Gardening for Bee Pollinators 2011

Buzzing of Bees

C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve
July 2 & 5, 2011
© Project SOUND

Colony Collapse Disorder – our wake-up call

http://bee-rapture.blogspot.com/2009/04/found-cause-of-colony-
collapse-disorder.html

© Project SOUND

Why worry about bee pollinators?
 Bees are “keystone organisms” in
most terrestrial ecosystems.
 Bees are essential for maintaining
the integrity, productivity and
sustainability of many types of
ecosystems: natural areas, pastures,
fields, meadows, roadsides, many
agricultural crops, fruit orchards,
and backyard vegetable and flower
gardens.
 Without bees, many flowering plants
would eventually become extinct.
 Without the work of bees, many
fruit- and seed-eating birds and
some mammals, including people,
would have a less varied and less
healthy diet.
© Project SOUND

Even before colony collapse disorder,
some people were concerned…
 Depending on a single source
– for anything – should make
us all nervous
 Better to ‘diversify the
portfolio’

http://therealnewsjournal.com/?tag=colony-collapse-disorder

http://urbangardencasual.com/2009/04/28/possible-cure-
for-honey-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-discovered/

European Honey Bee
Apis mellifera

© Project SOUND

 Pollinators at risk:
 Non-native pollinators are vulnerable
to environmental factors - limited
genetic variability
 Native pollinators are at risk due to
habitat loss, climate change and use
of pesticides & herbicides

 Decline in native bee species world-
Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder wide since 1980
 Crop production world-wide is
decreasing (since at least 1990) due
to decreasing numbers of pollinators
 So we all should be worried – and
taking action
 The third week of June is designated
National Pollinators Week (The fifth
annual National Pollinator Week was
June 20-26, 2011 !
© Project SOUND

What’s all the buzz about down on the farm?

© Project SOUND

California: leader in bee research & practice
 Active bee research center
at UC Davis – over 75 years
of practical research

 Laidlaw Honey Bee
Research Facility

 Initial research focused on
the European Honey Bee
(Apis mellifera)
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/dept/beebio.cfm

 Increasing research into
Increasing interest in the role the biology, ecology and
of urban & suburban gardens in use of a variety of native
maintaining & using native bee bees
populations – ‘Neighborhood
Pollinator Preserves’
© Project SOUND

Lessons about pollination from ag research
1. Native bee pollinators and pollinator
relationships are complex:
a. ~ 1500 native bee species in CA

b. Honey Bees are actually quite unique
compared to most native bees

c. Bees differ greatly in food & nesting
requirements; we need to understand &
plan for these differences
 Food sources: generalists & specialists
 Time of year food is needed
 Nesting requirements: ground; wood; etc.

d. We need to better understand species-
specific requirements in order to design
We don’t notice native bees conservation plans that maintain pollination
unless we’re looking for function in natural and man-made habitats.
them © Project SOUND

1. Native bee pollinator relationships are
complex:
c. Wild bee populations fluctuate widely from
year-to-year (4-fold variation for some
species). To ensure reliable pollination from
non-domesticated species, maintaining a
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/275/1648/2283.full community of bees, rather than just one
species, is necessary
Number of seeds in
pumpkins vs. number of d. Despite year-to-year composition variability,
bee species pollination rates fairly constant in farms near
natural areas – diversity acts as a buffer

e. More species = greater pollination success

f. Honey bees play a key role in pollinating
native plants – and probably don’t influence
the numbers & composition of native bees

© Project SOUND

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
 Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
 Class Insecta (Insects)
 Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
 Superfamily Apoidea (Bees)
 Social Bees - True social insects. Communal nests are
built in the soil (bumble bees) or in cavities (honey
bees). Workers (sterile females) forage for nectar and
pollen.
 Family Apidae -- bumble bees and honey bees
 Solitary Bees - Adults construct individual nests and
provision them with plant materials (usually nectar or
pollen).
 Family Apidae (formerly Anthophoridae) -- carpenter bees
 Family Halictidae -- sweat bees
 Family Megachilidae -- leafcutting bees
 Family Andrenidae: mining bees

© Project SOUND

Bees have been around for millions of
years, evolving with the flowering plants

 Early insects, in their rummaging
for food, inadvertently became
the agents of pollination; pollen
adhering to their bodies was
http://www3.telus.net/conrad/beevolve.htm transferred to the female organs
of the plant.
Trigona prisca, A stingless  A mutualistic relationship
meliponine bee-- a fossil of which
was preserved in Cretaceous resulted:
amber 74-96 million years ago.  the plants benefitted by
increased pollination;
 and the insects were helping to
ensure a better supply of their
food source.

© Project SOUND

Plants and insect pollinators became
intimately linked
 Eventually, both plants and insects
became more and more specialized
as a result of the pollinator
relationship (co-evolution)

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/wildlife-habitat/science/critical-species/pollinators/
 Many pollinator insects evolved
behavior and physiology completely
dependent upon the cycles of
flowering plants.

 Similarly, certain plants developed
flower structures which
benefitted – or excluded -
particular types of insects.

http://idoradesign.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html
© Project SOUND

The pollination duet
continues
 Even the structure of pollen, itself,
changed. Pollen transferred by insects
or other animals usually has spines,
http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/ ridges or an adhesive surface which
aids in attaching to the animal vector.

 To attract pollinators, some plants
developed specialized organs, nectaries,
that secreted a sugary nectar, at the
base of the flower. This proved an
adaptive advantage since the nectar, as
a food source, was a further attraction
to many insect species.
http://hanesexterminating.com/insect_information

 Ultimately, the lifestyles of flowering
And this explains why native bees plants and of pollinating insects became
are often the best pollinators for forever intertwined.
native plants © Project SOUND

Is it a bee? The anatomy of a bee
 Bees have four wings (two pair;
difficult to see when folded over
the body).

 Bees have long, elbowed
antennae.

 Bees have large, well separated
eyes with three small eyes (or
“ocelli”) on top of the head.

 Bees are more robust (i.e.
rounder bodies) than wasps and
flies; abdomen usually broad
near thorax (vs. most wasps).

© Project SOUND

Is it a bee?  Most bees are hairy-bodied,
with multi-branched hairs
(resemble pipe-cleaners or
brushes) for carrying pollen.

 Female bees can carry large
loads of pollen, either on
their legs or on their
abdomen in a “scopa”.

 If you see an insect toting a
load of pollen either on its
hind legs or beneath its
abdomen, it is a female bee.
The pollen may be carried as a
dry powder in a brush of hairs,
or moistened with nectar to
form a clump or pellet.

http://gardenbees.com/garden/gardpol.htm © Project SOUND

What makes a bee a good pollinator?

 Anatomic adaptations
 Size
 Fuzzy body
 Leg adaptations for
pollen capture/transport

 Behavioral adaptations
 Generalist feeding
http://www.rochester.edu/college/bio/labs/Minckley/Bee_Photos/Anthophora_californica.jpg patterns
 ? Eusocial behavior
Digger (Miner) Bee – a good pollinator
 Long foraging range

© Project SOUND


2. Native bees are important pollinators –
when available in suitable numbers
a. Native, unmanaged bee populations
provide important pollination services in
nature & on the farm

b. Native bees provide up to 30-40% of
pollination on some CA organic farms

c. Native bee species are an undervalued
asset worth up to $2.4 billion to California
farmers

d. Honeybees are not always the most
effective pollinators of a given crop;
http://www.howdididoit.com/home-garden/how-to-
grow-hanging-tomato-plants/

native bees pollinate some crops not
pollinated by honey bees (cherry
tomatoes)
© Project SOUND

Native bees can be more efficient pollinators (on a
bee-for-bee basis)
 Example: 250 female blue orchard bees
(Osmia lignaria) can effectively pollinate
an acre of apples; this would require one
to two honey bees hives, each containing
15,000 to 20,000 workers.

 Reasons for this increased efficiency:
 Greater tolerance for cold and wet
weather.
 Native bees usually must collect both
pollen and nectar, ensuring that they
contact the anthers (pollen-producing
structures); some honey bees just collect
nectar.

http://www.osmia.com/bluebee.htm
© Project SOUND

Reasons for increased efficiency of some
native bees: specialization
 High degree of specialization (some bee species).
 Example: Squash bees (genus Peponapis), for
example, primarily visit flowers of the squash family

 Better fit between flower structure & bee
anatomy/behavior.
 Example: The stamen (the structure holding the
anthers) of alfalfa flowers is held under tension -
springs forward with force when released by a
visiting bee. The alkali bee (Nomia melanderi), a
native ground-nesting bee, is not discouraged by this
unusual flower structure and is a major pollinator of
alfalfa seed in some western states.
 Example: buzz pollination (sonication) - very
important for some plants such as blueberries,
cranberries, tomatoes and peppers
© Project SOUND

Sex & the single tomato plant
 Tomato flowers do not produce nectar

 Some newer tomatoes are self-
pollinating (through breeding); old
varieties require cross-pollination

 Tomato pollen is released from pores
within the anthers (similar to salt
being shaken from a salt shaker)

 Pollen is generally accessible only to
http://www.ericwallnursery.co.uk/glasshouse.html

bees that use ‘buzz pollination’ – the
Most visitors to tomato are ability to grasp a flower and
non-Apis bees, particularly
vigorously vibrate their flight
bumble bees; greenhouse
tomato growers use bumble muscles, releasing pollen from the
bees extensively now anthers [sonication].

