GARDEN PLOT: Native plants attract right kind of bug

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GARDEN PLOT: Native plants attract right kind of bug

BY MARTY HAIR

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

July 21, 2006

A new study shows that having the right native plants in your garden

encourages good bugs that prey on pests, reducing the need for pesticides.

Michigan State University entomologist Doug Landis and doctoral student Anna

Fiedler in 2003 began investigating Michigan native plants, monitoring when

they bloomed and what kinds of insects they attracted.

They were especially interested in plants with pollen and nectar that draw

beneficial insects -- bees and other pollinators, as well as insects that

consume aphids and plant pests.

Certain plants do this very well, Landis and Fiedler found through research

in 2004 and 2005. They and other experts will talk about the results and using

native plants to attract beneficial insects at a workshop Aug. 1. (Details,

4C.)

" Our work was targeted for field crop growers initially. But as we progressed

we realized many of these plants are quite beautiful and do quite well in

the home landscape, " Landis says.

Selecting native plants that bloom in succession can support a season-long

population of good bugs. Many are easy to grow, Landis says.

Among the plants Fiedler suggests for home gardens are boneset (Eupatorium

perfoliatum, blooms late summer), blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica, late

summer), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae, September), meadowsweet (Spirea

alba, early August), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa, mid-summer),

sand coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata, summer) and Canada anemone (Anemone

canadensis, early summer; can spread, so watch it).

These are usually available at nurseries specializing in Michigan native

plants, she says. For a list from the Michigan Native Plant Producers

Association, go to _www.nativeplant.com/MNPPA_source_guide_2005.pdf_

(http://www.nativeplant.com/MNPPA_source_guide_2005.pdf) .

With native plants doing the work of attracting insect predators or parasites

to the garden, the good bugs " are killing pests and that means you are less

likely to have an outbreak that requires you to use pesticides, " Fiedler

says.

Having many different kinds of flowering plants is vital, according to

Landis, because they come into bloom at various times. Beneficial insects need

access to pollen or nectar nearly every day.

From their research, he and Fiedler came up with about two dozen native

plants that do the job. For the list, go to

_www.ipm.msu.edu/plants/home.htm_ (http://www.ipm.msu.edu/plants/home.htm) .

A new 46-page pocket guide, " Identifying Natural Enemies in Field Crops "

(E2949), is available through the MSU bulletin office. It is $10 plus shipping

and handling. Go to _www.emdc.msue.msu.edu_ (http://www.emdc.msue.msu.edu/) or

call 517-353-6740, 8 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. weekdays.