What is Pollination? Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the flower’s male reproductive organs or structures to the flower’s female reproductive organs or structures, resulting in seed production. Over 150 crops in the U.S. require pollination for seed production! Most pollination services are provided by insects, wind, and other animals like birds. Who are our pollinators? Most insect pollination is done by bees, flies, moths, butterflies, and beetles. There has been much attention given to the decline of our pollinators. The causes of their decline are numerous; loss of habitat, improper use of pesticides, poor nutrition, and disease. Why pollinator habitat? By creating habitat for pollinators, you are supplying them with their necessary food resources, nesting habitats, water, and pesticide-free environment they need! By certifying your space, you are ensuring all the necessary pieces are in place! Also, it can help spread the word in your neighborhood about the importance of pollinators, and how others can help.
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Plant Lists
Summer blooming Plants
Allium cernuum – Nodding Onion
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 1.5’ tall
Range: Found throughout Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full to part shade
Bloom Color: Pink
Additional Notes: all parts of the plant smell like onion when bruised or broken. Foliage often dies back late summer.
Amorpha canescens – Leadplant
Bloom Period: June - August
Height: up to 3’ tall
Range: Found throughout Nebraska, less common in the panhandle
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: purple/blue
Additional Notes: Leadplant will often form a multi-stem habit spreading up to 3’.
Aruncus dioicus – Goat’s Beard
Bloom Period: May-June
Height: up to 3’
Range: Found throughout Nebraska, less common in the panhandle
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: cream/white
Additional Notes: Goat’s Beard does well in damp locations.
Asclepias sp. – Milkweed
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: Up to 12”-3’
Range: Found throughout Nebraska depending on species
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: dependent on species
Additional Notes: depending on type, milkweed can colonize small areas
Cepholanthus occidentalis – Buttonbush
Bloom Period: late June
Height: up to 12’
Range:
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: cream/white
Additional Notes: tolerant of wet soils and standing water
Coreopsis lanceolata – tickseed
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 2’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom color: yellow
Additional Notes: can become weedy because of self-seeding nature
Coreopsis tinctoria – Plains Coreopsis
Bloom Period: July – August
Height: up to 3’
Range: central Nebraska
Bloom Color: yellow
Additional Notes: Plains coreopsis can be either an annual or biennial self-seeding creating an establish colony of itself.
Dalea purpurea – Purple Prairie Clover
Bloom Period: May-August
Height: up to 3’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: lavender/purple
Echinacea angustifolia – Narrowleaf Coneflower
Bloom Period: late June – July
Height: up to 4’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: purple
Echinacea purpurea – Purple Coneflower
Bloom Period: June-August
Height: up to 4’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: purple
Gaillardia sp. – Blanketflower
Bloom Period: June-August
Height: varies by species
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun – light shade
Bloom Color – varies by species variations of red and orange
Additional Notes: depending on species short lived perennial
Liatris sp. – Gayfeather
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: varies by species up to 5’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: red-violet
Additional Notes: bloom time is dependent on species with some flowering into September such as L. aspera.
Monarda sp. – Bee Balm
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: varies by species up to 5’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color – red to white
Additional Notes: flower color and size is dependent on species. Some are annuals such as M. pectinata while many are perennials. Prone to powdery mildew.
Packera plattensis – Prairie Groundsel
Bloom Period: June
Height: up to 1’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: golden yellow
Additional Notes: short lived perennial sometimes biennial
Oenthera sp. – Evening Primrose
Bloom Period: June – August varying by species
Height: varies by species 12” – 7’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: yellow and pink
Additional Notes: this genera has a wide range of growth habits from the low growing O. macrocarpa to the 6’ tall O. biennis. Some can aggressively self-seed and become weedy.
Penstemon cobaea – Prairie Penstemon
Bloom Period: June
Height: up to 3’
Range: found primarily in Southeast Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: pale lavender
Phacelia hastata – Silver-leaf Scorpionweed
Bloom Period: June – July
Height: up to 2’
Range: north central Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: neutral lavender
Additional Notes: once abundant has now become uncommon in its natural range.
Penstemon digitalis – Beardtongue
Bloom Period: June – July
Height: up to 3’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: pale lavender
Penstemon grandiflorus – Large Beardtongue
Bloom Period: June
Height: up to 3’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska, less common in the panhandle
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: lavender
Additional Notes: flowers have been known to last up to three weeks. Short lived perennial.
