Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Pacific Northwest (Nature-Friendly Gardens) - Softcover

Daniels, Jaret C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1647554764 ISBN 13: 9781647554767

Publisher: Adventure Publications, 2025

Synopsis

Plan your landscape or garden with more than 100 native plants that benefit birds, bees, and butterflies of the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada.

The presence of birds, bees, and butterflies suggests a healthy, earth-friendly place. These most welcome guests also bring joy to those who appreciate watching them. Now, you can turn your yard into a perfect habitat that attracts them and, more importantly, helps them thrive. Acclaimed author and expert entomologist Jaret C. Daniels provides the information you need in this must-have guide for Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho, and southern British Columbia. Learn how to landscape and create pollinator gardens with native plants.

The book begins with an in-depth introduction to native pollinators and to birds. It’s followed by a “field guide” section to more than 100 native plants that are widely available to utilize, are easy to care for, and provide great benefit to birds, bees, and butterflies. Each species includes full-color photographs and information about hardiness zones, what they are most likely to attract, soil requirements, light levels, and Jaret’s notes. As an added bonus, you’ll make use of blooming charts, tips on attracting specific species, and more! Plan, plant, and grow your beautiful garden, with native plants that benefit your favorite creatures to watch and enjoy.

Inside you’ll find:

• Overview of native pollinator species in the Pacific Northwest
• Field guide to over 100 native plants, organized by level of sunlight needed
• Quick-reference chart to plants, blooming periods, and what animals each plant attracts
• Hardiness zone information, weed control tips, and more
• BONUS: Garden plans that can be customized to suit your specific interests

About this title

About the Author

Jaret C. Daniels, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Entomology at the University of Florida and Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History, specializing in insect ecology and conservation. He has authored numerous scientific papers, popular articles, and books on wildlife conservation, insects, butterflies, and wildflowers—including butterfly field guides for Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Ohio, and Michigan. He is also the author of Backyard Bugs, Insects & Bugs Backyard Workbook, Insects & Bugs for Kids, Our Love of Bees, Vibrant Butterflies, and more. Jaret lives in Gainesville, Florida, with his wife, Stephanie.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Blanketflower

Scientific Name Gaillardia aristata

Family Aster (Asteraceae)

Plant Characteristics Herbaceous perennial to 3 feet in height; elongated, densely hairy, lance-shaped basal leaves with variable margins from smooth to lobed; flower stalks have smaller and alternately attached leaves; bright, solitary, daisy-like flowers with lobed yellow petals that are often reddish-purple at the base surrounding a purplish-brown center.

USDA Hardiness Zones 3a–8b

Bloom Period Early summer–mid-fall (June–October)

Growing Conditions Full sun and average-to-dry, well-drained soil.

Blanketflower is a striking wildflower of western prairies, meadows, and grasslands that adds an intense pop of color to the landscape. Although delicate-looking, it is a tough plant capable of growing under very harsh conditions. Easy to grow, it prefers full sun; it tolerates heat, drought, and poor soil but does not perform well in poorly drained sites. Nonetheless, it benefits from some irrigation during extended periods of hot and dry weather. Excellent for naturalizing, it looks particularly eye-catching en masse but is still quite showy if planted individually in smaller garden spaces or even in containers. A long bloomer, it provides exceptional floral resources for many pollinators and is a superb addition to any wildlife-friendly landscape.

Attracts butterflies, bees, and many other insect pollinators; songbirds feed on the seeds.

Edition details

• Publisher: Adventure Publications
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1647554764
• ISBN 13: 9781647554767
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276