A step-by-step guide to making your home a pollinator oasis!

You can support native pollinators and wildlife by removing invasive and non-native plant species and replacing them with natives in your available green space. A little bit can go a long way! There are over 100 non-native plant species in Indiana that are wreaking havoc on our ecosystem by favoring non-native species selection. This leads to reduced biodiversity and massive consequences to Indiana’s environment. Indiana spends over $5.85 million per year on invasive species control. By being well versed in invasive plant species identification, you can help protect the natural landscape of Indiana. The Invasive Species Council is a great resource for identifying invasive species and understanding the proper steps to remove them. 

It is also worthwhile to be aware of the native pollinators Indiana has to offer and the ways in which you can help them. The key pollinators for Indiana are bees, beetles, butterflies/moths, flies, hummingbirds/birds, and wasps. An easy way to help your local pollinator population is by including keystone native plants. An astounding 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects supported by keystone plants! Here is a list of keystone plants in Indiana.

If you want to design your own native landscape at home or select native plants that have beautiful flowers to attract pollinators – you can utilize Indiana Native Plant Society resources to determine the best native plants for your home.  

Here is a step-by-step process for using the Indiana Native Plant Society available tools/databases to determine the best native plants for your space.

• Determine the environmental conditions of your property. The questions you need to be asking yourself are:
  • How much sunlight does your property intake daily? How shaded is your property?
  • How much water does your property retain? Is the soil dry or moist?
• Decide how much of your property you are willing to allocate to your native plant garden.
  • Different plant types (trees, shrubs, grass, wildflowers, and vines) will be better utilized depending on the space/size available on your property. 
• Determine the desired aesthetic  of your native plant garden.
  • What native pollinators do you want to specifically attract to you property?
  • What colors do you  want the flowers to be?
  • When do you want the flowers to bloom?
• Input this information into the Native Plants Finder and choose from a list of plants that fit your personal needs!
• Find a retailer, make the purchase, and plant your garden! 

After your native garden is planted, you can submit it to the Indiana Native Plant Society for a certification to show you’re supporting native pollinators. All profits go to the Indiana Native Plant Society.

If you don’t have the time or the funds to plant native species, you can still help pollinators with altered lawn maintenance practices. Here are steps you can take to make your grass lawn pro-pollinator:

• Avoid the use of chemicals like pesticides and herbicides. Would you want someone pouring chemicals on your home?
• Wait as long as possible in the spring to mow to give the native insect populations a chance to thrive. Just use this as an excuse to not mow!
• Set your mower to the highest possible mow height. This will give the blooming wildflowers a chance to bloom and pollinate at a faster rate.
• Avoid mowing in the evening. In the evening, dew settles in, which is vital to plant and ecosystem health.
• Start mowing in the middle of an area and fan out. This gives wildlife an opportunity to escape.
• Leave plants intact over winter for food for wildlife. The seeds left over are a buffet for local wildlife!
• Let fall leaves collect on the ground for caterpillar pupation year round. Leaves are a fantastic blanket for budding caterpillar babies.

This blog post was written by  Keegan Cougill, Sustainable Landscapes Intern with IUPUI Sustainability. Keegan is a senior studying Geology with the School of Earth Sciences. Through his internship, Keegan assists Campus Facilities Services’ Grounds Team strengthen our campus’ commitment to sustainable landscape practices.