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Native Plants for Pollinators
Spring is the perfect time to add to your garden or to start one! Native plants have co-evolved with our our native insects, and as a result, they are an important food source for many pollinators. The Hummingbird Clearwing moth, pictured above on bee balm, is one of many of our local native pollinators. Often mistaken as a small hummingbird, these amazing moths are attracted to flowers with long, tubular blooms.
Need some suggestions on great native plants that attract a variety of pollinators and other wildlife? Here are a few of our favorites:
Mountain Mint
Bee Balm
Purple Coneflower
Milkweed
Coral Honeysuckle
False Indigo
For even more suggestions, check out this list of the Top 25 Native Plants for Pollinators for North Carolina, or enter your zip code here to get a list of plants for your area from the Audubon Native Plants for Birds website.
Adding native plants to your landscape will increase the beauty of your home while providing important habitat and food for wildlife. Visit our native plant garden at the Manager's Office next time you are at the park, and pick up a brochure to get even more ideas for enhancing your backyard habitat.
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April Virtual Programs
Until we are able to hold in-person programs, we are offering virtual programs on Zoom. Join us online for the following programs. Click the links (program titles) for more details and to register.
Tuesday, April 20th from 12-1 p.m.
Want to learn how to tell one ribbit from the next? Come to Frog Calls 101, hosted by Lake Crabtree to learn why and how frogs call, and learn how to identify many of the common frogs we hear in North Carolina just by the sounds they make See if you can pass the listening quiz at the end to become a toadally legit Frog Call Master!
Wednesday, April 28th from 12-1 p.m.
One of the major signs of spring are the numerous wildflowers that emerge, seemingly overnight. While some flowers are celebrated and enjoyed, others are called "weeds" or are overlooked altogether. Learn some of the common lawn and garden flowers you may encounter, and why they should all be appreciated.
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Wild Side:
Signs of Spring
Spring has sprung here in the northern hemisphere. After a quiet winter season, nature is busy, green, and full of life. The warming weather brings some of our favorite things: birds, flowers, butterflies, and pollen! Well maybe not that last one...
Some of the sights of spring are the budding and blooming of flowers, bushes, and trees. Wildflowers weave a spectacular blanket of colors and shapes across the ground. Busy bees and other pollinators rely on these early blooming plants for essential nutrients. The difference between a weed and a wildflower is just society's framing of the plant. A wildflower becomes a weed when it is growing where someone thinks it shouldn't be, but they are always important to pollinators, no matter the semantics. See which side of the "wildflower or weed" debate you agree with by attending our "Wildflower or Weed?" program on April 28 at noon. Register here. Some of the sounds of spring are birds chirping, frogs calling, and warm rain showers pitter-pattering on your window. One frog you might hear is the spring peeper. They will loudly announce their presence on warm, rainy nights and overcast days during spring months. Listen for a high-pitched, whistle-like "peep" that can be heard as far as a mile away. This month we will also be hosting a virtual program on Frog Calls, so if you want to learn how to identify some of the sounds of spring, be sure to sign up here. At Lake Crabtree, we are noticing these sights and sounds all around the park. We hope you can come out and enjoy it here with us. Happy Spring!
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Contact us:
Lake Crabtree County Park
1400 Aviation Parkway
Morrisville, NC 27560
919-460-3390
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