Toronto is home to over 360 species of bees. Learn more about what you can do to help native bees and other pollinators.
Event | Date |
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Native Pollinator Garden Groundbreaking at TMU | October 23, 2024 |
Community Fall Planting Day at Tommy Thompson Park | October 27, 2024 |
Nature in the City Week | November 3 – 9, 2024 |
Pollinators, especially bees, provide the important ecosystem service of pollination – which allows plants to produce seeds, fruits, and new plants. This is essential for food production and creating our natural landscapes. Pollinators also support other wildlife – for example, butterfly larva (caterpillars) are a critical source of food for birds.
Pollinators contribute to the biodiversity in our city and hold intrinsic value as wildlife species with unique natural histories.
Helping Pollinators is also a Climate Action! Pollinators support healthy and resilient ecosystems that clean the air; sequester carbon, which helps to reduce climate change; stabilize soils and absorbs storm water.
Pollination occurs when a pollen grain moves from the anther (male part) of a flower to the stigma (female part); this allows plants to reproduce. The majority of flowering plants need help with pollination, which means they need pollinators, like bees, to move pollen for them.
Bees are the most efficient pollinators – they visit flowers to drink nectar or feed on pollen and the hairs on their bodies transport pollen grains as they move from flower to flower. Toronto is home to a wide range of pollinators, including 364 species of bees and 112 species of butterflies.
Pollinators are under increasing stress due to:
Studies have shown that some species are in drastic decline, including the endangered Monarch butterfly and several species of bumblebees including the Rusty-patched bumblebee.
Pollinators are vulnerable to the negative consequences of climate change.
Biodiversity is a key component of helping ecosystems adapt to climate change. Healthy and diverse ecosystems will be more resilient to climate change. Abundant, well-connected and functioning habitat provides assurance for the future wellbeing of species and ecosystems. This is highlighted in the City’s Toronto Biodiversity Strategy.
Native pollinator gardens…
Did you know? The Rusty-patched bumblebee—one of the most common native bees in southern Ontario just 50 years ago—hasn’t been seen in the wild in Ontario since 2009.
You’ve heard about the pollinator crisis, about Colony Collapse Disorder, and that bees are in trouble — and you want to do something to help. Interest in backyard beekeeping is growing, but is it the right thing to do? Keeping honey bees doesn’t help to save wild bees, much like keeping backyard hens doesn’t save wild birds.
Both native bees and honey bees are threatened by habitat loss, invasive species, diseases, pesticides, climate change and extreme weather. However, there are differences between native wild bees and European honey bees.
Native Bees | Honey Bees |
---|---|
Native bees are the most specialized and efficient pollinators. It is through pollination that plants produce seeds, fruits, and new plants. | Honey bees are a non-native species, introduced from Europe, used in agriculture to pollinate crops and managed, as livestock, by beekeepers to produce honey. |
Some species of native bees are in drastic decline. | Honey bees are dying in large numbers but they are not an endangered species. |
When native bees disappear, they disappear forever. | When a honey bee colony dies, more honey bees can be purchased and new colonies started. |
More than 360 species exist in Toronto, over 600 in Ontario, and over 800 across Canada | A single monoculture species, Apis mellifera, is commonly farmed in Canada |
Once lost, they cannot be replaced | When a colony dies, bees can be purchased to start a new colony |
Wild | Managed by humans |
Some species are endangered | Not endangered |
Primarily solitary | Social, live in colonies |
Nest in the ground or in cavities | Live in hives |
Do not produce honey as they are dormant in winter | Produce honey for overwintering |
Wide range of colours, including green, blue, red and purple | Black and yellow |
Most species don’t sting | Sting |
Have evolutionary, dependent relationships with native plants | Have no evolutionary, dependent relationships with native plants |
If you thinking of buying managed bees, such as honey bees, here are some questions to ask yourself first from Pollination Guelph.
The easiest and most effective way to help native pollinators is to plant native plants. By planting native plants, you will be providing much-needed habitat that native bees need to survive. Native plants provide pollen and nectar which they need to feed themselves and their larvae, as well as places to nest and overwinter.
You can create pollinator habitat in your yard, on your balcony, at your condo or apartment building, at your office, school, faith centre, community garden—everywhere!
An ideal pollinator garden will include the following:
Here are some tips to help you create a new pollinator garden or transform your existing garden to be more pollinator-friendly. The plants you choose and how you maintain your garden are important considerations.
