D3280: Assessing the attractiveness of native wildflower species to bees in the southeastern United States

Habitat loss and agricultural intensification have led to declines in numerous insect groups including native bees. Recent government incentives recognize the importance of supplementary wildflower plantings to native bee populations, yet little information exists on the attractiveness of recommended plant species to native bees. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attractiveness of bees to 18 wildflower species belonging to six families and 17 genera. Each native wildflower species was selected based on current NRCS recommendations for commonly available species’. We monitored and recorded the number of floral blooms occurring within each planted 1 m² plot on a weekly basis from May-November 2019, and sweep netted bees visiting the flowers of each species during timed sweep netting events. We found numerous plant-pollinator interactions, which suggests that some species of native wildflowers vary in the abundance, diversity, and richness of native bees they attract. Our results suggest that Asclepias tuberosa, Gaillardia pulchella, and Verbena hastata are highly attractive to native bees, whereas, Echinacea purpurea, Monarda punctata, Rudbeckia hirta, Ratibida pinnata, Symphyotrichum pilosus, and Solidago rugosa attracted a lower abundance, diversity, and richness of native bees. The information gained from this study can aid conservation biologists, farmers, and landowners when choosing which native wildflower species to plant to attract the greatest abundance and diversity of bees.