Save the Bees!
Botanical Name: see species below
Description
This packet of Michigan native, perennial, wildflowers contains plants that attract and provide necessary food and habitat for bees, pollinators, and other insects. Native plants provide needed biodiversity that is so often lacking in many landscapes. In collaboration with Greg Vaclavek of the Native Plant Nursery, we have selected plants that will provide a display of bloom progressing through the growing season. Plants range in height from 3-6 feet tall and require a full sun location. Once established they are relatively low maintenance. Although they may re-seed, in our experience, none of these plants will become excessively “weedy.” Since perennial plants can take a few years to get established, we recommend sowing annual plants with this native plant seed (such as Hopi Red Dye Amaranth or Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale) to fill in the area and keep weeds out for the first few years. Seeds are Midwest genotype. Packet covers 100 sq ft. MWF
Mix includes: Beebalm (Monarda fistulosa), Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata), Hairy Beard-tongue (Penstemon hirsutus), Tall Coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis), Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia Siphilitica), Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum), Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum), Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa), Smooth Aster, (Aster laevis).
Growing
Growing Instructions (for USDA Zone 5b):
Native wildflowers require a “cold stratification” or cold treatment before they will germinate. Choose one of 3 options: 1) sow seeds outside before March 1st. 2) mix the seeds into ½ cup of moist sand in a sealed plastic bag and place in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks before planting. 3) Plant the seeds in the fall so they are naturally exposed to the cold & will germinate the following spring/summer. Plant these native wildflowers in bare mineral soil In a full sun location. Prepare area by removing weeds and loosen soil surface with a rake. Hand broadcast (sow) seeds evenly over area. Water seeds with a light sprinkle after sowing. From seed, these plants can take 1-3 years to become established and large enough to flower. We recommend sowing annual plant seeds to fill in the area until the native plants get established. Try Hopi Red Dye Amaranth or Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale. Seed packet covers 100 sq ft.
Seed Saving Instructions (for gardeners):
Hand harvest seeds after plants have flowered and seeds begin to mature but before the seeds fall off of the plant. Or, cover immature seed heads with a paper bag and securely wrap the paper around the plant stem with string. When seeds are mature, cut stem, invert paper bag, and shake to dislodge seeds from plants.
.Seed Stories
“Native plants” are plants that occur in natural ecosystems. Native plants are generally those that made up North American ecosystems before European colonization. Starting with European colonization and continuing today, human activities like logging, land clearing, plowing, building, as well as the worldwide transportation of plant species have lead to a massive disruption of natural ecosystems and a significant loss of native plants. Many of us think that native plants are just those pesky weeds or roadside plants, but in fact, many common wild plants are non-native plants and many of those non-native plants are considered invasive species. Native plants, especially native wildflowers and grasses, are missing from most landscapes. They are a crucial component of biological diversity and are the foundation for all life in the food chain. Because native insects evolved feeding on native plants, native plants are the best way for gardeners to provide food and habitat for native bees and insects. They also provide food for honeybees. Planting native plants is one small but significant way for gardeners to contribute to ecological restoration. For more information about ecological restoration see http://www.wildones.org/. We chose the plants in our mix based on research conducted at Michigan State University that investigated which native plants are the best at attracting beneficial insects and pollinators for our region. For more info about native plants and beneficial insects, see http://nativeplants.msu.edu/. We sourced the plants from Greg Vaclavek of the Native Plant Nursery who collects Michigan genotype native plant seed following strict protocols for ethical seed collecting. The Native Plant Nursery database provides an excellent resource: http://www.nativeplant.com/plants/search/input. Some of the seeds in our mix were grown by Michigan Wildflower Farm.