© Project SOUND

3. Agricultural and native ecosystems
are intimately linked:
a. Crop-pollinating bee species are
often generalists that pollinate many
native plants; restoring pollination
services for agriculture could also
benefit wild plants and thereby
promote conservation of biodiversity
across the agro-natural landscape.

b. To maintain agricultural pollination
http://groups.ucanr.org/jacksonlab/Project_1/Biodiversity_and_Ecosystem_
Function_in_an_Organic_Farmscape_in_Y.htm

services for the future, attention
must be given to a variety of
strategies including both native
ecosystem conservation and on-farm
management

© Project SOUND

4. Proximity matters
a. The presence native pollinators
strongly correlates with the
amount of native habitat nearby

b. Native bees venture farther into
agricultural fields than honey bees

c. The flight distance varies with
the size of the bee. Small sweat
bees and mining bees may not fly
more than 200 or 300 yards from
nest to forage area. Large bees
(bumble bees, for example) can
cross a mile or more of
inhospitable, flowerless landscape
to forage.
http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml

© Project SOUND

Applications to the home garden

Attracting native bees has the potential to increase
yields for home vegetable & fruit crops
© Project SOUND

Urban pollinator habitat takes a neighborhood –
radius of about 6-10 houses

The plant choices you make can benefit your entire
neighborhood
© Project SOUND

What does it take to bee a good neighbor?
 Bee response to urban
habitat fragmentation was
best predicted by ecological
traits associated with
nesting and dietary breadth

 Provide the right habitat –
even in a small area – and
you can make a difference in
your neighborhood

Schools and other public lands provide the perfect venue to provide
both habitat and education to the neighborhood

© Project SOUND

5. Some plants are better nectar/
pollen sources than others for
native bees
a. Some crop species [Ex: squash]
are important nectar sources for
selected native bees [squash
bees]

b. Native plants provide nectar for
both wild and honey bees

c. The more intensive the planting of
non-native farm crops, the less
the bee species diversity – less
intensive organic farms had more
diversity & more open space

© Project SOUND

Characteristics of good native bee plants

 Long bloom season

 Many flowers (often individually
small – but many per plant)

 Produce both high quality nectar &
pollen

 Designed specifically to attract
bees:
 Scent cues
 Color/patterning
 Shape: good place to land while
nectaring

© Project SOUND

Plant families & genera that provide nectar & pollen
for a wide range of native pollinators

 Arctostaphylos - Manzanitas
 Ceanothus species
 Phacelia – Fiddlenecks

Eriogonum - Buckwheat
 Lamiaceae – Mint family
 Asclepias - Milkweeds
 Polygonaceae – Buckwheat Family
 Asteraceae – Sunflower family
 Clematis – Virgin’s Bowers
© Project SOUND
Grindelia - Gumplant

The Sunflower family
(Asteraceae) provides
important food in fall
 Bloom in summer/ fall
 Long bloom season
Goldenbushes – Hazardia & Isocoma
 Nectar and pollen available
to many types of pollinators
(even ants, beetles)
 Lots of small flowers
 Flower shape allows many
bees to land & feed/collect

© Project SOUND
Baccharis species

Sonoran Bumblebee -
Bombus sonorus
 All black head; thorax yellow,
with broad black band between
the wings; abdomen yellow
except for the hind three
segments, which are black.

 Early spring through summer

 Generalist pollinator – visits
many species to nectar

http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/SonoranBumblebee.shtml
© Project SOUND

Generalist & specialist pollinators
 Most native bees aren't too choosy (native; some non-native
garden plants; alien weeds); if they can reach the nectar or
gather pollen, they can supply their nest.

 Some bees, however, are very choosy and will only gather
pollen from a small number of plant species. In extreme
cases, the bee may be restricted to just a single plant
species.

 “Generalist” bee species visit a large variety of plants and
crops, in contrast to “specialist” bee species which forage on
a restricted group of plants.

 ‘Generalist’ pollinators can be extremely useful in both the
farm & garden setting

© Project SOUND

Floral timing is also important when
considering native pollinators

 Social bees with a long-lived colony, such
as bumble bees and honey bees, need
flowers blooming throughout the season.
You will see these bees most of the year
except when it is very cold

 Solitary bees usually have a much shorter
active period, often no more than five or
six weeks, and have life cycles
synchronized with the blooming of
preferred flower species.

 If you want to attract most native bees
(the solitary types) you need to plant the
Digger (Miner) Bee – summer appropriate species
© Project SOUND

Black-tailed Bumblebee -
Bombus melanopygus
edwardsii
 More yellow on body

 most of California and
Southern Oregon

 Very early season

 Works furiously polluting
Arctostaphylos species,
Ribes species, (Native
Gooseberries and Currants)
and some Cultivated Plum
Varieties (early blooming).

© Project SOUND

Bombus – the
Bumblebees

 > 250 known species; 45 in the U.S.

 Large and hairy; black and yellow body hairs, often in bands.

 They are best distinguished from similarly large, fuzzy bees by the
form of the female hind leg, which is modified to form a corbicula: a
shiny concave surface that is bare, but surrounded by a fringe of hairs
used to transport pollen (‘pollen bag’)

 Like their relatives the honey bees, bumble bees feed on nectar and
gather pollen to feed their young. Believed to be responsible for the
pollination of approximately 25% of crops in northern California.

 High metabolic rate (75% higher than a humming bird's!) allows them to
forage in early spring
© Project SOUND

Bumblebee life cycle
 Bumble bees live in a colony
with a caste system of
workers, males and a single
egg-laying queen.

 Similar to honey bees, bumble
bees construct a wax comb

 Bumble bees nest in cavities
such as abandoned rodent
burrows, brush piles and dried
grass tussocks

 The colony grows through 3-4 generations and may have
several hundred workers at the peak in mid-summer.

