Many butterflies species competing for nectar on Henderson’s aster (Symphyotrichum hendersonii)
yellowfaced bumblebee foraging on varileaf phacelia (Phacelia heterophylla)
bumblebee foraging on Pacific rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum)
Parnassian butterfly nectaring on horsemint (Agastache urticifolia)
Native bee nectaring on red flowering current (Ribes sanguineum)
Mylitta crescent caterpillars using western thistle (Cirsium occidentale) as a larval host plant.
Checkerspots nectaring on groundsel (Senecio integerrimus)
White-lined sphinx moth (Hyles lineata) nectaring on large camas (Camassia leichtlinii)
pollinating fly on elegant tarweed (Madia elegans)
native bees foraging on California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Native plants have evolved over millennia with native pollinators. Native plants depend on healthy pollinator populations for their survival, and native pollinators depend on native plants for their survival — they are inextricably linked!
This week we celebrate National Pollinator Week by showcasing some of the variety and beauty of native pollinators using native plants in this slideshow of photos taken by Klamath-Siskiyou Native Seeds. The diversity of pollinators we have in the Klamath-Siskiyou Ecoregion is a direct result of the world-renowned plant biodiversity found here.
Pollinator ecology is a fascinating subject that one can spend a lifetime learning about. National Pollinator Week helps highlight the importance of pollinators and the need to take measures to protect pollinators into the future.