Pollinator Pockets
Click the button above that corresponds to the soil type you have,
or scroll through to look at all available pollinator pockets.
The K3SWCD is now offering Pollinator Pockets! A Pollinator Pocket is a group of different native flowers that are bundled together for easy planning/planting. Each Pollinator Pocket has 3-4 flower species, and bloom periods to last from early spring through fall. These bundles are a great addition to your garden whether you are trying natives for the first time or are an experienced native plant gardener! Pollinator Pockets are sure to bring a vast variety of butterflies, and other pollinators, to your garden.
= Pollinator Hotspot
Pollinator Palooza
Mesic Pollinator Pocket: Plant in full to partial sun and average soil.
Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa:
Height: 2-3' Bloom: June-August
Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia hirta:
Height: 1-3' Bloom: June-October
Royal Catchfly, Silene regia:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: June-October
Prairie Blazing Star, Liatris pycnostachya:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: July-September
Grass suggestion: Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium
Shady Woodland
Shade Pollinator Pocket: Plant in partial sun to full shade and average soil.
Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis:
Height: 1-2' Bloom: April-June
Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense:
Height: 1/2"-1' Bloom: April-May
Meadow Anemone, Anemone canadensis:
Height: 2-3' Bloom: August-October
Short's Aster, Symphyotrichum shortii:
Height: 2-3' Bloom: August-October
Marsh Madness
Wet Pollinator Pocket: Plant in full to partial sun and soil that is soggy or marshy most of the year.
Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris:
Height: 1-3' Bloom: April-June
Blue Flag Iris, Iris virginica shrevei:
Height: 2-3' Bloom: May-July
Swamp Milkweed, Asclepias incarnata:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: July-August
Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: July-September
Sandy Snack
Dry Pollinator Pocket: Plant in full to partial sun and excessively drained or sandy soil.
Prairie Smoke, Geum triflorum:
Height: 2-3' Bloom: June-August
Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Opuntia humifusa:
Height: 6-10"' Bloom: April-May
Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: June-October
Sky Blue Aster, Symphyotrichum oolentangiense:
Height: 2-4' Bloom: July-September
Grass suggestion: Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium
Prepping Your Site
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Remove all sod and other unwanted plants from the area with herbicide, or by solarizing
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Add compost or nutrient-rich soil on top of the area, if desired
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you can cover the area in recycled newspaper as a weed barrier
Planting & Care
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Plant one plant per square foot
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Place thin layer of mulch around plants to help prevent weed growth
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Water plants in the morning every day until they are well established
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Weed by hand to benefit pollinators