You may have heard that pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food we eat, but a recent study suggests that wild plants are even more dependent on pollinators. Consolidating information from hundreds of studies that measured seed production in the presence or absence of pollinators, researchers led by James G. Rodger at Stellenbosch University in South Africa calculated that about 175,000 species globally—that’s half of all flowering plant species—mostly or completely rely on animal pollinators to move pollen from one flower to another, which facilitates genetic mixing. In this way, pollinators are essential for plant biodiversity, and because plants are a critical part of the food web, pollinators are also essential for ecosystem-level biodiversity and resilience.
The third week in June—this year, June 20-26—is Pollinator Week, an opportunity to celebrate and protect pollinators. Each of us can play a role through supporting habitat and pollinator protection (here’s a California bill that just passed the State Assembly and is now moving to the State Senate) or growing pollinator-friendly native plants in our gardens. Our CNPS East Bay Chapter’s Native Here Nursery offers many locally native plants that provide sustenance for pollinators, and several are available in abundance right now.
Naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum)
In the universe of pollinator-friendly native plants, buckwheats (genus Eriogonum) are superstars, and among the buckwheats, naked buckwheat is a standout. This species’ flowers not only provide nectar and pollen to many species of bees, tiny wasps, pollinating flies, and adult butterflies, but also seeds to birds and small mammals.
Eriogonum nudum is widespread in sunny, dry, open places in much of Central and Northern California. Once established in the garden, it will grow with little or no summer water in sunny, well-drained locations. The low mound of gray-green leaves sends up two-foot-tall delicately branched leafless (naked) inflorescences that bear dainty white-to-pink cotton ball–like flowers in the spring and summer. Naked buckwheat looks especially good when planted in masses.
In the wild
Naked buckwheat has a wide distribution in Central and Northern California, from the coastal strand to the Sierra Nevada in exposed sunny sites.
In the garden
Sun: full sun
Water: once established, prefers very little summer water; drought tolerant
Soil: needs good drainage, prefers rocky or gravely soil
Chaparral penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus var. heterophyllus)
This two-foot-tall evergreen perennial is very showy when it’s in bloom, and its flowers are a boon to pollinators. From about May through July, chaparral penstemon’s wide-mouthed violet flowers open in profusion from pretty yellow buds along one- to-two-foot spikes above the plant’s shiny, dark green leaves. The tubular flowers produce nectar that invites hummingbirds, native bees, and butterflies, and the plant’s leaves provide food for checkerspot butterfly larvae.
Chaparral penstemon is another plant that likes sun and tolerates heat but needs well-drained soil. It can be long-lived in the wild, but with less-than-ideal conditions in a garden, it may not live as long. Cutting off the spent flower stalks after the first bloom will stimulate a second bloom period, and some say it may also prolong the life of the plant. Whether long- or short-lived, chaparral penstemon is worth growing for its beauty and service to pollinators.
In the wild
Chaparral penstemon is a California endemic found in grassland, chaparral, and forest openings mainly in the coastal mountain ranges.
In the garden
Sun: full sun, perhaps with some late-afternoon shade in hot areas
Water: once established, needs little or no water in summer; drought tolerant
Soil: needs good drainage
Diablo helianthella (Helianthella castanea)
Diablo helianthella is named for its small natural distribution: it is found only in the San Francisco Bay Area, mostly in the East Bay hills, and especially in and around Mount Diablo State Park. Its commercial distribution is also very limited: currently it is only available at Native Here Nursery.
This perennial plant starts as a low clump of long, deep green leaves, then in April through June it sends up foot-long flower stems, each topped with a big, bright yellow daisy-like flower. The flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and a good “landing pad” for butterflies consuming the nectar. In the garden, it’s a beauty that does well on sunny slopes or other spots with good drainage and little supplemental irrigation. After its bloom season ends, it dries and dies back to its roots until the following spring.
In the wild
Diablo helianthella is found in open grassy places in the hills of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially in the East Bay.
