“Post Rock Answers”
Post Rock Extension District Column
Week of April 4-8, 2016
By Jenae Ryan
Post Rock Extension District Agriculture Agent – Horticulture
Guide to Planting a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Now that the weather is warming up, many gardeners are starting to get their first plants in the ground. With concern for decline in bee and monarch butterfly populations, planting gardens with pollinators in mind is an increasing garden trend. If you would like to attract pollinators to your garden, or create a native landscape, here are some tips for planting a pollinator-friendly garden.
Identify pollinators you wish to attract: Whether it is bees, birds, or butterflies, you should determine which pollinators you want to bring into your garden. Then, you can identify which species can be found in Kansas. Resources such as The Butterfly Site ( can provide lists of butterfly species found in Kansas. The USDA’s Forest Service website ( has information on several animal pollinators, from bees and butterflies to birds and bats.
Determine which plants your favorite pollinators prefer: Once you have identified the pollinator species you wish to bring into your home landscape, you need to determine which plants they feed on. The host plants for the caterpillar may or may not be the same preferred host for the adult moth or butterfly. Different birds will need different nectar sources. The Butterflies and Moths of North America website ( has regional checklists with different moth and butterfly species in Kansas (or another state) by county. The link to each specie has information on the insect’s identifying characteristics, habitat range, and caterpillar and adult preferred host plants.
Find plants that grow well in your area: As most Kansas gardeners know, not every beautiful plant we see will grow and thrive in our sometimes harsh Kansas climate. Once you have identified the host plants for your favorite pollinators, look for varieties of those species that are hardy in north central Kansas. The Post Rock Extension District falls in the 5B (Jewell & Smith) or 6A (Osborne, Mitchell, & Lincoln) zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map. When searching for plant varieties, make sure they grow in your hardiness zone. The Native Plants Database ( is a search engine for finding native plant, tree, and wildflower species for Kansas.
Each year, K-State Research and Extension updates the Prairie Star Annual Flower and the Prairie Bloom Perennial Flower lists with flowering and ornamental plants that have been tested and proven to perform in demonstration plots across the state. Your local Extension Office can provide you with a copy of the 2016 list, or find it online at
Plant a variety of flowers and plants to provide pollinator food all season: Be sure to plan your pollinator garden to include flowers and plants that do not all grow or bloom at the same time. Planting flowers that all bloom at once will only provide a food source for the pollinators while in bloom. Identify host plants that bloom early in the season as well as late in the season to provide food sources for your favorite pollinators all summer long. This variety of plants will also provide interesting colors and textures in your landscape throughout the growing season. The blog from the Dyck Arboretum of the Plains has lots of posts with information on planning and designing a native landscape ( The Pollinator Partnership ( also has information guides for creating pollinator friendly landscapes.
Be conscious of insecticide use: Proper application of insecticides can be a useful tool in maintaining vegetable gardens and ornamental landscapes. However, misuse or improper application timing can have negative effects on beneficial insects, such as pollinators. Some tree and vegetable species have separate male and female flowers. In order to produce fruit, the pollen from the male flower must be transferred to the female flower, usually with the help of a pollinator. If you use certain insecticides to manage damaging insects, they could also have harmful effects on the beneficials. This could lead to reduced pollination and fruit set.
As always, please contact your local Post Rock Extension District office for more information on pollinators and pollinator gardens. Hopefully these tips will help you bring a variety of plants and pollinators into your garden this year. Happy Gardening!
Post Rock Extension District of K-State Research and Extension serves Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and Smith counties. Jenae may be contacted at or by calling Mankato (378-3174), Smith Center (282-6823), Beloit (738-3597), Lincoln (524-4432), or Osborne (346-2521). Join us on Facebook at “Post Rock Extension” along with our blog site at postrockextension.blogspot.com. Follow us on Twitter @KSRE_PostRock and Jenae’s horticulture account @PRDHort. Remember our website is