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Click the pot to enter the photo album.
Enjoy this Change For Good blog from the Ashland Food Co-op for April 2021!
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We would like to gift native pollinator plants in biodegradable pots to people who were impacted by the fire. We have put together 60 packages of these plants to share - our hope is that this small gift will be a positive sign for a brighter future.
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If you would like to support this project and our ongoing work - thank you!
Your donation will help us continue to expand and develop our educational efforts about native pollinator plants and pollinators for the Rogue Valley community and beyond.
Because only a limited number of plants are available, let us know if you would like to receive two (2) beautiful native pollinator plants in pots, or perhaps you would like to nominate a friend or family member as the recipient.
After the tragedy wrought by the Almeda Fire, there is the opportunity to grow back.
These plants are perfect for a porch or balcony, and are well suited for growing in containers until they are planted. In May, we will select 60 families who were impacted by the Almeda fire to receive the plants.
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Partial shade
Western Columbine & Western Verbena
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Full sun
California Poppy & Bolander's Phacelia
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With the plants, the recipients will receive information about how to maintain them, what to expect over the year, how and when to collect the seeds, and the pollinators that will visit the plants.
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We hope these native plants, and the pollinators they will attract, will provide many reasons to smile this year and will inspire many new pollinator gardens in the Valley. (Spring and fall are the best times to plant.)
Why are pollinators important?
Ensuring a diversity of pollinator species in the Rogue Valley is crucial for our diverse ecosystems and food systems. From tiny to large, native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, beetles, flies, and hummingbirds pollinate our native trees and shrubs and the many food crops we eat every day, all while providing the perfect nourishment for birds, fish, and other wildlife.
In addition to pollinating the apples, carrots, squash, berries, lettuce, and more in our gardens, orchards, and farms, most of our native trees, shrubs, and flowering plants depend on these essential, hardworking pollinators to set seed and reproduce, thus insuring our Valley remains full of beautiful and diverse flora and fauna!
Photo courtesy of
Gary Mark Roberts
Did you know?
Caterpillars are high-protein food for baby birds! Like the monarch, the caterpillars of many moth and butterfly species eat only specific native plants.
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
Why are native plants important?
Native plants local to our area serve the pollinators best -- from bumblebees looking for pollen and nectar in lupine and phacelia flowers to the Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) looking for various violet species. Like milkweed for
monarchs, violets are the only host plant
on which this beautiful butterfly will
lay its eggs. Every butterfly (and
moth) needs host plants for the
hungry caterpillars to eat!
Native trees, shrubs, grasses and
annual and perennial flowering
plants bring diversity and beauty to
the landscape and usually require
little in the way of care. Many species
are adapted to the native soil already
in our landscape, with little need for soil amend-ments. Many require very little water once estab-lished. Others are perfect for riparian areas along creeks and streams, providing much needed habitat and food sources for insects, birds, and other wildlife.
© K. Merganthaler
Douglas Violet
(Viola douglasii)
© David Lee Myers
Click here for more information about native pollinators and plants.
This project would not have been possible without
the generous support of our donors and volunteers.
We’d like to thank Jed Loveday-Brown and Ecoforms
who donated the pots made of rice hulls, Suzie Savoie
and Klamath Siskiyou Native Seeds for seedlings, and
Demetria Marical and Grange Co-op for donating BioLive
fertilizer, potting soil, and gloves for our hard-working volunteers.
Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this project possible:
Kyle, Pete, Malia, Deanna, Meena, Melody, Harper, Beth, Laura, Anna, Norma, Jenet, Patrice, and Kristina.
And lastly, the creativity of Karin Onkka Design coupled with the hard work of Courtney Buel made all the difference!
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Bee Grateful!
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Thank you for helping us bring back the pollinators with native plants!
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