Are Consumers Interested in Ornamental Plants That Benefit Pollinator Insects?

Butterfly visits a coneflower. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.

Population declines among bees, butterflies, and other pollinator insects are very worrying because 70% of the world’s food crop production depends upon these tiny insect workers. Fortunately, ninety million US households have yards, landscapes, or gardens that can enhance pollinator habitat and health. Consumers’ actions can drastically impact pollinator insects and even help them to recover. This 5-page fact sheet written by Hayk Khachatryan and Alicia Rihn and published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, October 2016, describes a new UF/IFAS study of consumers’ actions and perceptions as they considered ornamental plants that benefit pollinators. It covers consumers’ current actions to aid pollinators, their interest in purchasing plants to help pollinators, and their perceptions about plant availability, and it describes strategies for merchants and producers to cater to consumer preferences for in-store communications/promotions and help them to find and purchase plants that aid pollinator insects.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe997

ENH1160/EP420 Community ButterflyScaping: How to Move Beyond Butterfly Gardening to Create a Large-Scale Butterfly Habitat

ENH1160, a 20-page illustrated fact sheet by Kathy C. Malone, Wendy Wilber, Gail Hansen, Jaret C. Daniels, Claudia Larsen, and Esen Momol, provides developers, community associations, and homeowners with guidance in planning the vegetation in common areas, stormwater management systems, undeveloped areas, and yards to form large-scale habitats attractive to butterflies, pollinators, birds, and other local wildlife. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, Spetember 2010.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep420

ENH117/MG347 Florida Coonties and Atala Butterflies

Revised! ENH117, a 10-page illustrated fact sheet by Daniel F. Culbert, describes this unusual native cycad — its habitat and range, description, nonlandscape uses, landscape characteristics and uses, propagation and pest management — and the rare atala butterfly for which it is the sole host — legal status, management, and atala gardening. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Environmental Horticulture, March 2010.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg347

WEC266/UW311 Native Habitats for Monarch Butterflies in South Florida

WEC266, a 5-page illustrated fact sheet by Rebecca G. Harvey, Patricia L. Howell, Carol Morgenstern, and Frank J. Mazzotti, describes the unique migration of the monarch butterfly, an “endangered natural phenomenon,” the monarch population in Florida, the role of milkweeds and other host and nectar plants in appropriate monarch habitats for South Florida. Includes references (in HTML only). Published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, September 2009.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW311

WEC 22/UW057 Butterfly Gardening in Florida

Revised! WEC-22, a 25-page fact sheet by Jaret C. Daniels, Joe Schaefer, Craig N. Huegel, and Frank J. Mazzotti, includes how to plan for a butterfly garden, butterfly facts and biolohu, resources needed for adult butterfly and larvae (caterpillars), a map of butterfly regions and extensive tables. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, February 2008.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW057