Supporting Pollinators in Urban Areas by Alyson Scheibe, Agriculture and Outreach Coordinator at Pollinator Partnership

December 23, 2024

What do you think of when you hear “pollinator habitat”? Milkweed and large fields of flowers may come to mind, but pollinator habitat is much more diverse and can take many different forms. Colorado State University Extension defines pollinator habitat as “an area with a variety of flowering plants that provide food and nesting space”. These areas often contain a mix of grasses and flowering plants to provide food and shelter for pollinators throughout each lifecycle stage. Pollinator habitat can be scaled to fit the site, making it perfect for urban spaces.

Benefits of urban Pollinator Habitat

The benefits of pollinator habitat span much further than just supporting pollinators.

Community Health

Increasing greenspaces has the potential to contribute to community health and wellbeing. Those who spend time in nature, even in an urban environment, experience improved vitality, life satisfaction, and overall happiness compared to those who do not (Capaldia et al. 2014).

Climate Change Mitigation

Plant cover and greenspaces in urban areas help to improve air quality, sequester carbon, and reduce heat island effects (Nero et al. 2016). Additionally, native plants have deep roots, allowing them to absorb large quantities of water, while requiring little additional watering. This makes native plants perfect for stormwater mitigation, too. Leaning on nature for stormwater management reduces pollution and risk of flooding (Kõiv-Vainik et al. 2022) and can provide critical habitat for pollinators.

Increased crop yield

Increasing the presence of pollinators on your property will increase pollination of nearby plants, including fruits and vegetables, leading to increased crop yields. When pollinator-supporting plants are planted in close proximity to crops, or as companion plants, crop yield and market quality are improved (Griffiths-Lee et al. 2020). This effect benefits anyone from the backyard gardener to urban farmers.

How YOU Can Help

There are many ways you can support pollinators in your community – even small areas make a big difference! Before planting, check with your local zoning department to learn about restrictions that may apply in your area.

Bee Lawns

Instead of grass, consider growing a bee lawn! Bee lawns are flowering ground cover that take the place of turfgrass, but flower and provide more benefits to pollinators.

Species to consider for a bee lawn include:

• Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox ssp. arcticus)

• Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata) and

• Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens)

Bee lawns are great to implement in spaces you may be walking, as well as areas like the sidewalk strip where there are often height restrictions on what you can plant. As an added bonus, these plants typically grow slower than turfgrass, resulting in less maintenance for you!

Landscaping

Your landscaping can be beautiful AND beneficial for pollinators. Consider incorporating native plants into your landscaping beds for an easy and effective way to support pollinators.

Some species that do well in landscaped beds include:

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Blue Wild Indigo (Baptisia australis)

• Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Rain Gardens

Rain gardens help to support pollinators and mitigate stormwater on your property. With intentional design, rain gardens collect runoff from your yard and roof, allowing the water to absorb back into the ground rather than flowing into stormwater drains. Native plants can easily be incorporated into rain gardens, improving water quality and providing habitat for pollinators.

Work With Your Local Municipality

Connect with your local municipality to discuss incorporating native plants to provide habitat for pollinators in public spaces. Many landscape beds, planters, unused park space, and vacant lots can be converted into suitable habitat, improving the health of pollinators and your community.

Resources

Bee Lawns, University of Minnesota Extension

Guide to Guides, Pollinator Partnership

Rain Gardens, The University of Connecticut

Reforming Property Standard Bylaws to Benefit Pollinators, Bee City Canada

References

Creating Pollinator Habitat, Colorado State University Extension: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/creating-pollinator-habitat-5-616/

Nero, B. F., Callo-Concha, D., Anning, A., & Denich, M. (2017). Urban Green Spaces Enhance Climate Change Mitigation in Cities of the Global South: The Case of Kumasi, Ghana. Procedia Engineering. 198, 69-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2017.07.074

Kõiv-Vainik, M., Kill, K., Espenberg, M., Uuemaa, E., Teemusk, A., Maddison, M., Palta, M., Török, L., Mander, U., Scholz, M., & Kasak, K. (2022). Urban stormwater retention capacity of nature-based solutions at different climatic conditions. Nature-Based Solutions. 2, 100038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbsj.2022.100038

Griffiths-Lee, J., Nicholls, E., & Goulson, D. (2020). Companion planting to attract pollinators increases the yield and quality of strawberry fruit in gardens and allotments. Ecological Entomology. 45 (5), 911-1229. https://doi.org/10.1111/een.12880

Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976