Latest news with #wildflowers
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Science
- Forbes
What Are The Best Wildflowers To Attract Bees?
Not all commercial wildflower seed mixes are created equal in the eyes of our insect overlords. Now that summer has finally arrived, people are planting wildflower seed mixes to attract and support the dwindling number and variety of wild bees and other beneficial insect pollinators. Some of us create our own wildflower seed mixes whilst others purchase ready-made commercial seed mixes. Additionally, annual flowering seed mixes are often planted and grown in public gardens, parks, along roadsides, in traffic verges and in other urban areas. Farmers sometimes plant these mixes alongside food crops to enhance pollination. But some of the flower species included in these mixes may not be the most pollinator-friendly. So this raises the question: which wildflowers species are best for supporting our struggling insect friends? Is it best to plant native wildflowers seeds instead of non-natives? Should seed mixes contain only flowering plants, or is including some non-flowering plants in the mix also helpful? An international collaboration of scientists based at institutions throughout the UK and Denmark pondered these same questions. To find some answers, they surveyed 477 scientific papers, field tested four commercially available seed mixes and then developed and field tested two novel experimental wildflower seed mixes of their own by counting the numbers of beneficial pollinators – bumblebees, solitary bees and hoverflies – that visited the wildflowers. It's important to remember that ensuring a continuous and overlapping supply of flowers is essential to supporting a diverse population of wild pollinators, by accommodating different forage preferences and flight periods of different pollinator species. And of course, one mustn't forget the human factor: some of these wildflower seed mixes were simply more aesthetically pleasing to the public. Perhaps surprisingly, the study revealed that seed mixes containing non-native flowering plants along with native species had higher establishment rates and longer flowering periods. The study also finds that of those seed mixes that attracted pollinating insects in higher numbers, a small number of key wildflower species were visited frequently, and these preferred flower species differed between pollinator groups. But because many urban areas are more alike than they are different, are these 'best wildflower' species the same across urban areas in, say, the United States, Canada or Australia? 'The study was carried out in the UK, so the list of species is most appropriate for northern Europe,' the study's senior author, botanist Natasha de Vere, told me in email. Professor de Vere is Professor and Curator of Botany at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, where she is an expert on plant-pollinator interactions and the link between biodiversity and human well-being. That said, Professor de Vere and collaborators are still testing their novel wildflower seed mixes in different climates. 'We have just planted one of our seed mixes at the Natural History Museum of Denmark in the Botanical Garden so we can see how well it does in the Danish climate,' Professor de Vere explained in email. Do wildflower seed mixes provide everything that wild pollinators need? 'Annual seed mixes can provide a beautiful and colourful display of flowers in gardens and parks that can help to provide nectar and pollen for pollinators,' Professor de Vere replied in email. 'But seed mixes cannot replace abundant flowering plants within the wider landscape and it is important to think about all the needs of pollinators. As well as sufficient flowers through the year, bees need suitable habitat for foraging such as hollow cavities, bare ground and a range of grass height." You mentioned hoverflies in your study. Do hoverflies have different needs from bees? 'The larvae of different hoverfly species can have very different needs: some are predators on plants, whilst some need ponds or decaying wood,' Professor de Vere said in email. The larvae of other hoverflies are voracious predators of common pest insects, such as aphids. Keeping in mind the sensitivities of bees and the appetites of hoverfly larvae, it is strongly recommended not to use either herbicides or pesticides because these chemicals poison and kill the very insects we are working to protect and support. Based on their findings, the study's authors recommend adding these annual 'pollinator-friendly' wildflower seeds to your mixes to attract and support a variety of beneficial pollinating insects: Lucy Witter, Laura Jones, Abigail Lowe, Will Ritchie, Peter Dennis, Gemma Beatty, and Natasha de Vere (2025). The pick of the plot: An evidence-based approach for selecting and testing suitable plants to use in annual seed mixes to attract insect pollinators, Plants, People, Planet | doi:10.1002/ppp3.70041 © Copyright by GrrlScientist | hosted by Forbes | Socials: Bluesky | CounterSocial | LinkedIn | Mastodon Science | MeWe | Spoutible | SubStack | Threads | Tumblr | Twitter
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Treasure found on 'miserable' rural road exposes frustrating problem
