What Should You Grow for Pollinators?
Pollinator plants for California (commonly available at nurseries):
http://bonniebeecompany.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Plants-for-pollinators-in-Marin.pdf
Calscape.org
The California Native Plant Society has a system called calscape.
Just type in your zip code and a list of plants, specific to your area, will appear.
Pollinator Partnership: eco-regional planting guides
https://www.pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/CalifCoastalStepperx4FINAL.pdf The Pollinator Partnership also has a resource where you can search which flowers bloom in your region and when.
UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab
http://www.helpabee.org/best-bee-plants-for-california.html
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators
Xerces: Milkweed seed finder
https://xerces.org/milkweed/milkweed-seed-finder
Local nurseries for native plants:
California Native Plant Nursery, Mill Valley
Mostly Natives, Pt Reyes
https://www.mostlynatives.com/
O’Donnell’s Fairfax Nursery, Fairfax
http://www.odonnellsnursery.com/ODonnells_Fairfax_Nursery/Welcome.html
Watershed Nursery, Richmond
https://www.watershednursery.com/
And more local nurseries that love bees and pollinators:
Annie’s Annuals
https://www.anniesannuals.com/
Bees N Blooms, Santa Rosa
(Buy trees by appointment only. Totally worth the trip!!!)
Chase ACE, San Rafael
https://www.chaseacehardware.com/
Marin ACE, San Rafael
Sloat Garden Center, Mill Valley, Kentfield, Novato & more bay area locations
Books:
Bringing Nature Home
By Doug Tallemy
Workman Press
California Bees & Blooms
By Gordon Frankie, Robbin Thorp, Rollin Coville and Barbara Ertter
Heyday
California Foraging
By Judith Larner Lowry
Timber Press
Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens
By Glenn Keator, Alrie Middlebrook, Phyllis M. Faber (Other primary creator)
Reimagining the California Lawn
By Carol Bornstein, David Fross, and Bart O’Brien
Cachuma Press
The Bee-Friendly Garden
By Kate Frey and Gretchn LeBuhn
Ten Speed Press
The Bees in Your Backyard
By Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia Messinger Carrill
Princeton University Press
The California Native Landscape: The Homeowner's Design Guide to Restoring Its Beauty and Balance
by Greg Rubin and Lucy Warren
Timber Press
The California Wildlife Habitat Garden
By Nancy Bauer
University of California Press
The Xerces Society Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators,
By Eric Mader, Matthew Shepherdm Mace Vaughn, Scott Hoffman Black, and Gretchen LeBuhn
Storey Publishing
*Pay attention to bloom time, soil requirements, and which pollinators the flowers attract. We always recommend planting a diverse variety of flowers with a range of bloom periods!