Summer Pollinator Bloom

It has been a couple of months since I shared a visit in our pollinator garden, and we were in the middle of a warm and wet spring which turned into a hot, dry summer.  Now, it is mid-summer and a new set of flowers are in bloom and being heavily visited by a variety of pollinators including bees, wasps, ants and butterflies. 

The coneflowers, members of the Aster family, are an easily recognized group of flowers.  Grey-headed coneflower, Ratabida pinnata, grows a tall stalk, up to 4′, with a grey/green head of seeds surrounded by bright yellow, drooping rays.  From the base of the flower moving upwards, seeds turn brown as they mature and are a favorite food for goldfinch.  This species is also known for attracting many beneficial insects such as chalcid wasps, syrphid flies and minute pirate bugs, that keep harmful insects including caterpillars, sawfly larvae and various beetles under control.  Purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea, is a nectar source for monarch, red admiral and swallowtail butterflies.  Considered a rare species in northern Illinois, it can grow up to 5′ tall.  Flower heads are 2.5″-5″ in diameter composed of up to 20 purple petals surrounding an orange-brown array of disk flowers.  A similar species is the pale purple coneflower, Echinacea pallida.  Flowers are on single stems up to 3′ tall with pale purple petals that are skinnier and droopier than the purple coneflower.  The center of the flower head is a dark brown array of disk flowers.  More commonly found than purple coneflower, this plant is visited by a much greater variety of butterflies including American Lady, Red Admiral, Great Spangled Fritillary and Baltimore Checkerspot.

The black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta, is another member of the Aster family.  Flowers are on single stalks growing to 3.5′ tall and are 2″-3″ wide with a dark brown, button-like central disk surrounded by 8-20 yellow, ray flowers.  Historically, a tea was made from the leaves for treatment of common cold symptoms, and flower petals made be used to make yellow dyes.  The plant is a food source for almost four dozen bee species in our area, providing both pollen and nectar.  In addition, many species of wasps, beetles, true bugs and butterflies also feed on this plant.

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis, a shrub commonly found in wet areas, hosts more than two dozen bird species in addition to bees, true bugs and butterflies.  This shrub can grow from 3′ to more than 12′ tall, and likes moist to permanently wet soils.  Flower heads appear as bristly balls on stalks attached to the main stem at the junction of leaf stalks.  Each flower structure is about 1″ in diameter containing a nut-like fruit that stays on the shrub through most of the winter, providing a great food source for non-migrating native birds. 

Common ironweed, Vernonia fasciculata, grows up to 6′ high and offers both nectar and pollen for insects.  Flower heads form a dense cluster at the top of each stalk and are composed of 15-25 brightly colored purple disk flowers.  Bees are able to see in the ultra-violet ranges, and the outer surface of the flowers reflect ultra-violet light, while the inner surfaces absorb it.  This contrast makes the flower easy to locate for bees.  Seeds are fluffy, brown and wind-dispersed.  This plant is a host species for American Painted Lady butterflies and several additional butterflies that regularly visit for nectar including Easter Tiger Swallowtail, Monarch and Pearl Crescent.

The Cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis, provides a colorful contrast to some of the other plants at this time of year.  An uncommon species, possibly due to its intolerance of areas with road salt, it can be found growing wild in woodlands, typically along stream beds.  It is regularly visited by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.  The flowers are a brilliant red arranged in a long column from the top of the stem downward.  These species will make a wonderful addition to any pollinator or perennial garden.