Planting native plants is a popular way to help support pollinators like bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
Planting native plants is a popular way to help support pollinators like bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects.
But when shopping for native plants, people often come across something called a “cultivar.” This is a special version of a native plant that have been selected or bred to have certain traits, like different flower colors or shapes. These cultivated plants can look and behave a bit differently from the wild versions.
Researchers have been trying to figure out whether pollinators visit wild native plants more than they do cultivars, but past studies haven’t been consistent in their results. According to Jen Hayes, a recent Oregon State University graduate, the findings were all over the map.
For her dissertation on native plants, their cultivars and pollinators, Hayes led a garden experiment at the OSU Oak Creek Center for Urban Horticulture in Corvallis that used a mix of wild native plants and their cultivated versions.
Read more at: Oregon State University
Pollinators preferred native Clarkia amoena over its cultivars. (Photo Credit: Jen Hayes)