Rosa arkansana – Prairie Rose
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 2’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska, less common in the southern part of the state
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: pink
Additional Notes: woody shrub
Rosa blanda – Smooth Rose
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 5’
Range:
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: pink
Rosa carolina – Carolina Rose
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 5’
Range:
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: pink
Additional Notes: woody shrub
Ruellia humilis- Wild Petunia
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 18”
Range: predominantly southeast Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: violet
Additional Notes: flowers open at night
Silphium perfoliatum – Cup Plant
Bloom Period: July – September
Height: up to 8’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: yellow
Tilia sp. – Linden/Basswood
Bloom Period: June
Height: up to 80’
Range: predominantly found in the eastern side of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: cream/white
Tradescantia sp. – Spiderwort
Bloom Period: May – July
Height: up to 2’
Range: species dependent
Growing Conditions: full sun to part shade
Bloom Color: shade of violet and purple
Glandularia canadensis (formerly Verbenea canadensis) – Rose Vervain
Bloom Period: May – August
Height: up to 18”
Range:
Growing Condition: full sun
Bloom Color: rose-pink
Additional Notes: recently reclassified to the genus Glandularia. Often grown as an annual.
Veronicastrum virginicum – Culver’s Root
Bloom Period: June – August
Height: up to 6’
Range:
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: white/pale blue
Additional Notes: can take shade but will not flower as profusely as in full sun.
Arenaria hookeri – Hooker’s Sandwort
Bloom Period:
Height: up to 6”
Range:
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: white
Callirhoe invovlucrata – Purple Poppy Mallow
Bloom Period: June and sporadically afterwards
Height: up to 12”
Range: southern Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: magenta
Calylophus serrulatus – Yellow Sundrops
Bloom Period: June – July
Height: up to 18”
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: golden yellow
Erigeron sp. – Fleebane
Bloom Period: May – August
Height: up to 3’
Range: found throughout the state of Nebraska
Growing Conditions: full sun
Bloom Color: white to pale violet
Fall Blooming Plants
Agastache foeniculum-Licorice Mint
Bloom Period: August-September
Native to NE: Nebraska native and northern North America.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Bloom Color: Purple
Additional Notes: Also known as anise hyssop. Plants will spread by rhizomes and will self seed in optimum growing conditions.
Aster sp.-Aster
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Many are Nebraska and northern North America natives. Aromatic, Azure, Heath, New England, Prairie, Smooth, Viscid, and Willowleaf.
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 1-4 feet tall
Bloom Color: Purple, blue, white, pink
Additional Notes: Long blooming. Plants will spread by rhizomes.
Cirsium altissimum-Tall thistle
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-8 feet tall
Bloom Color: Purple
Additional Notes: Biennual. Also known as Tall thistle, not a noxious weed. You can distinguish native thistles by noticing the silver color on the underside of the thistle leaves. Twenty eight species of butterflies visit tall thistle. American goldfinch eat the seed.
Chelone glabra and C. lyonii-Turtlehead
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to North America
Growing Conditions: Part shade, moist soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: White to Pink
Additional Notes: Woodland plant. Spreads slowly by rhizomes.
Conoclinium coelestinum-Hardy Ageratum
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 1-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: Blue
Additional Notes: Also known as blue mist flower. Spreads by rhizomes.
Eupatorium altissimum-Tall Boneset
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 2-6 feet tall
Bloom Color: White
Additional Notes: Also known as Tall Thoroughwort. Self seeding.
Eupatorium maculatum-Spotted Joe Pye Weed
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 4-7 feet tall
Bloom Color: Pink
Additional Notes: Persistent seed heads in the winter.
Helenium autumnale-Sneezeweed
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-5 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Clump forming perennial.
Helianthus sp.-Sunflower
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska, Common sunflower-annual, Sawtooth and Maximilian sunflowers-perennials.
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-8 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Native birds and wildlife feed on seeds. Self seeding plants.
Heliopsis helianthoides-False sunflower
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Native to Nebraska
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-6 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Also known as smooth oxeye.
Heptacodium miconioides-Seven Son’s Flower
Bloom Period: September
Native to NE: Native to China
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 15-20 feet tall
Bloom Color: White
Additional Notes: Large, fountain shape, deciduous shrub. Flowers appear in whorls, with each whorl containing 7 small flowers. Exfoliating bark. Excellent plant for migrating butterflies in the fall.