A native 'treasure' seen blooming on the side of 'the most miserable' road has highlighted a frustrating and puzzling problem plaguing a remote region of Australia. After spending several months conducting vegetation surveys in Western Australia's northern agricultural region, about two hours from Perth, council worker Rachel Walmsley was not necessarily surprised when she saw the grim condition of Miling North Road. Despite being the 'gateway' to WA's wildflower country, the Community Landcare Coordinator for Moore Catchment Council noted its reserves were almost completely devoid of native plants. In a video posted online, Walmsley pans the camera from one side of the road to the other, pointing out the stark contrast between the 'horrible' weedy grasses sprouting on one side, and a single 'remnant' eucalyptus plant featuring bright pink flowers on the other. 'Why wouldn't you want to see that on the side of the road?' she says while admiring the pear-fruited mallee, which she said was the 'highlight' of her day. 'Unfortunately, there's been heaps just knocked out." 'Just sensational native vegetation, and we just seem to want to reduce it to this,' she added, pointing to a huge mass of African Lovegrass — which is considered to be a serious weed and a fire hazard — emerging from the other side of the road. Speaking to Yahoo News, Walmsley said the flowering eucalypt pyriformis flowering 'shows how fantastically beautiful WA's wheatbelt native vegetation is yet it keeps disappearing from the roadsides for various reasons'. She explained Miling North Road is managed by two local shires, including the Shire of Moora, and is lacking native plants on the reserve for most of its length. However it's not totally clear who is responsible for the persistent clearing. 'The Shire managed road reserves have ended up looking like this so you have to question how, and why some road reserves are intact and why some are devoid of native vegetation,' Walmsley said. 'Is it the shires and their contractors not really caring about native vegetation or not ecologically trained? Is it local landowners acting in their own interest?' The council worker is comparing her assessments to those documented 10 years ago, and when she's finished, a report that will be shared with Moora Shire and the public. '[It] will be interesting to see what reactions result,' she told Yahoo. 'These assessments echo many of the shire road reserves throughout the WA wheatbelt – in a poor state.' 🌸 Sad reality behind 'beacon of pink' found on Aussie roadside 🚘 Incredibly rare sight on side of remote Aussie road wows tourists 🌱 Bad smelling flower found near road reveals 'rampant' problem Ninety per cent of the wheatbelt has been cleared of plants endemic to the area, and the nearby eucalypt woodlands are considered critically endangered, which has a huge impact on the environment, Walmsley said. 'These corridors of native trees and shrubs are not only critical for good native biodiversity outcomes, they act as wind breaks, dust suppression, cool soil and air around them, reduces erosion on roadsides, prevent weeds, create ecosystem services for farmers with beneficial insects and birds,' she said. 'Plus they are a cost-effective tourism asset — a free display of unique flora which tourists are evermore seeking. The list goes on and on.' The priorities moving forward are to protect any remaining native vegetation and re-plant what has been removed, Walmsley added. 'This may involve investment from the state in financial incentives to landowners either side of the road if considered too narrow (or other excuses).' Yahoo News has contacted Moora Shire for comment. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
San Francisco man dons bee suit as part of his mission to save the city's bees
In a city where you can see just about anything, a man in a bee suit on a one-wheeler still manages to turn heads. It looks like a plea for attention, and it is — just not from people. Shalaco McGee is trying to attract bees. "When I see weeds, I spread seeds. sprinkle, sprinkle," McGee said. He calls himself Mr. Bloom, and he has made it his mission to plant wildflowers in the forgotten corners of the city. His method of choice is an old Parmesan shaker filled with native wildflowers, the kind that make San Francisco bees feel right at home. "This is a great way to connect and learn about the world around you and help support it just with the flick of the wrist," he said. It's a little bit of costume, a little bit of armor, and just ridiculous enough to work. Asked what the bees thought of his attire, he said, "Who knows? The world doesn't revolve around me. Those are busy bees." It started with a simple idea: beautify the city and bring back the bees. And somewhere between the sidewalk and the seed tosses, it took root. Before long, his social media accounts started blooming too, with nearly a million followers watching the city come back to life, and not a moment too soon. A March 2025 report shows bees aren't buzzing like they used to; more than 22 percent of native pollinators in North America are now at an elevated risk of extinction. But not everyone is on board with this kind of behavior. Daniel Montes of San Francisco's Rec and Parks Department said a little buzz can be a good thing, but only to a point. "It's not something we encourage. But it's great to see the enthusiasm and the passion, and it's great to see that he's inspiring people," said Montes. That might sting, but it hasn't stopped Mr. Bloom from suiting up. "It's beautiful. I'm just here being myself," he said.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
‘Thrilling moment' in fight to save rare plant
