Habitat Zone 4: Demonstration Zone

The Demonstration Area provides an opportunity to emphasize the suite of native plants available for homeowners to use for pollinator gardens. It illustrates plants that homeowners can consider using in their landscapes to both conserve water and provide benefits to the pollinator community and the greater ecosystem as a whole. The area is intended to be aesthetically pleasing with a wide array of native plants that provide color and interest and that may be more readily available in local nurseries than some of the plants in other areas of the habitat. The Demonstration Area contains plants that provide nectar during spring, summer, and fall such as penstemons, blue flax, yarrow, beebalm, Rocky Mountain bee plant, sunflowers, rabbitbrush, fire chalice, and more.

Audio Transcription 4 (audio time, minutes 4:02):

Welcome to our demonstration garden! If you are wondering what plants you might want to incorporate into your existing garden space to help attract pollinators, you have come to the right place! This audio will discuss the value of planting for pollinators, the importance of greenspace in our urban settings, and what native plant species to consider for maximizing bloom times across Utah’s growing seasons.

It has been well documented that pollinator populations are in decline compared to historical trends. Pollinators play a vital role in maintaining balance in the world around us, from healthy functional ecosystems to our booming agricultural industry. And while some of the reasons for their decline are beyond our control, there are things we, as individuals, can do to help support pollinators. Providing quality habitat with a variety of nectar sources is one of the most achievable goals that every home garden can provide. And remember, no space is too small! Every effort helps.

In recent years there has been mounting evidence suggesting that pockets of greenspace provided by urban gardens are critical for providing substantial fuel resources and nectar diversity for local pollinators. Many desirable native plant species you see on display here can be incorporated into existing landscapes and gardens to complement or enhance your space.

When selecting plants for your garden, it is important to select blooms that will supply continuous nectar throughout our growing seasons (spring-summer-fall). Diversity in what you plant across season is the key to success. Ideally a desirable garden would host a minimum of 2-3 native nectar sources per season.

Early season spring blooms are important first fuel sources for pollinators emerging from the long winter months. Many of our local penstemons (P. eatonii, P. strictus, P. cyananthus) provide excellent early and mid-spring blooms and are readily available from many nurseries and local plant groups. Milkweeds (an important host plant for monarchs), yarrows, primrose, verbanas, lupines and columbines are additional choices that would provide solid native nectar sources.

Popular summer blooms to consider include native sunflowers (H. annuus, H. nuttallii), agastache, beebalm, Rocky Mountain beeplant , blanketflower, butterfly weed, coneflowers, flax, Joe-Pye weed and sticky geranium. If maintained, many summer blooms will last into the fall months with strategic cutbacks and regular pruning.

Fall blooms become critical for both migratory populations and overwintering pollinators that must store enough fuel to survive through winter. Rubber rabbitbrush, goldenrod and asters are favorite fall fuels for pollinators.

Larger shrubs, small woody trees and native bunchgrasses can also offer visual contrast to complement many of the species listed above and are beneficial to a host of native pollinators. There are several excellent options in this category that contribute seasonal nectar, additional habitat, food resources and protection from predators and weather. Some of these include cinquefoil, currants, woods rose, chokecherry and serviceberry. Great Basin wildrye, Indian ricegrass, little bluestem and blue gramma grass are some great bunchgrass options.

Utah property owners across our diverse state have collectively taken great pride in landscapes and garden spaces, contributing to the beauty and stewardship of our communities. Take a moment to see if you can further benefit our communities by incorporating any of these native plants into your existing landscape or gardens to support pollinators. Be sure to check in often as blooms change seasonally. Additional information and resources will be listed on our website, along with a more comprehensive list of specific pant species and where you might be able to find them locally. Happy gardening and thank you for helping to support pollinators!

This is Jenny Dowd with Western Monarch Pollinator Pathways.