Ask an Expert: Debbie Roos and Pollinator Conservation

Debbie Roos has been an agent with NC Cooperative Extension in Chatham County since 1999. She is an esteemed resource for her knowledge and passion for pollinator conservation. She maintains a demonstration garden, “Pollinator Paradise,” where she holds regular tours and captures beautiful educational photos. If you can’t visit the garden, check out her website, Growing Small Farms for captioned photos and additional resources. We interviewed Debbie and toured the garden to share an expert take on the importance of pollinators and native plants. 

1. Why are pollinators important to us? 

Debbie says, “Pollinators are vital to both our food system and our natural ecosystem. You’ve probably heard that every third bite of food we eat is pollinated by an animal, be it insect, bat or bird. We may not starve to death without pollinators, because many grain crops are wind pollinated; however, we would have a very boring diet since our fruits and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Also, natural ecosystems, including songbirds and other wildlife, are dependent on fruits and berries and nuts that rely on pollinators.”

2. Who are our major pollinators in NC? 

Debbie says, “There are many types of pollinators: bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds, for example. Bats can be pollinators as well, but not in North Carolina. The bat species in NC eat insects, not nectar, though other species of bats in other parts of the country are nectivorous. By far, the most important pollinators are bees. While honey bees get a lot of the credit as key pollinators, research in the past decade has begun to recognize how very important our native bees are for crop pollination as well.”

3. Why is it important to pollinators that we grow native plants? 

Debbie says, “Native plants have evolved alongside our pollinators creating a natural synergy. When you think of our food web, 95 percent of terrestrial birds feed insects, primarily caterpillars, to their young. There is a vast difference in how many caterpillars a native plant can support compared to an exotic plant. Our insect larvae, caterpillars, cannot eat non-native plants. Plants have defense mechanisms, phytochemicals, that help them to repel herbivores, like caterpillars. When a plant is from another country, and it’s introduced here, the caterpillars here have not evolved to overcome those plant defenses so the caterpillars cannot eat that plant in many cases. I like to plant native plants that are natural host plants for many different species of caterpillars. There is lots of data about how much more native plants benefit wildlife. One of my favorite resources for this topic is the book, Bringing Nature Home, by Doug Tallamy.”

4. Is it ok to include non-natives in a pollinator garden? 

Debbie says, “Yes, just make sure it is not an invasive plant. In my garden here in Pittsboro, NC, I have over 225 species of plants and 85 percent are native to NC. Non-natives include mediterranean herbs or other Southern region natives (not native to NC, but native to the US). Selecting plants is a very personal choice.”

5. Are specific pollinators attracted to specific plants? 

Debbie says, “Definitely. Each flower has a unique color, shape and size. Those attributes determine the type of pollinators it’s going to attract. Pollinators with short tongues can more easily access nectar on a shallow, small flower, where larger pollinators like long-tongued bees or butterflies, can get into bigger, tubular-shaped flowers. 

Some of our bees are generalists and they collect nectar from a wide variety of flowers, while others are specialists; they are only going to collect pollen from certain species of plants. For example we have native squash bees that only collect pollen from flowers in the squash family–they are collecting pollen to feed to their young–and hibiscus bees and sunflower bees are other specialists. 

Another consideration is host plant specificity of butterflies and moths. Butterflies can gather nectar from any kind of flower, but they can only lay eggs and raise their caterpillars on very specific plants. The host plant varies by species; for monarchs, it’s milkweeds, for spice bush swallowtails; they lay their eggs on spice bush or sassafras. 

Ultimately, it’s best to have a diversity of blooms; and that helps support a very diverse pollinator population.”

6. What are your top 5 pollinator plants that are easy to grow in NC? 

Debbie says, “I know you want to keep it simple, but I can’t recommend just five. For a pollinator habitat, you want to have a minimum of 3-5 species blooming each season, so at minimum, I would recommend a top 10 (see below). There are many species and varieties for some of these and mixing and matching is a great way to improve population diversity.”

1. Wild indigo
2. Coneflower
3. Lanceleaf blanketflower
4. Bee balm
5. Milkweed
6. Mountain mint
7. Blazing star
8. Joe-pye weed
9. Aster
10. Goldenrod

“A great resource, Top 25 Native Pollinator Plants for NC, can be found on my website and it also includes nursery locations that grow natives or supply native seeds. I’d also like to share a word of caution. Be careful about where you buy pollinators or how your gardens are maintained. Some pesticides can be broad spectrum, long lasting or systemic. Often you can ask a grower at a local nursery if plants have been treated and/or with what. Remember that it’s counterproductive to use plants that will expose pollinators to dangerous/deadly pesticides.” 

7. Why is it beneficial to leave your garden a little messy through winter? 

Debbie says, “The insects hang out in your garden throughout the winter. Hopefully you’ve heard about the “Leave the Leaves” campaign. Everyone loves to rake up their leaves and throw them away; but those leaves are an active part of your yard’s ecosystem. There are red-banded hairstreak butterflies that lay their eggs on the leaves; luna moths and swallowtail butterflies, pupate on the leaves, so their chrysalis is overwintering there; and the leaves provide insulation for bumble bee queens that are hibernating just below the ground. If possible, wait to cut back spent plants in early March; when the earliest bees start emerging and looking for nesting sites.”

8. What advice do you have for beginners? 

Debbie says, “Start small. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that’s how you learn.”

Nectar vs. Pollen

Pollen and nectar serve two different purposes. Nectar is a carbohydrate converted to energy, while pollen is a protein source, used to raise young.

Bees will collect both pollen and nectar. In fact, only bees truly collect pollen. Other insects, like butterflies do not “collect” pollen (to feed their young), but they do get it on them and consequently transfer pollen from plant to plant.