Celebrate National
Pollinator Week
June 19-25, 2023
June is National Pollinator Month and time to celebrate pollinators and spread the word about what we can do to protect them. Most of us have a bit of garden space or at least a container or two. Why not add some native plants to the mix? Native pollinators LOVE native plants and need them for food and habitat. Let that be the song of your people!
The southern piedmont area of the Carolinas is one of the most botanically diverse areas of this country, so there is a huge variety of native plants. And remember to find plants that fit your location, soil type, sun/shade level, and soil drainage level.
One of the best places to start this journey is with a local expert. Dr. Larry Mellichamp was a Biology Professor at UNCC for decades and Director of the Botanical Gardens for years as well. We are fortunate that he left us these books (and several other great ones, but you’ve got to start somewhere): Native Plants of the Southeast and the shorter The Southeast Native Plant Primer, written with Paula Gross and Will Stuart.
Determining what you want is the easy part, but finding the plants is not always easy. Then, there is the whole business of making sure the plants are safe for pollinators. No use planting a pollinator support plant if it’s been sprayed with neo-nicotinoids. It is important to ask about chemical use. Click HERE for a list of suppliers.
Resources to find native plants for our area and your specific requirements: