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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Naperville Gardener – Do you know about ‘keystone’ plants?

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Do you know about “keystone” plants? We are aware that native plants help our native wildlife as a result of having developed symbiotic relationships over millions of years. For example, milkweed grows in time to provide a place for migrating monarch butterflies to lay their eggs, then provide food for the hungry, hungry monarch caterpillars, and finally shelter for the chrysalis as the caterpillar changes into a butterfly.

“Keystone” plants are the most important native plants that support to butterflies, moths and native bees. Doug Tallamy, entomologist at the University of Delaware, claims that only 14% of native plants are essential to 90% of butterflies and moths.

Jarrod Fowler, horticulturist and pollinator conservationist, studies native bees and reports that most of our native bees only eat from 40% of native plants. Without these “keystone” plants, butterflies, moths, native bees and birds will not survive. 96% of our terrestrial birds rely on insects that rely on keystone plants, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

A five-year-old friend of mine was visiting me and, as we sat on the porch, he was unnerved by the bees that were getting nectar from the flowers and strawberry blossoms in my garden.

“I hate bees!” he exclaimed.

I explained how pollination was essential for fruit, but he doesn’t think fruit is all that important. His mother finds coffee a necessity, so knowing that he could relate to that, I told him that bees are needed so his mom can have coffee.

“Oh no,” he said. “She gets her coffee at Starbucks!”

I hope that all of my readers know that many of our favorite foods require pollination- apples, blueberries, melons, peaches and potatoes.

So, what should we include in our home landscapes? A list of the top 30 “keystone “plants can be found on the National Wildlife Federation website, www.nfw.org. You may already have some- trees: White Oak, Silver Maple, Virginia Pine; shrubs: Northern Highbush Blueberry, Serviceberry; flowering perennials: Smooth Blue Aster, Black Eyed Susan, Coneflower. I encourage you to take a look at the list and add a “keystone” plant or two.

Personally, I’m headed to my favorite nursery to add some Smooth Blue Asters (Aster (Symphyotrichum) laeve) to a spot made bare by the bunnies. I’m sure that you can find a space at your home, too.

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Marilyn Krueger
Marilyn Kruegerhttp://www.napervillegardenclub.org
Marilyn Krueger is an avid local gardener and member of the Naperville Garden Club.
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