Page 72 - South Mississippi Living - March, 2026

HOME & GARDEN
Supporting Pollinators at Home
he world needs more pollinators! Pollinators are animals— primarily bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, birds, and bats—that facilitate plant reproduction. These crucial creatures are responsible for assisting 70-87 percent of flowering plants,
enabling the production of seeds, fruits, and one in every three bites of food humans consume.
Pollinators visit flowers primarily to feed on nectar or pollen, or to collect nesting materials. While moving from flower to flower, they carry pollen on their bodies, which leads to the fertilization of plants, a process that is essential for healthy, biodiverse ecosystems and food production.
“What are your plans for your garden or landscape this month that will influence what you will see during the hot summer days?” asks Pat Drackett with the Crosby Arboretum and Mississippi State’s Extension Service. “Fortunately, you still have some time for late gardening projects before sultry summer days.”
Drackett, an MSU professor in architecture landscape and design, suggests tucking away some summer perennials that will attract pollinators. Plants such as Scarlet Sage, Turk’s Cap, or Texas Star Hibiscus.
“The Arboretum will have a great selection of summer bloomers at
the Pollinator Plant Sale June 6 and 7 for drawing pollinators including hummingbirds to your garden. Most plants will be in four-inch containers, making them easy to add to your beds. Many bees and other pollinators benefit from the nectar-rich flowers of trees and shrubs,” she said.
Raising bees is relatively inexpensive and can be enjoyed by young and old alike. “The hobby also has many benefits. Bees can increase pollination of flowers, fruit, and vegetable gardens in your neighborhood for as much as three square miles,” Drackett said. “Honeybees are important pollinators, carrying pollen from one flower to another to improve food production.”
Butterflies require shelter from the wind and rain and roost at night for protection. “You can provide them with additional shelter by building a log or brush pile in a corner of your garden. Other butterfly-friendly garden features are flat rocks where they can bask in the sun on cool mornings, and wet muddy spots where they can sip minerals from the soil,” Drackett said.
Other native plant species attractive to pollinators include milkweed (Asclepias), Coreopsis, Indian Blanket flower, Cardinal Flower (Lobelia), Stokes’ Aster, Black-eyed Susan, Wild Bergamont (Monarda), purple coneflower, and Gaura.
Pollinator populations are in decline due to several factors: habitat loss, pesticides, climate change, and disease.
72 | March 2026
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
Monarch Butterfly
Coreopsis Honey Bee
story by Lynn Lofton