Nighttime Pollinators Garden Kit

A garden kit is a collection of plants pre-selected by our nursery to meet a certain purpose to make gardening goals easy. Kits can be used as a quick way and economical to start gardening native without having to do as much research. Plants come pre-arranged in a tray so you can plant them just as they are for an instant garden design, with tall plants in the back and short, showy plants in the front. Or, since each plant is labeled with plant name and height, you can arrange them to suit your space.
 
When people think pollinators, they tend to picture bees and butterflies. However, studies are showing that 50% of pollination occurs at night, while the bees and butterflies are sleeping. Most of this pollination is done by moths, but beetles including fireflies, nocturnal bees, and even mosquitos pollinate. Moths and their associates don't generally use pollen (that we know of), but their fuzzy bodies carry it effectively, usually much farther than the pollen could be carried by bees tied to a small territory around a nest site. One such study found that 50% of the pollination of apple tree flowers was done by moths. Apple flowers that were barricaded at night to prevent nocturnal pollination were not fully pollinated, resulting in small, misshapen fruit. Ironically, the pollinators observed were mostly moths that come from army caterpillars and tent worms, some of the most hated of caterpillars. So think twice, before destroying their tents - nature needs them, and they won't kill the tree. Better yet, garden for them, just like you would for their flashy butterfly cousins. There are two ways plants can help moths - they can host (be eaten by) moth caterpillars, or they can provide nectar to night-flying adults. Goldenrods, asters, oak trees, and other are considered "keystone" pollinator plants mostly because of the number of moth species they host.
 
The other way native plants can support moths is providing nectar that is available at night. Not all plants have nectar available at all times. They tend to offer rewards at certain times and in certain ways to attract their favored pollinators, to better ensure that their pollen gets to a plant of the same species. Signs that a plant provides nectar to moths include a light-colored flower, easier to detect in dim light, and a scent that intensifies in the evening to lure awakening pollinators. Some flowers even stay closed during the day and open in the evening to reserve the nectar for their night pollinators.
 
This Nighttime Pollinator Kit is designed for average garden soil and full to part sun. It will contain 2 to 5 of each species. A typical kit would contain the following mix of plants, but one way we keep the per plant costs low on garden kits is by reserving the right to substitute plants based on our current inventory. Your kit is may differ from the list below in exact species, however, the plants included will meet the stated goals of the kit, in this case, supporting moths and other nighttime pollinators. If you need specific plants for your garden goals, consider supplementing your garden kit with quarts:
 
Evening Primrose - the secret is in the name; these open and offer nectar in the evening
Big Bluestem - caterpillar host plant
Stiff Goldenrod - both nectar and host plant
Black-eyed Susan - nectar and host plant
Panicled Aster - nectar and host plant with light flowers
Common Milkweed - pale flower with a delicious scent that intensifies in the evening
Hairy Beardtongue - nectar plant with light flowers
Showy Goldenrod - Goldenrod importance to moths as both nectar and host plants cannot be overstated, so we are including two favorites
Early Sunflower - nectar and host plant with a lot of caterpillar real estate
Cutleaf Coneflower - nectar and host plant with even more caterpillar real estate 
Boneset or Culver's Root - nectar and host plant with white flowers
Meadowsweet or Bergamot - early season nectar and host plant
Canada Milkvetch or Columbine - host plant and nectar source 
 
If substitutions are necessary, they may include Blue Vervain, Calico or other asters, Giant or Paleleaf Sunflower, ferns, Meadow Rue, Virgins Bower, Violets, Dogbane, Blazingstars, Northern Bush Honeysuckle, Iris, sedges, grasses, goldenrods, or others. These plants are also recommended if you wish to expand your Nighttime Pollinator collection. If the list seems long and varied, it is. Like butterflies and bees, there are nocturnal pollinators that are specialists - pollinating only one type of plant, or whose caterpillars feed on only one type of leaf or plant family. While goldenrods, asters, and sunflowers host the broadest range of moths, there are many plants beneficial to more specialist nocturnal pollinators. One thing not on the list are trees and larger shrubs. Many, many moths and nocturnal pollinators use trees and shrubs as their habitat and host plant. Replacing non-native landscaping with native plants will always pay off in richer habitat.
 
This economical kit includes 38 plant plugs that fill 38 square feet at 1-foot spacing - a 4'x9.5' bed; or up to 86 square feet at 1.5 sq. ft. spacing - a 6'x14' bed. Each kit comes with a planting guide. The plants are individually tagged for identification and all tags include height so you can alter the layout to suit your space.  Picture is an example kit of a different type. This kit will differ from the picture.