In the garden
Sun: full sun
Water: once established, needs only occasional supplemental water
Soil: best with good drainage
Kellogg’s yampah (Perideridia kelloggii)
You can provide a native food source for the larvae of the anise swallowtail butterfly by planting Kellogg’s yampah in your garden. These big, beautiful, yellow-and-black butterflies lay their eggs on plants in the Apiaceae (the carrot family). In California before European contact, all of the Apiaceae species were native. But as native Apiaceae habitat has been developed or overtaken by invasive species, the butterflies have generalized to take advantage of what’s available, often non-native fennel. By growing Kellogg’s yampah in your garden, you’ll be offering native food for native butterflies, which just seems like the right thing to do.
Kellogg’s yampah is a delicate and airy, easy-care herbaceous perennial that can reach as much as five feet tall, including its tall inflorescences bearing many showy spherical clusters of small white flowers in mid-summer. Kellogg’s yampah looks especially nice when planted in masses, and it can be spectacular in a native meadow, especially with stunning anise swallowtail butterflies flitting around it. After its bloom period ends, the plant will go dormant until the next spring.
In the wild
Kellogg’s yampah is a Californica endemic that grows in open grasslands and serpentine outcrops in Central to Northern California and the Sierra Nevada foothills.
In the garden
Sun: full sun to late afternoon shade—the more sun, the taller the plant
Water: once established, tolerates infrequent to moderate watering; allow the plant to do dry after its bloom period ends
Soil: prefers well-drained soil, but can adapt to garden soils
Great Valley gumplant (Grindelia camporum)
Although its leaves are resinous and its flower buds are coated in a protective gummy substance, the flowers of Great Valley gumplant attract many pollinators (there’s no gum on the business side of the flowers). Many kinds of native bees collect pollen from Great Valley gumplant’s many large, bright yellow daisy-like flowers, and butterflies visit them for nectar.
What makes Great Valley gumplant attractive to gardeners is its easy care. From winter dormancy, it grows into an attractive, upright plant with stiff, dark green foliage along its one- to three-foot stems. In spring and summer, the flowers open at the ends of the stems. “Tough” is an often-used word for this plant, which grows happily in disturbed areas like ditches and roadsides as well as in its varied natural habitats. It’s drought tolerant and adaptable to various soil types, and it likes the sun.
In the wild
Great Valley gumplant is found in a number of habitats from the North Coast Ranges to Baja, including lowlands of interior valleys, coastal bluffs, and mountains up to 4,000 feet.
In the garden
Sun: full sun, partial sun
Water: drought tolerant once established
Soil: adaptable to rich or poor soil, heavy clay, and saline or alkaline soil
Golden-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium californicum)
This herbaceous perennial isn’t as big a pollinator attractor as the previous five, but we have lots of it and it’s lovely. Some growers say butterflies visit the flowers of golden-eyed-grass for nectar, and some say bees visit them to collect pollen. Its other attributes make it worth growing: it’s easy if you have a moist place in your garden or like growing showy flowers in pots.
Golden-eyed-grass is closely related to blue-eyed-grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)—both are diminutive members of the iris family—but its needs and appearance are rather different. Golden-eyed-grass forms compact clumps of blue-green grass-like leaves that top out at eight inches to a foot tall. In May and June, numerous half-inch star-shaped yellow flowers bloom just above the foliage. It likes to have wet feet, but it’s not picky about soil. And if you don’t have a wet place in your garden, it will be very happy and showy in a well-watered pot.
In the wild
Golden-eyed-grass is found in moist places near the coast from Monterey County north.
In the garden
Sun: full sun near the coast, a little afternoon shade in the interior
Water: prefers regular water, especially inland
Soil: adaptable to a range of soils from sandy to clay
We hope you’ll take some time during Pollinator Week (or any week) to appreciate the insects and birds that are so essential to biodiversity—as well as the native plants they depend on.
— Native Here Nursery volunteers, CNPS East Bay Chapter
June 2022
