Using Open-Pollinated Flower Seeds for Pollinator Conservation

Here at Applewood Seed Company we specialize in small to largescale production of open-pollinated flower seeds, which include wildflowers, heirloom garden flowers and newer flower varieties. Most of these flowers need insect pollinators for successful seed production. We are a strong advocate of pollinator conservation and are actively involved in research, education, and policy-making for pollinator issues. Here are just a few different types of pollinator research that we’ve completed and the flower varieties:

Honey Bees and Bumblebees

Over years of research from our trial gardens, we have designed many pollinator seed mixes to help feed honey bees and wild pollinators. The Honey Bee Flower Mixture is a blend of annual and perennial flowers that provide nectar and pollen to honey bees. These flowers are proven favorites of honey bees and will provide forage all season long. The Bee Feed Mixture is a blend of annual and perennial flowers that provide nectar and pollen to wild bees, honey bees and other pollinators. Flowers are suitable for short-tongued and long-tongued bees and come in a wide range of colors for an attractive display. Our Bumblebee Buffet Mixture is new for 2019 and is designed for home garden use and is composed of flowers that are attractive to many species of bumblebees found from over a decade of research.

Native Pollinators

These flower mixes were developed for pollinator conservation in the United States and Canada. They contain a balanced blend of native annuals and perennials that provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. The Eastern Pollinator Mixture is for pollinator conservation in the eastern U.S. and southeast Canada. The Western Pollinator Mixture contains native wildflowers for pollinator conservation in the western United States and southwest Canada. The planting boundary between the eastern and western mixes would be a line straight south from the eastern borders of North and South Dakota.

Monarch Butterflies

Because of the Monarch populations decline over the years, the loss of food (nectar) plants and milkweeds has been indicated as a major contributor to these declines. Planting our mixes for Monarch Butterflies will help to offset the loss of these resources. The Monarch Butterfly Garden Mix is composed of native wildflowers, garden flowers and milkweed and is appropriate for home gardens and other maintained sites. The Native Flower Mix for Monarchs is composed of all native wildflowers and milkweeds and is intended for use in the summer breeding range and flyway zones of the Midwestern United States.

Custom Seed Mixes

In some cases, a custom mixture is most suitable for your project. We can blend a custom mixture according to your specifications, or we can design a custom mixture based upon certain criteria such as height, color, bloom times, climate, cost, etc. Applewood’s professional sales staff is available to provide telephone consultation on seed selection, planting times, soil preparation and seeding techniques. If you have special questions about planting our seeds, please call us at (303) 431-7333.

• Pollinator Conservation
• Honey Bee Pollination Services
• Native Bees and Pollination: Keystone Species in the Ecosystem
• Native Bee Habitat
• Pollinator Resources