Although it's still a little too early to do much work in the pollinator garden, you can profitably scratch your gardening itch this week by addressing early spring weeds.
One of the biggest offenders in our area is garlic mustard (Alliaria petiola), shown in the photo. This pernicious weed is native to Eurasia and was introduced in the mid 1800s. It has triangular, toothed leaves and tall stalks which produce small white flowers. It spreads its seeds far and wide by the wind and gains a foothold on roadsides and in fields and disturbed areas by emerging earlier in spring than many native plants. By the time native species are ready to grow, garlic mustard has blocked their sunlight and outcompeted them for moisture and vital nutrients. Additionally, garlic mustard is allelopathic, meaning that its roots release chemicals that inhibit or prevent the growth of surrounding plants. Needless to say, this is a plant you don't want in your landscape. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to pull, especially when it's first emerging in the spring.
By contrast, its lookalike golden ragwort (Packera aurea) is a lovely and obliging native plant. In early spring its leaves look quite similar to garlic mustard, but are more oblong and often have glossy purplish undersides. A central stalk with fat purple buds will emerge from the basal leaf cluster, eventually erupting into a cloud of yellow blooms. It's a carefree and rewarding groundcover for your garden--both for you and your pollinator friends!
Author, photo: Lisa Schneider

Some hosts really know how to lay out a banquet, and buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is one of them. Its alternate common name, ‘honey ball’, is a clue to the allure it holds for pollinators. The unique, Sputnik-shaped white flowers are a veritable fountain of pollen and nectar for many butterflies and bees. Blooming throughout the summer, it draws the attention of people and pollinators alike, and is an excellent native alternative to butterfly bush (Buddleia).
When the blooms are spent, they transform into round red seed heads (or ‘buttons’), which contain pairs of nutlets that are eagerly sought by birds and other wildlife. And the leaves of this deciduous shrub are host to the striking hydrangea sphinx moth (Darapsa versicolor) https://bugguide.net/node/view/5367 and Titan sphinx moth (Aellopos titan).
Button bush loves wet feet, and can even withstand flooding. It’s tolerant of all soil types and grows in sun or shade (though blooms will be more abundant in a sunny location). It quickly grows to its mature height of 6-8 feet, and can be pruned right down to the ground in spring to control any tendency towards legginess.
This undemanding and rewarding native really is a host with the most!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: MaryAnne@Adobe Stock

Pussy willow (Salix discolor) is a welcome sight as one of the earliest signs of spring, and it’s perhaps the only shrub prized for it buds rather than its flowers. The fuzzy catkins provide cheer for us as we endure the last days of cold weather; even more crucially, they provide essential food for the earliest of emerging pollinators, such as bumble bees.
Queen bumble bees have spent the winter solo in a shallow tunnel dug just an inch or two beneath the surface of the soil. In early spring, they emerge to search for food, gaining the strength to lay eggs, build a nest, and found a new family colony. The pollen and nectar of pussy willow provide a rich source of nutrition for them. In addition, pussy willow hosts more than 18 species of lepidoptera, including viceroy and hairstreak butterflies and the stunning cecropia and io moths. Leafrollers, sawflies, borers, midges and gnats also enjoy the foliage, and in turn are enjoyed by many birds and their nestlings. Thus pussy willow does double duty—as a bird feeder!
This large shrub thrives in wet areas and is a perfect choice for rain gardens or wet areas in the landscape. (It’s not fussy though, and adapts well to drier conditions.) Salix discolor is easily confused with French pussy willow or goat willow (Salix caprea) which is native to Europe and Asia. Even experts concede that identification can be difficult: as Thoreau said, “The more I study willows, the more I am confused.” However, once leaves appear, accurate ID is a little easier: the leaves of Salix discolor feature a deep green surface and pale underside, and tend to be broader and longer than those of goat willow.
Stop by the SBG this week and enjoy our pussy willow—it’s truly a host with the most!
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Fotowasti@Adobe Stock

Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp) AKA shadblow, juneberry or saskatoon, is a small tree/ large shrub which grows to 25 feet. A member of the Rose family, it’s one of first native woody plants to flower in spring—and what flowers! The short-lived (but entirely fabulous) cloud of white blossom is followed by small, edible fruits that are enjoyed by birds and humans alike.
The common name serviceberry reflects the timing of its bloom: Historically, the flowers appeared at about the same time that traveling preachers could begin to get around the countryside again, to hold burial services for those who had passed away during the long winter months.
Serviceberry plays host to over 124 caterpillars, including the red-spotted purple, several sphinx moths, and the trickster viceroy butterfly (Limenitis Archippus).
The viceroy is perhaps the best-known example of ‘mimicry’ in the butterfly world. Adult viceroys look very similar to monarchs, with their striking orange and black wings. This strategy serves the viceroy well, as predators such as birds assume that this color pattern means a bitter mouthful laced with the toxic glycosides of milkweed! However, if you look closely, you can easily tell them apart: the viceroy has an additional thick black band intersecting the veins of the hindwings.
Viceroy caterpillars, which don't actually eat milkweed, but feed on the leaves of trees such as serviceberry, can’t rely on the same defense mechanism. These lumpy, bumpy larvae resemble bird droppings—nothing like the classic striped monarch caterpillar—and rely instead on camouflage for protection as they enjoy their ‘host with the most’.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Pixabay

A North American native, Pawpaw (Asiminia triloba) could once be found growing all over the eastern half of the US, especially favoring the rich alluvial soils of river valleys from the Missouri to the Potomac. It’s a small tree, rarely exceeding 20 feet, and in the wild it forms dense colonies (the “pawpaw patch” of the old folk song). The burgundy flowers, with their rather unpleasant odor, are not the first choice of butterflies or bees; instead, they’re mainly pollinated by flies, gnats and beetles. But the leaves of the pawpaw are essential to one butterfly: the zebra swallowtail.
Pawpaw leaves are the sole food source for the larvae of the zebra swallowtail (Protographium marcellus), and adults are often seen nectaring near the trees. Females choose fresh young leaves upon which to lay their eggs. The developing larvae feed on these leaves but may drop off the tree if disturbed by an enemy; older caterpillars may even hide in the leaf litter at the base of the tree. They’ll pupate on the pawpaw leaves, well-camouflaged as a dead leaf. (Photos of all life stages here: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/.../bfly/zebra_swallowtail.htm...,)%2C%20is%20the%20only%20host
Although pawpaw trees are too small to have any value as timber, they produce edible fruits that resemble small, lumpy bananas. Also known as Hoosier bananas or custard apples, pawpaw fruits have a creamy texture and a tropical flavor. (If you’d like to try your hand at growing some, be sure to plant more than one tree, as cross-pollination is necessary to produce fruit.) In recent years, chemicals extracted from the twigs and seeds of pawpaw have been found to have promising anti-cancer and pesticidal properties.
Pawpaw is a wonderful smaller native tree that would be a fine addition to any landscape. (The zebra swallowtail will thank you, too!)
​Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Gajus@Adobe Stock