Plants with Natural Nectar(211)
Plants With A Purpose
Why Choose Plants With Natural Nectar?
“Natural nectar” refers to the nectar that flowers supply, versus a hummingbird feeder. Hummingbird feeders are useful, but when comparing sugar water to natural nectar, it’s like the difference between a soda and an organic fruit smoothie and in the diet of a hummingbird. Using natural nectar as the focus of feeding hummingbirds will feed other pollinators as well, such as native bees, bumblebees, honeybees, butterflies, and moths. Native plants are especially useful for nourishing native pollinators, some of which have specialized symbiotic relationships. Old World plants, such as Salvia, Lavender, and Nepeta, also provide nectar-rich blooms to nourish pollinators; they are very useful for nourishing honeybees, which are native to the same regions as these plants. Be sure to include plants with bloom times from spring through fall, to supply natural nectar for pollinators all season.