PollinateTO supports the creation of pollinator habitat in Toronto neighbourhoods. Since 2019, PollinateTO has helped create over 400 gardens! Learn more and find a project near you.
Toronto is home to over 360 species of bees!
Native bees and honey bees are threatened by:
Learn more about native bees and honey bees and what you can do to help by exploring the sections below.
Wild About Bees flyer – printable pdf flyer.
Let’s start by exploring the differences between wild, native bees and European honey bees—and why it matters.
Did you know?
The Rusty-patched bumblebee—one of the most common native bees in southern Ontario just 50 years ago—hasn’t been seen in the wild in Ontario since 2009.
Native Bees | Honey Bees |
More than 360 species exist in Toronto, over 600 in Ontario, and over 800 across Canada | A single monoculture species, Apis mellifera, is commonly farmed in Canada |
Once lost, they cannot be replaced | When a colony dies, bees can be purchased to start a new colony |
Wild | Managed by humans |
Some species are endangered | Not endangered |
Primarily solitary | Social, live in colonies |
Nest in the ground or in cavities | Live in hives |
Do not produce honey as they are dormant in winter | Produce honey for overwintering |
Wide range of colours, including green, blue, red and purple | Black and yellow |
Most species don’t sting | Sting |
Have evolutionary, dependent relationships with native plants | Have no evolutionary, dependent relationships with native plants |
Meet Toronto’s Official Bee – learn about this native green metallic sweat bee and why it was selected to be our official bee.
You’ve heard about the pollinator crisis, you’ve heard that bees are in trouble, you’ve heard about Colony Collapse Disorder, and you want to do something to help. Interest in backyard beekeeping is growing, but is it the right thing to do?
Keeping honey bees doesn’t help to save wild bees, much like keeping backyard hens doesn’t save wild birds.
Here’s what you need to know:
A single honey bee hive can contain 50,000 honey bees, which can consume the amount of pollen needed to feed about 110,000 offspring of a single native bee.
Are you thinking of buying managed bees, such as honey bees? Here are some questions to ask yourself first – Considerations for Buying Managed Bees from Pollination Guelph.
The easiest and most effective way to help native pollinators is to plant native plants. By planting native plants, you will be providing much-needed habitat that native bees need to survive.
Native plants provide pollen and nectar which they need to feed themselves and their larvae, as well as places to nest and overwinter.
You can create pollinator habitat in your yard, on your balcony, at your condo or apartment building, at your office, school, faith centre, community garden—everywhere!
See our garden tips and plant list in the sections below to get you started.
An ideal pollinator garden will include the following:
Here are some tips to help you create a new pollinator garden or transform your existing garden to be more pollinator-friendly. The plants you choose and how you maintain your garden are important considerations.
Pollinator protection actions take many forms in our yards: planting native species, expanding garden space to reduce grass coverage, and intentionally creating spaces for pollinators to eat, drink, and rest. With a little research and effort, creating urban pollinator habitat can go a long way to promote species richness and diversity.
Yet, some of the most effective actions towards pollinator protection entail doing… well, nothing.
You may have seen “leave the leaves” campaigns through the fall, encouraging you to ditch the fall garden clean-up. Why? Allowing your garden to stand for the winter provides essential habitat for pollinating insects to overwinter. Native pollinator species in Toronto need plant litter to nest and survive the cold.
Now that spring is dropping hints of its arrival, many of us are getting anxious to get our gardens in shape for the growing season to come. But when that one t-shirt appropriate day inevitably comes before May, do not reach for your rake and shears.
Cleaning up your garden too early will harm nesting pollinators. Although it can be hard to wait, it is best to not partake in any garden clean-up for as long as possible in the spring. The earliest to start tidying is once the weather has consistently been above 10 degrees for at least a week.
In early spring, insects are still in diapause. This is a resting state like hibernation. The insects will not be moving and need to be left alone until it is warm enough to emerge on their own.
The following tips ensure a spring garden clean-up that preserves pollinator habitat while allowing you to prepare for the upcoming growing season.
1. Leave the leaves, again
Hopefully your garden beds are covered in fall leaves. If there is less than an inch of leaf cover, do nothing. They will decompose over time and can fertilize and protect the garden soil and promote microorganism health. Do not underestimate how much new foliage will cover! By summer the leaves will be hardly visible. If there is a thicker layer of leaf cover on your beds, gently remove the extra before the new growth starts to emerge. Whenever disturbing leaf cover keep a close eye out for insects. Luna moths, for example, overwinter in cocoons that camouflage as dead leaves. Extra leaves can be added to compost, used as mulch, or simply moved to sit between plants (this method also suppresses weed growth and doesn’t block access to the bare soil for ground nesters).
2. Step away from the mulch
Some pollinator species hunker down for the winter right in the soil. Covering the soil with mulch is like pouring concrete over their homes – it may smother these insects and inhibit their spring emergence. Mulch in general is not necessary in a garden and should be used sparingly. If you would like to mulch, hold off until the weather has turned, and the soil has had a chance to dry out. Strategically mulch just around the base of plants, leaving plenty of bare patches for ground nesting bees.
3. Cut, bundle and tie stems
Both adults and pupae of some pollinator species nest in dead, hollow plant stems. Once the weather is consistently above 10 degrees, you can begin trimming stems. We recommend cutting stems higher up. Leaving about 30cm of stem ensures overwintering sites for pollinator generations to come while still leaving you with a tidy-looking garden. Loosely bundle the cuttings together in groups of about a handful and leave them in your garden space by hanging the bundles or leaning them against something sturdy. This way, pollinators like bees and beneficial native wasps can emerge when the time and temperature is right.