Pollinator habitat includes the following:
Ideal pollinator habitat features native plants that are locally-grown and pesticide-free. Pollinator habitat can be created almost anywhere – in parks, yards, apartment buildings, schools, faith centres, community gardens and more.
Did you know that fallen leaves, dead stems and branches provide essential habitat for pollinating insects to overwinter?
Most native butterflies and moths do not migrate in the fall, but instead use the cover of leaves to overwinter until spring. Bumblebees also rely on leaves and dead stems for protection during the winter months. Some pollinators even camouflage as dead leaves.
To promote biodiversity, it is best in the fall season to leave the leaves (and stems). This means allowing fallen leaves, dead pithy stems and small branches to stand in your yard over the winter months, providing crucial habitat for pollinators to survive.
There are extra benefits to letting your yard stand, too. Fallen leaves help protect and add nutrients to your garden soil, insulate perennial plants from harsh winter weather, and can be used as mulch in your garden beds.
You also have options to leave the leaves in a way that works for you, depending on your yard care preferences.
You can…
Leaving the leaves supports the key priority of the Pollinator Protection Strategy to create, enhance and protect pollinator habitat in natural and urbanized areas.
Help keep bees and butterflies from being thrown out in a yard waste bag this year by leaving the leaves.
Pollinator protection actions take many forms in our yards: planting native species, expanding garden space to reduce grass coverage, and intentionally creating spaces for pollinators to eat, drink, and rest. With a little research and effort, creating urban pollinator habitat can go a long way to promote species richness and diversity.
Yet, some of the most effective actions towards pollinator protection entail doing… well, nothing.
You may have seen “leave the leaves” campaigns through the fall, encouraging you to ditch the fall garden clean-up. Why? Allowing your garden to stand for the winter provides essential habitat for pollinating insects to overwinter. Native pollinator species in Toronto need plant litter to nest and survive the cold.
As spring arrives, many of us get anxious to get our gardens in shape for the growing season to come. But when those first warm days arrive before May, do not reach for your rake and shears.
Cleaning up your garden too early will harm nesting pollinators. Although it can be hard to wait, it is best to not partake in any garden clean-up for as long as possible in the spring. The earliest to start tidying is once the weather has consistently been above 10 degrees (including overnight temperatures) for at least a week.
In early spring, insects are still in diapause. This is a resting state like hibernation. The insects will not be moving and need to be left alone until it is warm enough to emerge on their own.
The following tips ensure a spring garden clean-up that preserves pollinator habitat while allowing you to prepare for the upcoming growing season.
Hopefully your garden beds are covered in fall leaves. If there is less than an inch of leaf cover, do nothing. They will decompose over time and can fertilize and protect the garden soil and promote microorganism health. Do not underestimate how much new foliage will cover. By summer the leaves will be hardly visible. If there is a thicker layer of leaf cover on your beds, gently remove the extra before the new growth starts to emerge. Whenever disturbing leaf cover keep a close eye out for insects. Luna moths, for example, overwinter in cocoons that camouflage as dead leaves. Extra leaves can be added to compost, used as mulch, or simply moved to sit between plants (this method also suppresses weed growth and doesn’t block access to the bare soil for ground nesters).
Some pollinator species hunker down for the winter right in the soil. Covering the soil with mulch is like pouring concrete over their homes – it may smother these insects and inhibit their spring emergence. Mulch in general is not necessary in a garden and should be used sparingly. If you would like to mulch, hold off until the weather has turned, and the soil has had a chance to dry out. Strategically mulch just around the base of plants, leaving plenty of bare patches for ground nesting bees.
Both adults and pupae of some pollinator species nest in dead, hollow plant stems. Once the weather is consistently above 10 degrees, you can begin trimming stems. We recommend cutting stems higher up. Leaving about 30cm of stem ensures overwintering sites for pollinator generations to come while still leaving you with a tidy-looking garden. Loosely bundle the cuttings together in groups of about a handful and leave them in your garden space by hanging the bundles or leaning them against something sturdy. This way, pollinators like bees and beneficial native wasps can emerge when the time and temperature is right.
If you have shrubs and woody perennials to prune, do so with a sharp eye and take your time. Many moth and butterfly species overwinter dangling from branches in cocoons, and flowering shrubs are an important first source of food for these species. If you spot a chrysalis or cocoon, leave it alone. You can always trim later.
Have you heard about No Mow May? Originally spearheaded in Europe, No Mow May is a campaign that promotes letting your lawn grow for the month of May to allow perennial plants and flowers to flourish, providing essential food and habitat for pollinators.