 Unlike honey bees, bumble bee colonies do not survive over the
winter. However, the fertilized queens ‘hibernate’ until spring
© Project SOUND

A typical front yard….
© Project SOUND

What can we use to give the look of the
old crepe myrtle, and provide ‘bee food’?
 The following all provide many
flowers loved by bees:

 Early:
 Manzanitas (Arctostaphylos)

 Early/Mid-season
 California Lilac (Ceanothus)

 Late spring/summer
 Desert Willow (Chilopsis)
 Toyon
 Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis)
© Project SOUND

Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca

© Project SOUND

Big Berry Manzanita – Arctostaphylos glauca
 CA foothills from central CA to Baja; includes
foothills of Mojave Desert mtns.

 Locally in Santa Monica and San Gabriel Mtns.

 Rocky slopes, chaparral, woodland < 4500 ft

 Soils range from sandy loam with considerable
coarse fragments to loam.

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3454,3477

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabu
s2/factsheet.cfm?ID=479

© Project SOUND

Big Berry is a large manzanita
 Size:
 usually 8-12 ft tall; may reach 20
 8-15 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Large woody shrub to small, multi-
branched tree; mounded shape
 Lovely branch structure – one of
the ‘sculptural’ manzanitas
 Peeling red bark – showy
 Can live 100+ years

 Foliage:
 Evergreen; leaves pale blue-green
 Vertical orientation on branch –
looks very precise

 Roots: relatively shallow
© Project SOUND
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Arctostaphylos_glauca.htm

Flowers: Manzanita type
 Blooms:
 One of the earliest
 usually Dec-Mar in our area

 Flowers: typical Manzanita
 Small pink flowers
 Urn-shaped; in terminal clusters
 Key early nectar source for bees
and other early-season
pollinators

 Fruits:
 Red ‘little apples’ of manzanita
 Relatively large (1/2”); edible
 Ripen in late spring/summer

 Vegetative reproduction: cannot
re-sprout
© Project SOUND
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya

 Soils:
Manzanita for sandy soils  Texture: well-drained, sandy
or rocky soils are best
 pH: 6.0-7.5 is best

 Light: full sun to light shade –
typical chaparral shrub

 Water:
 Winter: needs good winter
rains; supplement w/ deep
waterings as needed
 Summer: treat as Zone 2 first
year; then Zone 1-2 or 1 for
Note: leaves and litter contain toxic mature plant. Don’t over-water
amounts of arbutin and phenolic acids. mature plants (fungal diseases)
These compounds allelopathically inhibit
germination and growth of annuals for a  Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
distance of 3.3 to 6.6 feet (1-2 m) from
the edge of the canopy drip line  Other: use an organic mulch

© Project SOUND

Bigberry Manzanita: shrub or tree
 Easy-care shrub for slopes; good for
erosion control
 Specimen shrub; needs little pruning
 As a small shade tree; open shade
 As a key shrub/tree for the habitat
garden: bees, butterflies, birds,
humans

http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/arctostaphylos-glauca

© Project SOUND

Converting your yard to bee habitat: one
step at a time

http://www.movoto.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/CA/Los-Angeles/960-Manzanita-St-204_11-512831.htm

Each time you add a food source or create
a nesting site you improve the
Neighborhood Pollinator Preserve
© Project SOUND

6. Size matters:
a. More native plants = more
native bees; around 30-40%
optimal for watermelons, but
even less provides some
pollination service
b. Amount of native vegetation
nearby is best predictor of
pollinator services; even 10%
http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/nealwilliams.html by area increases pollination
rates
c. You can achieve native flower
density with a few big plants
or lots of small ones

© Project SOUND

* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus

© 2010 Andrew Borcher

© Project SOUND

* White Coast Ceanothus – Ceanothus verrucosus
 Strictly coastal (western San Diego County
and adjacent Baja California)

 Possibly collected by Theodore Payne from
Seven Oaks (LA Co.) in 1919

 Dry hills, mesas, chaparral; elevation < 900‘

 AKA ‘Wart-stemmed Ceanothus’

http://the-chaparral-sage.blogspot.com/2009/03/ceanothus-verrucosus.html
© Project SOUND
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

White Coast Ceanothus: large shrub
 Size:
 6-12 ft tall
 6-8 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Evergreen shrub or small
tree; rounded shape
 Fast growth – at first
 Dense, stiff branches with
gray bark & small ‘wart-like’
bumps (leaf attachment)

 Foliage:
 Shiny dark green above;
hairy & white beneath
 Simple, rounded leaves

© 2003 Charles E. Jones
© 2009 Michelle Cloud-Hughes © Project SOUND

One of the best white-
flowered Ceanothus
 Blooms: very early – usually Jan-
April

 Flowers:
 Usually white; occ. light blue
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
 Many tiny ceanothus flowers
in tight ball-like clusters at
ends of branches
 Really showy – looks like
covered in snow or white
Crepe Myrtle
 Sweet scent attracts bees &
other pollinators

 Fruit:
 Dark sticky fruit in summer –
birds love it
© 2006 Steve Matson
© Project SOUND

Chaparral shrub  Soils:
 Texture: well-drained a must;
sandy or rocky best
 pH: any local; 6.0-7.0 optimal

