Native Plants

The hard, keratin-covered mouthpart used for feeding, grooming, carrying materials, and defense.

A structure made of hollow stems, wood blocks, or other materials that provides nesting habitat for solitary bees.

An insect that provides ecological services such as pollination, pest control, or decomposition.

Beneficial insects are insects that help gardeners and ecosystems by controlling pests, pollinating plants, or improving soil health.

The variety of plant, animal, insect, and microbial life in an ecosystem. Ecological landscapes aim to increase biodiversity.

A landscaping technique that uses plants and soil to filter and absorb stormwater runoff, often found in rain gardens.

The period during which a plant produces flowers. A diverse pollinator garden includes plants with staggered bloom times from spring through fall.

A generation of butterflies produced during a specific season. Some species have multiple broods each year.

A chamber within a nest where a female bee places pollen, nectar, and an egg for larval development.

A planted area that separates natural habitats from developed areas, helping protect water quality and wildlife.

A large, fuzzy native bee that lives in small colonies and is an important pollinator of wildflowers and crops.

A plant on which butterflies lay eggs and caterpillars feed. Examples include Milkweed and dill.

A flowering plant that provides nectar for adult butterflies.

A pollination technique where bees vibrate flowers to release pollen. Many native bees perform this behavior, while honey bees generally cannot.