Lure and help pollinators with buffet of tasty plants

Summer is the perfect time of year to plant a pollinator garden.

Creating a habitat is one of the best ways we can support our pollinators and slow the declines we have experienced in Hawaii due to habitat loss, pesticide usage, disease and introduced species.

Pollinators play a crucial role by aiding in the reproduction of the majority of plants — their actions sustain Hawaii’s food crop production and security and preserve the natural plant communities we depend on to purify our air and water, provide habitat for wildlife, control erosion, sequester carbon and regulate our climate.

Squash, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, mango, macadamia, lychee, guava, passion fruit, starfruit, cacao and citrus are just a few of our favorite locally produced fruits and vegetables that depend on the services of pollinators. In addition, many of the flowering plants that make up our native forests and shrublands rely on pollinators.

WHAT ARE POLLINATORS?

In Hawaii, a host of creatures including bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies and birds act as pollinators, with each having specific needs and preferences.

For example, bees cannot see the color red and tend to be attracted to flowers that are bright white, yellow, blue or ultraviolet and shallow or tubular in shape with a landing platform and a sweet, mild scent, which bees can detect with their antennae. European honeybees, carpenter bees, leafcutter bees and several species of endemic yellow-faced bees (many of which are threatened with extinction) can be found in Hawaii.

Unlike bees, butterflies can see the color red and are attracted to brightly colored flowers, including red and purple, with a faint scent, a narrow, tubular shape and a wide landing platform. Common butterfly species in Hawaii include the King Kamehameha butterfly, the Hawaiian blue, the citrus swallowtail and the painted lady.

Moths are typically attracted to flowers that are pale, dull red, purple, pink or white, strongly sweet-smelling, regular or tubular in shape without a lip and that open and emit their fragrance at night.

Beetle-pollinated flowers are commonly dull white or green, strongly scented (fruity or fetid) and bear a large bowllike shape, like the magnolia flower.

Flies are among the most important insect pollinators locally. Flies are typically attracted to pale and dull to dark brown or purple flowers that emit a putrid smell and bloom under shade.

Birds are attracted to showy scarlet, orange, red or white flowers with large funnel or cuplike shapes, abundant nectar and strong perch support. One of Hawaii’s most beautiful and iconic native birds, the iiwi, endangered on both Oahu and Molokai, plays a key role in pollinating native plant species, such as the ohia lehua.

Tips on Selecting most ideal plants When selecting plants for your pollinator garden, it’s important to incorporate a diversity of plant species to ensure there’s a little something for everyone.

It’s also important to ensure the plants are not invasive. Many plants such as butterfly bush, lantana, wedelia and Hawaiian heather (or false heather) are very attractive to pollinators but carry a high risk of becoming invasive species in native ecosystems.

Native Hawaiian plants are generally the best options for supporting native pollinators and include ohia lehua, naupaka, nehe and ilima. These plants are excellent for pollinators and make wonderful additions to your landscape.

KEY GARDEN DESIGN ELEMENTS

When creating a pollinator garden, it’s important to consider a few key design elements.

Choose plant varieties with overlapping bloom seasons so your garden can serve as a year-round food source for pollinators. Perennials are superior to annuals because they tend to be richer in nectar.

Hybrid doubles such as marigolds and roses are not good choices for the pollinator garden because they provide very little pollen and nectar.

Plants should be planted in vast swatches or clusters of the same species to make them more visible and make it easier for pollinators to forage.

Adding canopy layers to your garden gives pollinators places to roost, nest and seek shelter from predators and adverse weather.

Leaf litter and nesting boxes can provide shelter, and if your site is not protected from the wind, you may need to install a windbreak.

Your pollinator garden must include water elements, such as small pools, ponds or mud puddles. Make sure your water sources have shallow sloping sides so pollinators can safely drink without drowning.

AVOID PESTICIDES OR GO NONTOXIC

Herbicides and insecticides, even organic ones, can be extremely detrimental to pollinators.

If a pesticide is absolutely necessary, it’s important to select the least toxic product available, use it carefully according to the label and apply it at a time when pollinators are not active.

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Kim Perry is a University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources extension agent and the UH Master Gardener coordinator on Kauai. Contact her via email at kperry2@hawaii.edu.