Re: question about non-native plants and pollinators

**&* A* B* <c*@gmail.com>**

Lots of great research from the University of Sheffield on the native/exotic issue...

Carlo A. Balistrieri
President/CCO
The Botanical Gardening Group
262.490.6163
carlobal@gmail.com

Helping you cure plant blindness one garden at a time

> On Jul 9, 2016, at 3:48 PM, Helen Yoest <helen@gardeningwithconfidence.com> wrote:
> 
> All too often we forget the European Honey bee isn’t native, and may have a preference to those plants native to them.
> 
> Some of the best research I’ve read came out of Longwood by Peter lindtner. I'm studying it in many ways, and one of those ways, will be to evaluate the highest nectar and pollen counts as it relates native versus introduced. 
> 
> Helen Yoest
> 
> www.beebetter.info
> 
> 
>> On Jul 9, 2016, at 4:28 PM, Denise <edibleflowers1@aol.com> wrote:
>> 
>> There is no research so far that says natives are more   Nutritious  than non natives. There are certain natives that are necessary for pollinators to feed
>> on for reproduction and other reasons. Some tight double flowered plants can be problematic. I heard Doug Tallamy say that at a talk at CENTS a couple of years ago.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Jul 9, 2016, at 3:07 PM, Colorado Gardener <cogardener@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> 
>>> No harm in growing non-natives, esp. water-wise plants & those known to be
>>> neonic-free. The concept we try to promote is to plant more natives. I
>>> suggest you watch some of Doug Tallemy's videos of his talks on YouTube -
>>> he's incredibly knowledgeable and eloquent on the topic of Natives vs
>>> non-natives. His research shows - among other things - that natives support
>>> a much bigger number of pollinator species than do non-natives. His
>>> credentials should be listed too or are easily available online.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> This isn't a link but what to search for on You Tube
>>> Doug Tallamy's Plant Natives 2015 presentation.
>>> 
>>> On Sat, Jul 9, 2016 at 11:49 AM, Carolyn Ulrich <cultivated13@gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> I'm well aware of the importance of growing native plants in order to
>>>> benefit pollinating birds and insects. But I also see in my garden that
>>>> certain non-natives attract bees and other insects.  Nepeta, calamintha and
>>>> Allium 'Spring Beauty' attract bees in droves, and the nepeta is
>>>> particuarly valuable, it seems to me, because it gives the bees something
>>>> to eat in May when Joe Pye weed, cultiver's root, echinacea, milkweeds,
>>>> anise hyssop and ironweed are still weeks away from blooming.  I have
>>>> Penstemon digitalis, which the bees like in May, but they also like nepeta
>>>> at that time, and it seems to me that they need the nepeta.
>>>> 
>>>> Should I not grow crocus? At the end of March, when the snow crocus open,
>>>> I always see some bees hovering above them. If I didn't have the crocus,
>>>> what would these bees be able to feed on?
>>>> 
>>>> So is there any "harm" in growing these non-natives?  Does the pollen from
>>>> these and other non-natives negatively affect the ecosystem in some way?
>>>> I'd like to contact someone who can speak authoritatively on this topic and
>>>> not polemically.
>>>> 
>>>> Carolyn Ulrich
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>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
>>> Jane Shellenberger
>>> Publisher, Colorado Gardener
>>> www.coloradogardener.com
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