hummingbird Moth Wild Rose- Bee
Wildflower Mixtures- All Pollinators especially Butterfly / Suppliers Eden Brothers & Brecks & others
Yucca- Hummingbird Yarrow- Butterfly Zinnia- Butterfly, Bee & Hummingbird /All size however Giant Zinnias are easier for some pollinators.
THIRD
Sunshine is essential for most butterflies to collect pollen. Hummingbird moths collect pollen from daylight to dusk. Bees collect pollen in the daylight primarily & hummingbirds collect pollen in the daylight and will continue into the darkness in well lit areas and also during migration.
FOURTH
The color factor. Butterflies are attracted to vivid bright reds, yellows, oranges, pinks & purples. Bees when given a choice prefer red clover over white. Hummingbird Moths seem to prefer pale colors and whites. Hummingbirds are busy and try flats, flutes and all colors. NOTE: Hummingbirds & Hummingbird Moths prefer tubular flowers w/ flared openings shaped like a trumpet. Butterflies & Bees prefer flat blossoms & short flowering tubes.
FIFTH
If deciding to plant milkweed make sure what you choose fits your growing season.
SIXTH
Pollinator Refuges are important if you wish them to stay. Butterflies like to rest on flat rocks in the sunshine surrounded by a bird bath or a flat container of sand with water around but not covering it. Bee like hollow trees or logs. They need to be in and surrounded by structure. Hummingbirds live in tiny nests built in shrubs, trees & out of casual sight areas. Hummingbird moths are often accidentally destroyed. They start as a tiny green eggs usually on a branch or underneath a leaf, forming into a caterpillar which drops to the ground and hides under flower bed debris until evolving as an adult moth. An adult spends resting time primarily in the shade.
Works Cited:
http://kerrcenter.com/publication/native-milkweeds-oklahoma/
https://www.gardeners.com/how-to/attracting-butterflies-hummingbirds/7265.html