4. Practice pragmatic pruning
If you have shrubs and woody perennials to prune, do so with a sharp eye and take your time. Many moth and butterfly species overwinter dangling from branches in cocoons, and flowering shrubs are an important first source of food for these species. If you spot a chrysalis or cocoon, leave it alone. You can always trim later.
More Resources:
Choosing native wildflowers can make your garden beautiful, easy to maintain and help support local pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Here are some native plants organized by season to help you provide a continuous source of food for pollinators. We’ve also indicated growing conditions in sun or shade.
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
---|---|---|---|---|
False Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum racemosum) | yes | yes | ||
Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) | yes | yes | yes | |
Hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus) | yes | yes | ||
Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) | yes | yes |
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
---|---|---|---|---|
Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) | yes | yes | ||
Bee balm (Monarda didyma) | yes | yes | ||
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) | yes | |||
Blue vervain (Verbena hastata) | yes | |||
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) | yes | |||
Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | yes | yes | ||
Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) | yes | |||
Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) | yes | yes | ||
Culver’s root (Veronicastrum virginicum) | yes | |||
Cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) | yes | |||
Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata) | yes | |||
Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) | yes | |||
Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) | yes | |||
Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) | yes | yes | ||
Heath Aster (Symphyotrichum ericoides) | yes | |||
Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata) | yes | yes | ||
Joe-pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) | yes | |||
Lance-leaved coreopsis (C. lanceolata) | yes | |||
Nodding onion (Allium cernuum) | yes | yes | ||
Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida) | yes | |||
Pearly everlasting (A. margaritacea) | yes | yes | ||
Showy tick trefoil (D. canadense) | yes | yes | ||
Swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) | yes | yes | ||
Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) | yes | yes | ||
Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) | yes | |||
Virginia mountain mint (P. virginianum) | yes | |||
Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | yes | |||
Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) | yes |
Common Name (Scientific Name) | Likes sunny spots | Likes sunny or shady spots | Likes shady spots | Larval host plant |
---|---|---|---|---|
New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | yes | |||
Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida) | yes | |||
Woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) | yes | yes | yes |
Native trees and shrubs offer benefits to pollinators too. Here are a few to consider based on size and moist soil conditions (see rain garden species).
More native species profiles:
Get to know Goldenrod brochure – includes the information below and photos of goldenrod species.
A hardy native plant with many different species adapted to a wide range of growing conditions, there’s a goldenrod that’s right for every garden. And when you plant goldenrod in your yard, on your balcony or in a community garden, the birds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators will all benefit.
These species grow naturally in forests and are great for shady garden areas.
Zig zag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis):
Broad, dark green leaves with saw-toothed edges. Growth form is upright; stems have a bent, zig-zag pattern. Spreads by underground rhizomes and multiplies, though not aggressively. Delicately scented blooms are bright yellow in many small clusters where the leaves meet the stem. Grows well in large containers on a shady balcony.
Blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia):
Tolerates somewhat dry and sandy soils. Long stems arc outwards in a circle, with bright yellow flowers in clusters held close to the stem. Leaves are narrow with serrated edges; stems have a waxy coating that tinges them blue. As it matures, forms a large clump.
These adaptable species, from sun to part-sun, do well in the dappled conditions found under some types of trees.
Gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis):
Extremely tough. Flourishing in gravelly soil, it’s a great container plant, too. Stems and leaves are covered in dense, velvety white hairs. Pyramid-shaped flower clusters arrayed at the end of stems.
Silverrod (Solidago bicolor):
One of two goldenrod species in Ontario with white flowers instead of the usual yellow. (The other is Solidago ptarmicoides.) Growth form is upright, with large leaves at the base becoming smaller towards the middle. Flowers cluster tightly around the central stem of the leaf-less top half of the plant.
These species are very drought-tolerant and thrive in open, sunny areas.
Grass-leaved goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia):
Long, slender leaves and a flower cluster that is branched and “flat-topped,” rather than pyramid or rod-shaped; airy, elegant appearance. Can become “top heavy,” so grow it alongside other tall meadow plants for support.
Early goldenrod (Solidago juncea):
Flower clusters look like tasselled golden pyramids. Long and thick, leathery green leaves form a cluster at the base of the plant, from which the tall stem emerges in summer. Usually the first goldenrod to bloom, often in early August.
Stiff goldenrod (Solidago rigida):
Excellent showpiece, with broad leaves and stout stems that are velvety with short white hairs. Clusters of dense and abundant yellow flowers. Thrives in hot, dry conditions. Grows to an impressive size.
Ohio goldenrod (Solidago ohioensis):
Thrives in moist areas—near a downspout or a low area, for example. Flower cluster is flat-topped, open and airy. Stems are upright and stout.
Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea):
These three species are very similar in appearance, and are likely to volunteer in gardens, with seeds blowing in on the wind. All have three prominent veins on lower leaves, and tassel/pyramid-shaped flower clusters. Can be vigorous, and even aggressive (spreading by underground rhizomes), but can be managed by pulling up stems or growing in containers.
Myth: Goldenrod is too aggressive for the garden.
Myth-buster: Three species of goldenrod–Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), Tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima) and Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea)–are highly successful spreaders in small gardens. In large gardens or tough spots where little else will grow, this is a very useful feature! In small gardens, consider planting some of the other beautiful goldenrods listed on this page.
Download this information: Get to know Goldenrod brochure – includes photos of the goldenrod species mentioned here.
Text by Lorraine Johnson and Ryan Godfrey, Project Swallowtail