For The Love Of Pollinators: 5 Native Plants to Consider Planting to Help Support Local Pollinators
Article and Illustration by Ella Gostisha, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Studies Major, Program on the Environment ,UW Farm Beekeeping Intern, Spring ’24
Did you know that it takes more than 36 female worker bees to produce one single tablespoon of honey? Honey bees, which are not native to North America, are not only kept to produce honey for human consumption, but are responsible for pollinating more than 80% of all flowering plants, including more than 130 global crops that humans rely on. Unfortunately, threats such as toxic insecticides and pesticides from non-organic industrial agriculture, and urban attempts at pest control through activities like spraying for mosquitoes, actually not only affect the target species, but also spread to harm other insects and animals in the surrounding ecosystem.
Furthermore, habitat loss and threats like varroa mites and disease, are unfortunately leading to the current rapid global decline seen not only honey bees, but other less appreciated pollinators that provide vital ecosystem services. The less appreciated pollinators like bats, bumblebees, wasps, moths, and flies also play a huge role in providing us the food we enjoy. Bats are my favorite underappreciated pollinators, who can carry pollen longer distances than any other pollinator. Bats have over 500 plant species relying on them to pollinate their flowers, including being some of the primary pollinators of human’s favorite tropical and desert plants like blue agave, saguaro cacti, mangos, bananas, durian, guava, bananas, figs, and more.
While we cannot quickly undo the current ecological damage causing the global decline in pollinators, each of us can help support the pollinators we have left by planting specific plants to attract and feed said species. Even if, like myself and many other college students, you don’t have access to your own personal outdoor garden spaces, you can consider making homemade “seed bombs” with native pollinating plants to add a touch of life to any strip of bare or invasive urban greenspace you come across.
Here is a list of plants that you can plant this spring to help support our pollinators, with the added benefit of some medicinal qualities for you! (However, make sure not to over-harvest!)
1. Echinacea, or Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) : Perennial forb, North America native
2. Yarrow, or Devil’s nettle (Achillea millefolium) : Perennial forb, PNW native
3 cups pea shoots or pea tendrils (can substitute with any spring leafy green)
½ cup pistachios, shelled, toasted, unsalted (can substitute pine, walnut, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds)
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (you can use up to ¼ cup based on the consistency you prefer!)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and place a cup of shelled pistachios on a baking sheet. Toast in the oven for about 10 minutes to bring out flavors. Alternatively, you can also buy pre-toasted, shelled (and unsalted) pistachios from your grocery aisle – even in the bulk section! See recipe notes for nut substitutions.
Add 3 cups of pea shoots, 1 cup of toasted nuts, 3 garlic cloves, a teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of ground black pepper to a food processor bowl. Pulse until you reach a coarse consistency.
Slowly add olive oil, pulsing incrementally until the pesto reaches desired consistency for serving. Enjoy!
News and Noteworthy:
Register here for Tilth Alliance’s Community Kitchen Dinner with Ojaswe.
‘Join us June 30 from 5-7 p.m. to eat with pride at a meal featuring Ojaswe, a sustainable food company based in Seattle, WA. This event will explore food waste reduction efforts that start on the farm through regenerative agricultural practices and follow us through choosing ingredients for your home kitchen.
Dinner will be created by our guest chef Ash from Ojaswe who is on a mission to make delicious, nourishing & culturally relevant food accessible on a rapidly warming planet. She is curating a menu that simultaneously honors her roots and cares for our planet.’
The UW Farm donates regularly to the UW Food Pantry. During peak season we also donate to nearby food banks. The links below are resources to help you or someone you know with food access.
Every year, we have the capacity to grow more food and increase our educational and research program at the UW, but not without your support. Every contribution goes to work immediately, helping us better serve students. Your support can sustain our momentum and help seed new opportunities for student internships, academic work, and future growth. Please consider making a gift to the Farm online
The Weekly Dirt is produced once a week by the University of Washington Farm, a program of the UW Botanic Gardens, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, College of the Environment. It is published nearly year-round for educational purposes and the majority of the content is written or contributed by students and farm staff.
This issue’s contributors:
Managing Editor: Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead ’23-24
Around the Farm: By Ella Gostisha, Undergraduate Student, Environmental Studies Major, Program on the Environment ,UW Farm Beekeeping Intern, Spring ’24 Recipe of the Week: Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead ’23-24 Contributing Editors: Perry Acworth, Farm Manager; Siffre Tooth, UW Farm Food Security Lead ’23-24 Photo Credits: Perry Acworth. Other photos retrieved from the internet and noted in sections
