Tag Archives: pollinator habitats

Squash Bees are in Oregon!

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Few insects can digest the pollen of squash plants. But where squash plants go, squash bees have followed. Now, they’ve made it from Mexico and the Inter-mountains West all the way to Oregon. Learn about the journey of these special bees and their kinship to this family of plants.

Oregon State University https://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/pollinators/great-oregon-squash-bee-hunt

Journey of the Squash Bee:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQVNl0C-H0

Rogue Valley’s Bee Girl Website: https://www.beegirl.org/blog/squashbee

Squash Bee Peponapis pruinosa ~ Photo USDA ARS, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native: Calycanthus occidentalis

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Plant Name:  Calycanthus occidentalis
Common name:  California or Western Sweetshrub or Spice Bush
Plant Type:  Deciduous Shrub
Plant Height:  3’ – 13’
Plant Width:  3’ – 13’
Bloom Time: Late Spring – Early Autumn
Flower Color: Dark Red to Burgundy to Purplish Brown
Exposure:  Part Shade to Full Sun; Will Tolerate Full Shade
Soil Requirements: Tolerates a Wide Variety of Soil.
Water Need:  Med to High
Attributes: Pollinated by Beetles; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant; Yellow Fall Color.
Firewise: Yes
Uses: Hedge, Butterfly Garden; Shrub Border; Foundation Plant; Woodland Garden.
Note:  Bark has strong Camphor smell when scraped; Strongly Scented Flowers; Prune Immediate after Flowering; Flowers only last a day or two.
Native to:  Western US
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC member/ Master Gardener

Oregon Native: Lanceleaf Coreopsis

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Plant Name:  Coreopsis lanceolota
Common name:  Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1’ – 2.5’
Plant Width:  1’ – 1.5’
Bloom Time:  April – June
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure:  Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements: Sandy, Gravelly, Loam, Clay – all with good drainage.
Water Need:  Medium; Drought Tolerant
Firewise: Zone 1 score 8, plant 30 ft or more from a structure
Attributes: Attracts Pollinators; Good Cut Flower.
Uses:  Native Wildflower Gardens; Borders; Cottage/Cutting Garden.
Note:  Deadhead to maintain flowering into summer; selectively thin in the interior to improve appearance; Mulch.
Native to:  Most of North America
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone:  4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members

Photo by: Qwertzy2, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons

Viola pednuculata (California Golden Violet)

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Plant Name:  Viola pednuculata
Common name:  California Golden Violet
Plant Type:  Perennial
Plant Height:  1.3’
Bloom Time:  March – April
Flower Color: Yellow
Exposure:  Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Requirements:  Rich Soil
Water Need: Moderate to High, but NO Water in summer.
Attributes: Insect Pollinators; Evergreen; Hosts Butterflies & Moths; Deer Resistant
Uses: Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Gardens, Native Garden, Perennial Gardens,  Waterwise Gardens, Wildflower Gardens
Native to:  California
Oregon Native:  NO
USDA Hardiness Zone:  7 – 10

Report by; Viki Ashford
Photo by: Joe Decruyenaere, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Oregon Native:  Solidago californica ( Goldenrod)

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Plant Name:  Solidago californica
Common name: Goldenrod
Plant Type:  Evergreen Perennial
Plant Height: 1.5’ – 2’
Plant Width:  .5’ – 1’
Bloom Time:  Summer -Fall
Flower Color:  Yellow
Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
Soil Requirements:  Medium Draining, Tolerates a variety of soils
Water Needs:  Wet in Winter/Spring, Dry in summer
Fire Resistance: Score 8, Plant 30 feet from structures
Attributes: Attracts Birds & Pollinating Insects.
Note:  May become Invasive due to Creeping Root stock; Deadhead or Leave Faded Flowers for Seed.
Uses: Bee/Butterfly Gardens, Native gardens, Pollinator Gardens
Native to:  Oregon & California
Oregon Native:  YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 10

Report by: Viki Ashford and Carlotta Lucas

Photo by:  Stickpen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons