Plants for Pollinators

Updated 07/11/2008

Animal pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds, and bats. Each of us depends on pollinators in a practical way to provide us with the wide range of foods we eat. In addition, pollinators are part of the intricate web that supports the biological diversity in natural ecosystems that helps sustain our quality of life.

Abundant and healthy populations of pollinators can improve fruit set and quality, and increase fruit size. In farming situations this increases production per acre. In the wild, biodiversity increases and wildlife food sources increase.

The NRCS-Plant Materials Program is working to select plants and provide recommendations on plants which will enhance pollinator populations throughout the growing season. These wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and grasses are an integral part of the conservation practices that landowners, farmers and ranchers install as part of their conservation plan.

Events

• Pollinator Field Day June 26, 2008 at the National Plant Materials Center, Beltsville, MD
• 2008 Wildflower Tour at the Jamie L. Whitten Plant Materials Center (Coffeeville, MS) - June 25, 2008
• Pollinator Week 2008 - Events and Information

Publications

• Publications by Plant Materials Centers
• Publications by Topic

Some documents or features may require Acrobat Reader.

Plants for Pollinators in the Intermountain West. (PDF; 1.3 MB) Ogle, Dan, Jim Cane, Frank Fink, Loren St. John and Mark Stannard. 2007. USDA - NRCS, Boise, ID. October 2007. 21p. (ID# 7641)

Introduction to Insect Pollinators. (PDF; 238 KB) Rees, J., Vaughn, M., Williams J. 2007. NRCS, Portland, Oregon. June 2007. 2p. (ID# 7561)

Plants For Pollinators In Oregon. (PDF; 401 KB) Pendergrass, K., Vaughan, M., and Williams, J. USDA-NRCS, Corvallis, OR. March 2008. 26p.

Montana Native Plants for Pollinator-Friendly Plantings. (PDF; 1.9 MB) Montana Plant Materials Staffs. USDA-NRCS, Bozeman, MT. April 2005. 8p.

Saving Pollinators One Butterfly at a Time - Corvallis Plant Materials Center, Oregon - May 11, 2007

Related Web Sites

• American Beekeeping Federation
• North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
• NRCS - Farming for Pollinators
• The Pollinator Partnership
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• Plants Database: Agriculture Resources
  • Beneficial Insects
• Plants Database: Native Plants and Gardening
  • Pollinators

Related Documents

Some documents or features may require Acrobat Reader.

Farming for Pollinators - Native Bees and Your Crops (PDF; 1.9 MB)

NRCS Wildlife Habitat Management Institute Brochure on Native Pollinators (PDF; 4.6 MB)

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