IDENTIFYING “POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY” CULTIVARS FOR GARDENS AND GREENROOFS
Open Access
- Author:
- Landry, Jennifer Leigh
- Graduate Program:
- Horticulture
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- None
- Committee Members:
- Robert Berghage Jr., Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Robert Berghage Jr., Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- pollinator friendly
greenroof - Abstract:
- Home gardens and greenroofs have the potential to provide foraging resources for native and managed pollinators. The importance of identifying plants that offer adequate forage for pollinators is becoming increasingly important as pollinator populations continue to decline. It has been demonstrated that high nectar secretion rates do not necessarily illicit more pollinator visits; the insect and flower morphology can limit or prevent access to floral rewards. The cultivated novelties of some cultivars occur at the expense of reproductive organs, rendering them useless to pollinators. The Master Gardeners of Pennsylvania have begun providing educational opportunities for consumers to learn about pollinator-friendly garden selections. In an effort to provide them with regionally accurate information, surveys of insect visits to primarily recently introduced garden annual cultivars were conducted at the Penn State Horticulture Trial Gardens located at the Landisville Research Center throughout the summer of 2008. The surveys resulted in a list of 18 pollinator friendly genera that accounted for 96% of all bee visits. In addition, insect surveys of commonly used greenroof plants were conducted to identify and make recommendations for pollinator-friendly greenroof plants. The resulting list consisted of 15 cultivars that accounted for 96% of all bee visits.