Hummingbirds, like this female ruby-throated hummingbird, act as pollinators by transporting pollen on their feathers and bill. They are particularly attracted to red, tube-shaped flowers.
Photo: Hummingbird on Cardinal Flower by Jen Goellnitz.
All About The Unique Relationships Between Pollinators and Native Plants
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we’re reflecting on perfect matches in nature. Birds, bees and other pollinators each have their own preferences when it comes to attraction. And not every pollinator can pollinate every plant. By choosing the right plants for your garden, you can help pollinators find the plants they love best.
Plants and Pollinators Evolved to Meet Each Other’s Needs
Native plants and pollinators have evolved alongside one another to meet their specific needs. This has led to nuanced and mutually beneficial relationships between them. While several factors—such as bloom time, colour, shape and smell—influence these relationships, some pollinators need a specific plant to survive.
Pollinator’s Food Preferences
Most pollinators are generalists, meaning they visit a variety of plants for nectar and pollen. Other pollinators are specialists and depend on one or two specific plants for their survival. Unlike generalist pollinators, specialist pollinators can’t switch to another food source. For example, the spring beauty miner bee only pollinates the spring beauty flower, a pale-coloured native wildflower that blooms in early spring.
Pollinator’s Time Preferences
The common evening-primrose is another pale-coloured flower. It blooms in the evening and stays open throughout the night. This, along with its pale colours, which are more visible at night, makes it easier for nocturnal pollinators, like moths, to find them.
Pollinator’s Colour Preferences
Some pollinators can’t see the same colours that we can. For example, bees can’t see the colour red. While they may pollinate a red flower, they’re more likely to visit blue, purple and white flowers. Butterflies and hummingbirds tend to prefer red flowers.
Pollinator’s Shape Preferences
Butterflies, hummingbirds and moths have long tongues, allowing them to reach the nectar in tube-shaped and bell-shaped flowers that other pollinators can’t. And while the flower doesn’t necessarily have to be red, a stunning example of this relationship is red columbine and the ruby-throated hummingbird.
Pollinator’s Smell Preferences
Skunk cabbage isn’t named for its colour, shape or bloom time, but for its foul, cabbage-like odour. While this smell may be off-putting to us, it’s highly attractive to some flies. Other flies, like hover and bee flies, are drawn to flowers with a sweet smell, like pin cherry.
Learn How to Create a Pollinator Garden at Home
A new study has found that 22.6 per cent of the 1,579 best-studied pollinators in Canada and the United States are at a higher risk of extinction. Without pollinators, food production and ecosystem function are threatened.
Although small, a pollinator garden can have a big impact. You can help local pollinators find their perfect plant matches by creating a pollinator garden through our Landowner Action Fund. Funding is available to cover between 50 and 100 per cent of the costs for a garden no more than half an acre in size. Connect with us to get started.