Lobelia siphilitica, L. cardinalis-Lobelia
Bloom Period: August-September
Native to NE: Both Nebraska natives
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Bloom Color: Blue, red
Additional Notes: Tubular flowers. Lobelia siphilitica-blue cardinal flower, Lobelia cardinalis-red cardinal flower.
Gaura parviflora-Velvet Gaura
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Nebraska native
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-9 feet tall
Bloom Color: Pink
Additional Notes: Annual. Also known as Small-Flowered Gaura.
Pycanthemum tenifolium-Mountain Mint
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Nebraska native
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: White
Additional Notes: Can be an aggressive spreader. Also known as Narrowleaf Mountain Mint.
Pycanthemum virginianum-Virginia Mountain Mint
Bloom Period: August-October
Native to NE: Nebraska native
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade, average soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: White
Additional Notes: Also known as American Mountain Mint.
Ratibida pinnata-Gray Headed Coneflower
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Nebraska native
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-5 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Best planted in mass plantings.
Rudbeckia sp.-Black Eyed Susan
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Nebraska native, Rudbeckia hirta, Rudbeckia laciniata-cut leaf, Rudbeckia triloba-brown eyed Susan
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Easily reseed.
Salvia azurea-Pitcher Sage
Bloom Period: July-October
Native to NE: Nebraska native
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-5 feet tall
Bloom Color: Blue
Additional Notes: In the mint family, but not an aggressive spreader.
Solidago sp.-Goldenrod
Bloom Period: July-October
Native to NE: Nebraska natives
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-5 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Missouri, Canada, Showy and Rigid goldenrods are all native.
Solidaster luteus-Solidaster
Bloom Period: August-September
Native to NE: Hybrid
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-3 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow
Additional Notes: Solidaster is a bigeneric hybrid between Aster and Solidago.
Verbena hastata, V. stricta-Vervain
Bloom Period: July-October
Native to NE: Nebraska natives
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-6 feet tall
Bloom Color: Purple
Additional Notes: American Blue Vervain and Hoary Vervain.
Vernonia sp. Ironweed
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Nebraska natives
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 2-4 feet tall
Bloom Color: Purple
Additional Notes: Western Ironweed and Baldwin’s Ironweed.
Perovskia atriplicifolia-Russian Sage
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Native to Asia
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: 3-5 feet tall
Bloom Color: Blue
Additional Notes: In the Mint family.
Sedum sp.-Stonecrop
Bloom Period: July-September
Native to NE: Native to North America and introduced.
Growing Conditions: Full sun, average soil
Size: .5-2 feet tall
Bloom Color: Yellow, red
Additional Notes: Nebraska has one native sedum-Sedum lanceolatum, Northwestern panhandle.
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Entomology News at Nebraska
Breaking Entomological News...
Dr. Susan Weller, director of the University of Nebraska State Museum and professor of Entomology, has been elected a fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA). The society noted Weller’s internationally-known research on arctiine moths and other Noctuoidea, and her administrative leadership in promoting entomology and science education. See the article at UNL News for more about Weller's recognition. Congratulations Susan!
We are pleased to announce that Marilyn Weidner has been named winner of the IANR Exemplary Service Award! Weidner has roles in administrative support, personnel management, data documentation and archiving, review preparation, promotion and evaluation tracking, payroll for 15 departments, and much more. Well deserved Marilyn!
Congratulations to Rogan Tokach (Master's student co-mentored by Dr. Autumn Smart and Dr. Judy Wu-Smart) on being awarded a $10,000 national Christi Heintz Memorial Scholarship by Project Apis m!
Well done, Rogan!
Spomer nets 40-year Butterfly & Beetle Legacy. Best wishes to Steve Spomer who is retiring this December after 40 years in the Entomology Department. Spomer has identified nearly 700 insect species, including the Salt Creek Tiger Beetle, and taught countless University of Nebraska-Lincoln students. 
Bridget Gross, master's student in Entomology, mentored by Dr. Judy Wu-Smart and Dr. Doug Golick, was featured in the Nov. 11th IANR Student Spotlight. Bridget presented her master's degree seminar last month and graduates in December.- Check out the Emerald Ash Borer Resource Center, and our Emerald Ash Borer Look-Alike Insects Sheet - Be Sure Before You Treat!