Top Native Perennial Plants for Specialist Pollinators 🐝
PHOTO by Megan McCarty. A female Zebra Swallowtail laying an egg on a Pawpaw Tree.
A specialist is an organism that has developed to thrive in a very specific environment, utilize a narrow range of resources, or interact with a limited number of other species. A popular specialist is the Monarch Butterfly, constantly seeking its host plant Milkweed (go plant it y’all!)… But today, we’ll look at some other garden additions that will assist the more picky pollinators…
Pawpaw and the Zebra Swallowtail
What a beauty! The Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly is always in search of one of our all-time favorite native fruit trees: the Pawpaw. The adult butterfly is attracted to the Pawpaw’s large, maroon-colored flowers that emit a subtle, carrion-like odor to lure the butterflies. As the butterfly visits the flowers to feed on nectar, it transfers pollen from one flower to another, facilitating the cross-pollination necessary for the Pawpaw to produce fruit. In return, the Pawpaw tree plays a crucial role in the butterfly’s lifecycle. The butterfly lays its eggs (see photo above) on the leaves of the Pawpaw tree, which are the sole food source for the caterpillars. The leaves of the Pawpaw are rich in nutrients and provide a safe haven for the larvae, enabling them to grow and develop into mature butterflies.
Rose-mallow and the Hibiscus Bee
The Hibiscus Bee (Ptilothrix bombiformis) shares a vital relationship with a native garden plant you’ve likely seen around in the Rose-mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos), a striking wetland plant native to the Southeastern and Eastern United States. Unlike generalist bees, the Hibiscus Bee is finely tuned to the Rose-mallow's large, bowl-shaped flowers, which bloom in late summer. These bees collect the pollen in their dense hind-leg hairs that trap pollen as they forage. You can find these bees diligently burrowing and nesting into sandy soils near the very wetlands perfect for wild colonies of Rose-mallow.
Photo by Melissa Simpson This Hibiscus Bee ensures that the Rose Mallow’s seeds are successfully produced, while the plant provides the bee with a rich and reliable food source during its active season.
Yucca and Yucca Moths
Yucca Moths are the sole pollinators of Yucca plants, a form of obligate mutualism, meaning that neither the Yucca plant nor the Yucca Moth can complete their life cycle without the other. Unlike other pollinators that collect nectar or pollen for themselves, female Yucca Moths actively gather pollen from one Yucca flower and deliberately place it onto the stigma of another flower. This behavior is crucial for the plant's reproduction, as it ensures the fertilization of the Yucca’s ovules, leading to seed formation. After pollinating the flower, the female moth lays her eggs inside the ovary of the Yucca flower. The developing moth larvae feed on some of the seeds, but enough seeds are left intact to ensure the propagation of the plant. Some Yucca species and moths have developed strategies to control the number of eggs laid to prevent the moth larvae from consuming too many seeds, highlighting the ongoing evolutionary dance between these two species!
PHOTO SOURCE Yucca moths are often active in the early evenings while there is still daylight out!
Turtlehead and the Baltimore Checkerspot
The Baltimore Checkerspot’s caterpillar stage features moments where they will feed almost exclusively on Turtlehead leaves, a native US flower of the Chelone genus, making this plant a must for the caterpillars’ development. Adult butterflies are attracted to Turtlehead flowers by their bright white and pink coloration and their tubular shape, which is well-suited to the butterfly’s long proboscis for accessing nectar. The relationship has led to a unique adaptation where the caterpillars are well-adapted to the intense chemical defenses of the Turtlehead plant. It is even said that the ingestion of turtlehead leaves gives the Checkerspot larvae an exotic taste that predators don’t seem to care for.
PHOTO SOURCE The colors of the Baltimore Checkerspot match the colors of the city! Black and orange.
