Pollinator Garden Tips | Build a Wild Bee Condo I Perennials for Wildlife | Pollinator Bioblitz and More!
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It's Time to Plant a Patch for Pollinators
3 monarchs and a queen butterfly on Gregg's mistflower, video link [ [link removed] ]
Monarchs and a queen butterfly on Gregg's mistflower
Autumn in Texas is the best time to plant, so now's the time to add on to your pollinator garden – or start one! Even a city balcony can transform into a pollinator patch. Keep these 4 tips in mind when you choose plants:
* Native plants [ [link removed] ] are the ideal choice – they don't need much water and can withstand Texas heat. Find a local nursery with a native plants section.
* Annual plants must reseed or be replanted. Most annuals you see at nurseries are not natives. Perennials will grow back each year.
* Note how long the sun shines on your patch – some flowering plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun, some bloom in semi-shade.
* Seeds will save you money and cover a lot of ground, but they can take time, like planting wildflower seeds in fall [ [link removed] ] for spring blooms. Installing already-blooming plants into your garden will attract pollinators right away.
For more tips, see How to Plant a Pollinator Garden [ [link removed] ], and watch our short video Get Started with Native Plants [ [link removed] ].
Add a Wild Bee Condo to Your Space
Bee condo with two bees, video link [ [link removed] ]
Texas has 800+ different species of wild bees [ [link removed] ], also called native, stingless or solitary bees. They co-evolved with native flowers to physically fit together, so they're very effective pollinators. This partnership of thousands of years continues today in your garden of native flowering plants.
One way our native bees differ from honeybees is that most don't have the instinct to defend a hive, so it's unlikely they'll sting. Find out more about what makes wild bees different in our video Honeybees vs. Native Pollinators – Tips from a Wildlife Biologist [ [link removed] ].
You can support our wild bees with the shelter of a bee condo, also called a bee block or house. They're affordable and easy to find, or you can build one [ [link removed] ]. It's great fun to watch the different kinds of bees fly in and out, and you can I.D. them using iNaturalist [ [link removed] ]. For more about bee condos, watch our short video The Bee Condo: Attract Non-aggressive, Solitary Bees to Help Pollination [ [link removed] ].
Plants for Wildlife: Flame Acanthus + Mistflower
Giant yellow swallowtail on flame acanthus [ [link removed] ]
Giant swallowtail butterfly on flame acanthus
Native perennials flame acanthus and Gregg's mistflower withstand Texas heat and drought, and continue to bloom year after year.
Flame acanthus [ [link removed] ] is covered in tubular red flowers summer through fall, supporting hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators that find them irresistible.
Monarch butterfly on Gregg's blue mistflower [ [link removed] ]
Monarch butterfly on Gregg's mistflower
Gregg's mistflower [ [link removed] ] sports clusters of pale purple flowers that are a magnet for monarchs and other butterflies – plus birds eat their seeds.
Check anywhere native plants are sold for these 2 popular plants. Plant them in fall, so they're established by summer.
Monarch butterfly CLP license plate, with link [ [link removed] ]
Don't Miss the Pollinator Bioblitz!
Native bee covered in pollen on flower, link [ [link removed] ]
One of the best events of fall is the fun and free Texas Pollinator Bioblitz [ [link removed] ], happening Oct. 11-27. Join in this annual celebration by taking photos of pollinators like beetles, moths, bats, bees, hummingbirds, flies, wasps and butterflies, then posting them on social media or iNaturalist [ [link removed] ] with #TxPollinators. Don't forget to check out what other Bioblitzers have found while you're there!
Other ways to join in:
* Sign up [ [link removed] ] for emailed prompts, like, "Find a striped pollinator."
* Join events [ [link removed] ] near you. They're happening around the state, taking place day and night (nocturnal pollinators!).
The Pollinator Bioblitz is a great way to get out and enjoy the cool weather, see some things you may have never noticed before, and become part of the Pollinator Bioblitz community. We'll see you out there!
"A message from our non-profit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:"
Introducing TPWF’s New Pollinators & Prairies Program!
White moth on a firewheel flower, link [ [link removed] ]
Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF) is launching a new Pollinators & Prairies program to help native pollinators and prairies thrive.
Through *Pollinators & Prairies* [ [link removed] ]*, *TPWF is working with dedicated conservation partners to increase healthy prairie habitat and pollinator populations, encouraging Texans to plant native grasses and wildflowers, and funding critical research to guide management strategies for our vital pollinators.
“We are delighted to collaborate with our many conservation partners on the ground to make a difference for pollinators and prairies in Texas,” said TPWF Executive Director Anne Brown.
The program is generously supported by presenting sponsor H-E-B, with additional support from Phillips 66.
Pollinators & Prairies [ [link removed] ]
"A message from our non-profit partner, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation:"
H-E-B’s Texas Native Plant Week Celebration
Bluebonnet and buttercup/primrose blossoms, link [ [link removed] ]
This week marks Native Plant Week in Texas, and H-E-B is celebrating by featuring a diverse array of Texas native plants [ [link removed] ] at 200+ stores from October 14-30. TPWF and the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) have teamed up with H-E-B to encourage Texans to plant native wildflowers and grasses for pollinators.
Pick up a free pocket prairie seed mix packet at one of 18 select H-E-B stores [ [link removed] ] on Sat., Oct. 19, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and NPSOT volunteers will be there to answer your questions about pollinator gardening.
"A message from our sponsor:"
Toyota truck ad, with link [ [link removed] ]
"Messages from Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine advertisers:"
Visit Laredo, with link [ [link removed] ]
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