The following books will further educate you about the importance of insects – especially pollinators – and some of the plants that support them:
Tallamy, D. 2021. Bringing Nature Home. Timber Press, 3rd edition. $19.95
Tallamy, D. 2020. Nature’s Best Hope. Timber Press. $29.95
Tallamy, D. 2021. The Nature of Oaks. Timber Press. $27.95
Holm, H. 2014. Pollinators of Native Plants. Pollination Press. $22.
The Xerces Society and Dr. Marla Spivak. 2011. Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies. Storey Publishing. $29.95
For more information about native plants, go to:
NWF Plant Finder (hosted by the National Wildlife Federation). Be aware that this list uses the genera (name of plant family, such as Solidago for goldenrod) and the species of only a few (such as “early,” “giant,” and “zigzag,”) for Saving Birds’ area, though there are at least 20 species. It isn’t possible to create a complete list of native plants for the entire country, so it would be helpful for you to find out if either your state or area has a native plants organization or a native plants nursery. (Make sure the plants you purchase are true natives and not cultivars.)
Or go to:
National Audubon plants for birds yard certification. (This site is a little more complicated to navigate. It appears as though you cannot get information without supplying your email, but that is not true.) This site lists three other goldenrods for our area in northern Michigan: Canada, gray, wreath and wrinkle-leaf.
When you set about to improve your property we recommend that you begin with Doug Tallamy’s highest priority plant – native oaks. Nothing would do more to help birds – and the insects upon which they depend – than an oak that is native to your part of the world.
And finally, if you wonder about whether or not a plant is native, go to the USDA Plants Database in the following way. For Canada goldenrod, search Canada Goldenrod USDA Plants Database and click on the USDA Plants Database link (which may not be the first choice) and you will see whether or not your plant choice is a native, as well as a map for the range of that plant.