 Light:
 In nature on N-facing slopes
 Full sun along coast; part-
shade in hotter inland

 Water:
 Winter: needs adequate water
 Summer: low needs once
established – Zone 1-2 probably
best (1-2 times per summer) in
most soils; to Zone 2 in sandy

 Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils

 Other: organic mulch recommended
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slope_effect.JPG © Project SOUND

Shrub or tree: your choice
 Low-care plant for slopes

 Background evergreen shrub in
dry gardens

 Trained as a small tree

© 2006 Steve Matson
 As an informal or clipped (semi-
formal) hedge or screen

http://www.soenyun.com/Blog/tag/ceanothus-verrucosus/
© Project SOUND

Yellow-faced Bumble Bee
Bombus vosnesenskii
 Most common bumblebee of
California ; San Diego throughout
most of California (except the
desert areas) to British Columbia

 Largely a summer bee - most of the
hive living from April to September

 Wide generalist feeder
 Slow and easy to photograph
 Nests in the ground, commonly in
old gopher holes.
 Has a wicked sting, and they can
sting repeatedly - but only when
provoked
© Project SOUND

*Desert-willow – Chilopsis linearis

© Project SOUND

Toyon/California Christmas Berry –
Heteromeles arbutifolia

Not all situations are suitable for native pollinator
plants: good, productive alternatives

© Project SOUND


7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a
serious limitation to native pollinator
conservation
a. Species differ in their nesting needs

b. In many California locations, habitat
alteration or destruction, not lack of
food, eliminated native pollinators.

c. Bare ground needed for ground-
dwelling native bees; this is becoming
rare in both rural & urban areas

d. Certain practices destroy nest sites:
tilling, early cutting, grazing – even
mulching – decrease nest sites for
http://www.pollinatorparadise.com/solitary_bees/Diversfy.htm
some species
© Project SOUND

Most native bees are not hive-builders
 ~ 70 percent of native bees
excavate underground nests.
Solitary bees dig narrow tunnels
leading to a series of brood
chambers, each one provisioned with
a mixture of pollen and nectar and
each holding a single egg.

 ~30 percent of bees nest in wood
tunnels, usually pre-existing holes
such as those made by wood-boring
beetles, but some will chew out the
center of pithy twigs. Females
create a line of brood cells, often
using materials such as leaf pieces or
mud as partitions between cells.
© Project SOUND
http://www.askthebuilder.com/695_Woodpecker_Damage.shtml

Providing homes for native pollinators

http://beechronicle.posterous.com/?tag=beehouses

 Learn more about the nesting requirements of local bees – they
may be quite specific
 Provide natural sites if possible: bare ground; old tree stumps
 Learn about how you can construct pollinator ‘homes’ in your
garden: many good resources on-line
© Project SOUND

Large Carpenter Bees - Genus Xylocopa

 ~ 500 species worldwide

 Large – sometimes mistaken for
bumble bees, but they have a shiny
(not hairy) abdomen

 Their name comes from the fact
that nearly all species build their
nests in burrows in dead wood,
bamboo, or structural timbers
http://www.insectaculture.com/xcalifornica.htm

 Female carpenter bees are capable
of stinging, but they are docile and
rarely sting unless caught in the
hand or otherwise directly provoked

http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/news/valleycarpenterbees.html © Project SOUND

Valley carpenter bee (Xylocopa varipuncta): fun to watch

 A widespread western US species
 Generalists - may be found foraging on a
number of different species : Asclepias,
Salvia, Trichostema, and Wislizenia for nectar;
Eschscholzia and Lupinus for pollen.
 They, like bumblebees are early morning
foragers.
 Quite active – but can be photographed with
Also utilize culinary herbs patience
such as basil, mint,  Carpenter bees can “buzz pollinate” -
rosemary, oregano, excellent pollinators of eggplant, tomato and
lavender, and thyme. other vegetables and flowers.
 Can be nectar robbers in plants with tubular
flowers. Using their mouthparts they cut a slit
at the base of corolla and steal away with the
nectar without having pollinated the flower.
http://insectsgalore.blogspot.com/2010/05/valley-carpenter-bee-xylocopa.html
© Project SOUND

Sex life of the Valley Carpenter Bee: it
just gets better the more we know!
 Green-eyed golden males (the
females are all black) have
huge perfume glands in their
thoraces.

 Territorial males take up
positions in non-flowering
plants near other males –
often near Mulefat.

 As a group (lek) they actively
release their rose-scented
blend of chemicals.

 Females are attracted from
downwind and choose a male
with which to mate.