While No Mow May grows in popularity and geographic reach, reducing spring mowing is not a complete solution to the environmental stressors that are threatening pollinators in Toronto. No Mow May lacks recognition of some of the most crucial components of supporting pollinators and ecosystems. The most effective approach to nurturing declining populations of pollinators is to plant native plants, shrubs, and trees, and tidy up yard “waste” with intention.
Spontaneous plant species that pop up in turf grass are often non-native, or even invasive, which provide minimal support to wild pollinators. Plants native to Toronto provide the highest quality sources of food and shelter for wild bees, butterflies and moths. This is because wild pollinators in Toronto have co-evolved with native plant species – which do not include turf grass and dandelions.
May is an important time for pollinators looking for food, but so is earlier in the spring when some pollinators emerge from winter hibernation, and throughout the summer and fall when many pollinators are reproducing and preparing for hibernation. Pollinators need a continuous source of food from spring to fall. This requires us to go beyond the requirements of movements like No Mow May to ensure the survival of wild pollinators by landscaping in ways that strengthens biodiversity in the city.
Our tips on “Going Beyond” No Mow May:
Native plants are those that occur naturally in a region in which they evolved, without human introduction. Toronto is located where the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region and the Carolinian Zone meet.
Native plants have co-evolved with native pollinators and have formed symbiotic relationships, depending on each other for survival. Plants from other parts of the world or plants that were cultivated by humans into forms that don’t naturally exist (for example cultivars and nativars) do not support pollinators as well as true native plants.
Here are some native flowering plants organized by season to help you provide a continuous source of food for pollinators. We’ve also indicated growing conditions in sun or shade and whether it’s a larval host plant that supports butterflies and moths.
Native plant species vary in their light preferences. Select plants based on your site conditions:
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
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False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) | no | yes | yes | no |
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) | yes | yes | no | yes |
Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) | yes | yes | no | no |
Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) | no | yes | yes | no |
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) | yes | no | no | yes |
Bee balm (Monarda didyma) | yes | yes | no | no |
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | yes | no | no | no |
Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) | yes | no | no | no |
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) | yes | no | no | no |
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | yes | no | no | yes |
Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) | yes | no | no | no |
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) | yes | yes | no | no |
Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) | yes | no | no | no |
Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) | yes | no | no | no |
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) | yes | no | no | no |
Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) | yes | no | no | no |
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) | yes | no | no | no |
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) | yes | yes | no | no |
Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) | yes | no | no | no |
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) | yes | no | no | yes |
Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) | yes | no | no | no |
Lance-leaved coreopsis (C. lanceolata) | yes | no | no | no |
Nodding onion (Allium cernuum) | yes | yes | no | no |
Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) | yes | no | no | no |
Pearly everlasting (A. margaritacea) | yes | no | no | yes |
Showy tick trefoil (D. canadense) | yes | no | no | yes |
Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) | yes | no | no | yes |
Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) | yes | no | no | yes |
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) | no | yes | no | no |
Virginia mountain mint (P. virginianum) | yes | no | no | no |
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | yes | no | no | no |
Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) | no | yes | no | no |
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
---|---|---|---|---|
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | yes | no | no | no |
Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) | yes | no | no | no |
Woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) | yes | yes | yes | no |
Some cavity nesting bees use hollow or pithy stems to lay their eggs. Include some of these plants in your garden to provide nesting and overwintering habitat.
The PollinateTO group at St Boniface School created a guide that profiles 32 native plant species with photos and details about site conditions, bloom time, pollinators supported and more.
Native trees and shrubs offer benefits to pollinators too. Here are a few to consider based on size and moist soil conditions (see rain garden species).
Looking for a great plant to support pollinators? Say hello to goldenrod!
A hardy native plant with many different species adapted to a wide range of growing conditions, there’s a goldenrod that’s right for every garden. And when you plant goldenrod in your yard, on your balcony or in a community garden, the birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators will all benefit.
To set the record straight: goldenrod does not cause hay fever. Ragweed, in bloom at the same time, is the hay fever culprit. Goldenrod is insect-pollinated. It has heavy, sticky pollen that doesn’t fly on the wind, so adding goldenrod to your garden will not cause discomfort to hay fever sufferers.
These species grow naturally in forests and are great for shady garden areas.
These adaptable species, from sun to part-sun, do well in the dappled conditions found under some types of trees.
These species are very drought-tolerant and thrive in open, sunny areas.
Download the Get to Know Goldenrod brochure which includes this information and photos of goldenrod species.
Text by Lorraine Johnson and Ryan Godfrey, Project Swallowtail