bumble bee
SPRING AHEAD WITH BUMBLE BEE GARDEN KITS FROM THE XERCES SOCIETY

Spring is just around the corner, and now is a great time to start planning your pollinator garden for the year ahead. For the first time ever, the Xerces Society is pleased to offer a Bumble Bee Garden Kit consisting of some of the best native wildflowers for attracting bumble bees in the United States.  

 

The bumble bee garden kit includes ten different species (38 plants total) that are suitable for gardens in most of the United States. The flowers will provide bloom from spring to fall, supporting bumble bees throughout the active season. While the plant species have been selected for bumble bee appeal, they are broadly attractive to an incredible diversity of pollinators.  

 

The kits are produced in collaboration with JFNew Nursery, a national leader in natural areas restoration. No pesticides are used in the propagation of the kits. The plants will ship as live plugs ready for planting during Pollinator Week 2011 (June 19-25).  

 

The flowers in these kits will grow in most sunny garden locations (see the map below for suitable regions), and are a perfect addition to urban and suburban flower beds, school and community gardens, office parks, and parking strips.  

 

Bumble Bee Garden Kits can only be sold to addresses in the United States.  

 

Xerces Member Cost (includes shipping): $66.00 

Non-Member Cost (includes shipping): $76.00           

 

Pre-order your Bumble Bee Garden Kit by Friday, April 22nd! They will be shipped by JFNew Nursery in late-June.


Plant species in the bumble bee garden kits are compatible with most sunny garden locations within the area shown in green on the map below.

 

 

Note that these kits are not intended to be used in natural areas. Although native to North America, the flowers are not necessarily native to all areas and should not be considered a substitute for locally native plants in restoring natural areas; consult a local native plant nursery when working in sensitive habitats.

Bumblebee Garden kits include:     

 

Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)   

Yellow Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata 

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)   

Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)  

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)  

Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum 

Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii  

Riddell's Goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii)     

New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae 

Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)  

WHY BUMBLE BEE GARDENS?
With growing evidence that several bumble bee species in the United States are on the decline, it is increasingly important to find ways to support these important pollinators. New research suggests that home gardens may be more important for bumble bees than previously thought. Researchers in Britain demonstrated that survival of bumble bee in areas dominated by agriculture was positively associated with gardens. Although home gardens corresponded to just a small fraction of the landscape, the flowers and nest sites they supported were important for bumble bees. The scientists also found that the positive influence of gardens spills over onto nearby farmland. Agricultural crops located within half a mile of gardens were more likely to receive visits from bumble bees.
OUR MISSION
The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in 1971, the Society is at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.xerces.org.
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PUBLICATIONS
The Xerces Society is pleased to announce the publication of our new book, Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies, published by Storey Publishing. Read more.

Additional publications for sale at www.xerces.org.
PHOTO CREDIT

Almost every time the imperiled rusty-patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) has been seen in recent years it has been on wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa). Photograph by Johanna James-Heinz.


The Xerces Society � 4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, Oregon 97215 USA � tel 855.232.6639
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