© Project SOUND

Landscape established: shrubs, lackluster

http://www.estately.com/listings/info/1728-fraser-circle--1 http://yuba_city.california.freemls.us/

 Considerations:
1. Appropriate size/scale
2. Fits with existing home/landscape: water; color scheme; etc.
3. Provide better bee habitat – focus on generalist foragers

© Project SOUND

Lupines provide early/mid-season nectar
for large bees

© Project SOUND

Silver Bush Lupine – Lupinus albifrons

© Project SOUND

Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius

http://www.solardarkroom.com/blog/2011/06/04/grizzly-flat-after-the-station-fire/

© Project SOUND

Longleaf Bush Lupine - Lupinus longifolius

 Formerly Lupinus chamissonis
var. longifolius
 Southwestern CA from Santa
Barbara to Baja
 Coastal sage scrub, chaparral
and oak woodland
 Formerly frequent in the
foothills and on bluffs along
the seashore in Los Angeles,
Orange & San Diego counties
 Longifolius = long-leaved


© Project SOUND

Ah… a bush lupine
for your CSS garden
 Size:
 3-5 ft tall & wide
 Growth form:
 Mounded perennial shrub – typical
shrub Lupine
 Stems are woody, erect
 Foliage:
 Gray-green leaves; slightly hairy
 Leaves on 4” petiole; 6-9 leaflets
that are slightly longer than other
local bush lupines
 Flowers:
 Spring: usually April-June
 Light violet-purple lupine flowers
with yellow banner spot
 Flowering quite typical for lupines

http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html  Seed pod: typical lupine pod

© Project SOUND

Lupines are good for sunny, dry places
 Soils:
 Texture: well-drained is a must (as for
most local bush lupines)
 pH: any local is fine
 Light:
 full sun (coastal) to part shade
 Water:
 Young plants: weekly (as needed) until
established
 Winter: moist soils; monitor & supplement in
very dry years
 Summer:
 Quite drought-tolerant; can get by with no
water in part-shade
 Will take infrequent (1-2 x per month) if
soils are well-drained

 Fertilizer:
 None needed & use will likely decrease
lifespan (true for all the bush lupines)
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/bushlupine.html  Plant will improve soil fertility by increasing
available nitrogen (typical of Pea family)
© Project SOUND

Salvias: good bee
plants, but large size
 Remember: consider mature
size when choosing any plant to
include in a mature landscape

 You get a lot of ‘habitat’ area
from shrubs – most productive

© Project SOUND

Sunflowers are good summer bee plants

 But many of them are also rather large
 So what choices do I have if I want attract these
little bees – but have so little/no space?
© Project SOUND

Family Halictidae,
Sweat Bees
 Large (> 2000 known species) and
diverse Family

 Small (> 4 mm) to midsize (> 8 mm)

 Usually dark-colored and often metallic
http://sjmastergardeners.ucdavis.edu/?start=474&blogasset=3627&close=yes
in appearance. Several species are all
or partly green

 Commonly referred to as sweat bees
(especially the smaller species), as
they are often attracted to
perspiration; when pinched, females
can give a minor sting.

 The oldest fossil record of Halictidae
dates back to Early Eocene with a
number of species known from amber
deposits.
© Project SOUND

Halictid bees are summer foragers

 Generalists – will visit many different
species of summer-blooming plants;
love sunflowers – but you’ll see them
on other species as well

 Adults are pollen eaters; larva are
pollen & nectar eaters

 Nesting:
 Solitary or slightly social. Depending on
the species, the females might dig their
nests close together, sometimes even
sharing a common entrance tunnel.
 Build their vertical burrowed nests in the
ground, usually in clay or sandy soil.
 Populations are declining due to loss of
habitat
http://www.laspilitas.com/animals/insects/halictini/halictini.htm

© Project SOUND

9. ‘Out of the way’ places can be
utilized for bee habitat
a. Bees can seek out patchy
resources and persist within small
fragments of habitat

b. Restored patches can be largely
located in less productive, larger
http://www.citrona.com/nativeplanthedgerow.htm
“source” areas off-farm and as
small patches of “stepping-stone”
habitat on nonproductive farm
areas [e.g., around tail water
ponds and ditches, as hedgerows,
along roads, etc.

http://dietrick.org/projects/bbb.html © Project SOUND

What’s all the buzz in farm land?
Providing habitat for native pollinators
 Native hedgerows & windbreaks
around farm borders promotes
pollinators and natural enemies to
pests without taking land out of
production.

 Green manures/orchard
groundcovers provide erosion &
pollination services

 Bee pastures and other native
patch restoration
Native groundcovers for
roadsides, irrigation ditches and  Riparian buffers provide habitat
other non-cultivated areas for bees and other wildlife as well
as flood control and water
purification
© Project SOUND

Applications to the home garden
 Many Ag growers may already
have an abundance of potential
habitat for native pollinators on
or near their land. Having semi-
natural or natural habitat
available significantly increases
pollinator

 You may also have ‘out-of-the-
way’ places that can support
pollinators

 There are good pollinator plants
that do well in small spaces:
vines, sub-shrubs, perennials &
annuals
© Project SOUND

Coastal (Dune) Buckwheat - Eriogonum parvifolium

Ashy-leaf Buckwheat – Eriogonum cinereum

© Project SOUND

California Buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum

© Project SOUND

Characteristics of California Buckwheat

 Size: similar
to Dune Buckwheat
 2-5 ft tall
 3-5 ft wide; ‘fill-in’ an area
 Growth form:
 low mounded semi-evergreen
shrub
http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html  Many-branched

 Foliage:
 Leave alternate, but densely clustered
at nodes, evergreen, narrow lanceolate
(nearly needle-like)