Conservationists are celebrating the resurgence of the lady's-slipper orchid, one of Britain's rarest wildflowers, after the discovery of the first new plant in the wild after almost a century. The lady's-slipper orchid, driven to near-extinction by Victorian plant hunters and habitat loss, was believed to have disappeared from the UK by the early 20th century, until a single plant was discovered in 1930. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust secured a grant from Natural England 's species recovery programme two years ago to protect the habitat, rear new orchids, and reintroduce plants into a suitable habitat. Monitoring has uncovered a 'new' lady's-slipper orchid at one of the reintroduction sites, indicating that planted-out orchids had managed to produce seeds that germinated into new plants. Jono Leadley, managing the project on behalf of the trust, hailed the discovery as a 'truly thrilling moment'.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
First new wild lady's-slipper orchid found for 100 years marks conservation win
A decades-long bid to bring back one of Britain's 'rarest and most impressive' wildflowers has seen success with the first new plant found in the wild in nearly 100 years. Conservationists now hope the lady's-slipper orchid, which came close to vanishing from the English countryside, could one day be restored across its former range. The striking lady's-slipper orchid was believed to be extinct in the UK by the early 20th century, due to over-collection by plant hunters gripped by the Victorian orchid craze, and loss of its habitat. But discovery of a single plant in a remote location in the Yorkshire Dales in 1930 prompted round-the-clock protection by decades of dedicated volunteers, and later efforts to propagate and reintroduce orchids to former haunts. Two years ago, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust secured a grant from Natural England's species recovery programme to ramp up the work protecting the habitat, rearing many new orchids and reintroducing plants into suitable habitat. Last year, monitoring uncovered the first 'new' lady's-slipper orchid in nearly 100 years at one of the reintroduction sites, which meant planted-out orchids had managed to produce seeds that had germinated into new plants. Jono Leadley, managing the project on behalf of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said the discovery of the new plant in the wild was a 'truly thrilling moment'. 'To see a healthy population of lady's-slipper orchids back in their native area that are now reproducing themselves gives us real hope for the future,' he said. 'This first sign of success is a result of decades of dedication and commitment shown by many volunteers and the staff of the various organisations involved,' he added. Efforts to boost the population of lady's-slipper orchids, whose last-known wild location remained a closely-guarded secret, began in the 1990s, with a plea for help that resulted in a small number of privately-owned, wild-sourced orchids being offered as part of a captive breeding programme. Plants were reintroduced to locations in the north of England – which were also kept secret to avoid the ongoing threat of theft. The project since 2023 has been led by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and supported by partners Natural England, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the National Trust, Plantlife and the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI). Orchids were propagated by Kew, which has worked for many years on saving the species, using techniques that meant many more seedlings sprouted than in the wild, with young plants then nurtured by a network of volunteer orchid specialists managed by the National Trust. Suitable wild sites were identified by Plantlife and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts, with young orchids planted out with expert help from BSBI, who also closely monitored and assessed each site. Reintroductions were carried out at three new sites in Yorkshire and several hundred new orchids were produced to be planted out in future years. In June last year, an orchid which had grown naturally at one of the reintroduction sites was discovered, marking a major success of the programme, conservationists said. Kevin Walker, of BSBI, said: 'The discovery of this naturally regenerating seedling represents a significant turning point for one of our rarest and most threatened plants, and is testament to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers and enthusiasts who have carefully nurtured it back into the wild. 'It provides evidence that this beautiful plant can, with a bit of help from us, re-establish itself across its former range.' RBG Kew's senior research leader Mike Fay said: 'Trying to save the lady's-slipper orchid in England has been one of RBG Kew's flagship conservation projects for many years. 'It is a long-lived species, with seedlings taking many years to grow to the stage where they can flower and produce the seeds that will give rise to the next generation.' He said reintroduction sites had been watched for signs of seedlings 'with bated breath' since introduced plants first flowered in 2004, adding the appearance of a seedling last year was 'incredibly exciting' and offered hope of a self-sustaining population. The project team says it will continue work to help lady's-slipper orchids, described by Plantlife's Elizabeth Cooke as 'the crowning glory of Britain's wildflowers – one of the rarest and most impressive'. If more funding is secured, it is hoped the project will be able to expand and create more self-sustaining populations across the whole former range of the lady's-slipper orchid from Cumbria to Derbyshire. Efforts are needed to get orchids back into good quality habitat so there are enough to create a viable population of the rare plant and funding is required to support propagation, habitat restoration, reintroductions and monitoring, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said. The charity also said people who wanted to see a lady's-slipper orchid could do so by visiting Kilnsey Park near Grassington in the Yorkshire Dales in late May and early June.
