Pollinator Perspective: Natives or Nativars?

Prompted by public interest in the ignitor of late pollinator declines , researchers at the Chicago Botanic Garden sought to enquire pollinator preferences between true native species and their cultivars . leverage the community science projectBudburst , garden researchers recruited botanic gardens , nature centers , schools , and rest home nurseryman to create the Nativars Research Project in 2018 . bet on their positioning , participant plant a excerption of native perennial plant life and their cultivars from three species lists . When plants are in blush , participants conduct hebdomadal 10 - minute pollinator observations , observe the issue and type of different pollinators that call the bloom .

Early results advise that pollinator visitation varies dramatically between cultivar of the same species . Some cultivars appear as attractive to pollinators as the true native , while others welcome far fewer visit . In the case of Penstemon digitalis , the barbaric - type species and cultivar ‘ Pocahontas ’ appeal double the numeral of pollinators of ‘ Husker Red ’ and ‘ Blackbeard ’ . The number of open flush was correlate positively with more pollinator visit in the straight species ( angry character ) and the cultivar ‘ Pocahontas ’ .

assess pollinator support of new cultivar , along with the score of other component of interest , will provide greater clarity for nurseryman and support the institution of more - in effect pollinator garden . you may learn more about the project and how to participate athttp://budburst.org/nativars .

— Jessamine Finch , PhD , Budburst coach

This article originally appeared as a sidebar inAre Nativars OKfromFine Gardening#192

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