© Project SOUND
http://www.birdmom.net/wildflowerspink.html

http://www.newportbay.org/plants/index.html

Dune Buckwheat – E. parvifolium CA Buckwheat – E. fasciculatum
© Project SOUND

Garden requirements are similar for most
local Buckwheats  Soils:
 Texture:
 Best in well-drained soils; Dune
Buckwheat thrives in sandy soils
 Most will do fine even in clays with
careful water management
 pH: any local
 Light:
 Most are fairly adaptable; full sun
best near coast; part shade in hotter
gardens

 Summer water:
 Very drought tolerant once
established
 Look a little better with occasional
summer water; let soil dry

 Fertilizer: none; like poor soils

CA Buckwheat:  Great for summer color: May-
showy for months Nov. possible

 As an alternative to the non-
native Rosemary

 In perennial beds

 On parking strips & bordering
paths and driveways

 For erosion control

 larval foodsource for Morman
Metalmark, Bramble Hairstreak,
Common Hairstreak, Avalon Hairstreak

Shrubby Buckwheats can even be
sheared to shape for a more formal
look
© Project SOUND

CA Buckwheat cultivars make good
groundcovers
 ‘Dana Point’ - brighter green leaf,
more mounding than species

 'Bruce Dickinson' – good for
groundcover; stays close to the
ground, spreads nicely, and holds
good form throughout the year.
 ‘Theodore Payne' – low groundcover
(1 ft high; 1-3 ft spread)
 'Warriner Lytle' - A sprawling low
growing California buckwheat; can
‘Dana Point’
grow to 2 feet tall but is often more
prostrate, hugging the ground like a
mat

© Project SOUND

Phacelias are among our
best general nectar sources
in spring
 Many flowers per stalk
 Produce lots of high-quality
nectar

Large-flowered Phacelia - Phacelia grandiflora  Nectar is easy for many types
of pollinators to get to
 Open over a long period of time
– open ‘up the stalk’
 High flower to foliage ratio –
lots of energy put into floral
production
 Easy to grow – under many
conditions - dependable

Tansey-leaf Phacelia – Phacelia tanecetifolia © Project SOUND

* Coast Phacelia – Phacelia californica
 Coastal bluffs and canyons from Santa
Clara County to Del Norte County, below
1500‘ & into OR

 ?? 1 report from San Gabriel Mtns

 Rocky bluffs and canyons; grows in
chaparral, woodland, and coastal bluffs and
grassland


© Project SOUND

Coast Phacelia: a delightful perennial

 Size:
 1-3 ft tall (foliage ~ 1 ft)
 1-3 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Herbaceous perennial
 Low-growing (1-2 ft in garden);
ground-cover
Fast-growing
© 2011 Neal Kramer


 Foliage:
 Light to medium green; hairy
(contact dermatitis)
 Large, mint-type leaves
growing in basal rosette
 Looks like a garden plant

http://www.baynatives.com/plants/Phacelia-californica/ © Project SOUND

Showiest of Phacelias
 Blooms:
 Long bloom season: spring to
summer
 Can bloom April to July with
some summer water

© 2011 Neal Kramer  Flowers:
 Pale lavender to pink
 Typical bell-shaped Phacelia
flowers
 Open up along a stout
flowering stalk
 Excellent nectar source for
bees, butterflies

 Seeds: many small seeds – will
naturalize if happy

© Project SOUND

Coast Phacelia: from seed or plugs
 Phacelias tend to be easy to grow from
seed

 No pretreatments; plant in winter/spring

 Plants available from Hedgerow Farms

http://hedgerowfarms.blogspot.c
om/2011/03/nursery-update.html

© Project SOUND

Versatile Phacelia  Soils:
 Texture: likes a well-drained soil,
but will tale most any
 pH: any local

 Light:
 Quite adaptable
 Full sun to part-sun, dappled
shade; some shade best in hot
gardens

 Water:
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College

 Winter: good winter rains
 Summer: wide range from weekly
irrigation to drought tolerant;
best Zone 2 to 2-3

 Fertilizer: fine with light fertilizer

 Other: organic mulch OK but not
required
http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14316 © Project SOUND

Coast Phacelia: a filler plant
 In pots & planters; along walls
 An herbaceous groundcover under
high trees
 Mixed with grasses & other plants
for a N. CA coastal prairie
 Around lawns & other irrigated
areas

http://www.gapphotos.com/featuredetails.asp?featureref=75
© Project SOUND


9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’
confers additional benefits
a. Attracts other beneficial insects
b. Attracts beneficial birds and
wildlife; food, cover & nest sites
c. Erosion/soil conservation benefits:
wind & water
d. Makes the landscape more
attractive for human inhabitants
http://www.bucknell.edu/x37317.xml

© Project SOUND

Advantages of ‘Pollinator Plants’ for the
home garden
 They are often showy & pretty;
usually lots of blooms and
attractive scents (remember,
they have to attract their
pollinators)
 They will increase pollination of
food plants, leading to better
production
 They will attract wonderful
insects to your garden – hours
of entertainment for the whole
family (or neighborhood)
 They are ecologically sound – an
important part of local
ecosystems
© Project SOUND

Indian Milkweed - Asclepias eriocarpa

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias_eriocarpa

Milkweeds
 Milkweeds are found in
many areas of CA
 In the South Bay, Narrow-
leaf Milkweed found only
Indian Milkweed
in S. Channel Islands

 Sites are typically
 Dry
 Sunny
 Barren soil (bare areas in
chaparral/Oak woodlands;
streambeds; alluvial areas)

Narrow-leaf Milkweed

Characteristics of Indian Milkweed

 Hairy, gray-green
perennial
 2-3 ft. tall and wide
 Flowers cream-pink,
June-Aug.
 Pollinated by bees,
insects and butterflies
 Has a long taproot – best
if planted in place

http://ww1.clunet.edu/wf/chap/scientific/bjc-974.htm

Indian Milkweed is a food source for
butterflies and other insects

Variable checkerspot butterfly
(Euphydryas chalcedona)

http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pag
Photo by Gabi McLean es/Tarantula_Hawk.htm
http://www.natureathand.com/Gallery/Asclepias_eriocarpa
_29025.htm
Tarantula Hawk
(Pepsis mildei)
http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Asclepias%20eriocarpa

Narrow-leaf Milkweed - Asclepias fascicularis

Tricks to gardening with Milkweeds
 Easy to grow
 Plant (seeds) in place if
possible
 Do best in well-drained soil –
but can tolerate clay if not
over-watered
 Full to part sun
 Average water needs – keep
somewhat dry. Can tolerate
winter flooding
 Cut back to ground in winter
(native Californians burned it
to encourage healthy growth)

Consider Using Milkweeds
 For butterfly/pollinator gardens

 For showy white-pink flowers in
summer

 Along paths and walkways

 In mid-beds – would look nice with
brighter pinks and purple flowers

http://www.fourdir.com/p_wooly_milkweed.htm


10. Farm practices matter
a. Use of pesticides & herbicides
decreases number of native &
http://www.earthzine.org/2008/02/14/buzzing-about-climate-change/
honey bees
b. mowing, haying, burning or
grazing and other farm (and
garden) practices can destroy
nests
c. Growing a diversity of plants –
crop & native – benefits
pollinator diversity

http://www.immersivmedia.com/gardensoft/garden_detail.aspx?garden=1085

© Project SOUND

Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis

http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/

© Project SOUND

Blue Toadflax – Nuttallanthus (Linaria) canadensis
 Grows in much of N. America from
Canada to Mexico
 In western CA from OR to Baja;
locally in coastal prairie, PV
 Open sandy areas that are moist in
winter/ spring , then dry with
summer

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Linaria+canadensis

© Project SOUND

http://flippetyfloppety.blogspot.com/2011/05/blue-toad-flax.html

Blue Toadflax: an annual for small places
 Size:
 1-2 ft tall
 ~ 1 ft wide

 Growth form:
 Herbaceous biennial/
annual

 Foliage:
 Blue-green to green
 Leaves long & narrow
 Many leafy stems from
the base

 Foliage poisonous if eaten
http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/bl_toadflax.htm
© Project SOUND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuttallanthus_canadensis

Flowers are dainty
 Blooms: late spring/summer ; can
be Apr-Sept with a little summer
water

 Flowers:
 Small (1/2”), lavender-white
 Look like small snapdragons;
on sturdy stalk
 Open up the stalk – long bloom
period
 Butterflies (Buckeye larval
food) & bees (bumblebees &
long-tongued bees)

 Seeds:
 Many tiny seeds; will
http://www.fireflyforest.com/flowers/1721/nuttallanthus-texanus-texas-toadflax/
naturalize

© Project SOUND
http://oc.encydia.com/es/Nuttallanthus
http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/bloom/species/Nuttallanthus_texanus.htm

Let Toadflax weave
through the garden
 As a secondary plant in cottage
gardens or mixed flower beds
 In rock gardens, ‘streams’ or
rain gardens
 In a native prairie area
http://www.mycornerofkaty.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
 Consider non-native Purple
toadflax as an alternative

http://mashpedia.es/Linaria

http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/bio406d/images/pics/vrn/linaria_texana.htm
© Project SOUND

Summary: lessons about bee pollinators
1. Native pollinators and pollinator relationships are complex
2. Native bees are important pollinators when available in
suitable numbers
3. Agricultural and native ecosystems are linked
4. Proximity matters: food sources must be near nest sites
5. Some plants are better nectar/pollen sources than others
for native bees
6. Size matters: there must be enough suitable food
7. Lack of suitable nest sites can be a serious limitation
8. Often ‘out of the way’ (non-productive) places can be
utilized for bee habitat
9. Creating native ‘bee habitat’ confers additional benefits
10. Farm/garden practices matter

© Project SOUND

What can we do to promote our native
pollinators?
 Plant the plants they need
for food – at all stages of
their lives.
 Provide places where they
can reproduce and provide
for their young
 Protect them by
practicing Integrated Pest
Management – limited use
of pesticides
 Teach others – by word
and example – about the
importance of native
pollinators
© Project SOUND

Gardening for Bee Pollinators 2011

Gardening for Bee Pollinators 2011

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Gardening for Bee Pollinators 2011