With pollinator gardens becoming so popular, you might be wondering what else you could do to help these ecologically-crucial bugs and birds. Or maybe gardening isn’t your thing, but you would still like to do something to help pollinators. Have you considered planting a tree?
Before we get started, if a pollinator garden is something you are interested in, check out our other articles about choosing the perfect site for your pollinator garden, and our ultimate guide to pollinator garden plants.
Trees are amazing! They provide people with shade, birds with nesting habitat, and they might be our best chance at turning back climate change. If you choose the right trees, they can also be a feast for pollinators.
In this article we discuss how trees can help pollinators, what types of trees are beneficial to pollinators, and give you some handy tree-planting tips.
How Can Trees Help Pollinators?
There are many types of trees and shrubs that bloom over the course of a year. These blossoms are often larger than a plant’s flowers and have a ton of pollen and nectar, making them super appealing to pollinators.
Many species of trees will blossom before plants in the spring, which makes them an early food supply for pollinators who are hungry after a long winter. Trees and shrubs are also excellent food sources for pollinators because they provide a large amount of food in a small amount of space.
Tree Species that Help
Trees native to your geography are best when planting for pollinators. Just as with plants, pollinators have evolved alongside the trees in their environments for thousands of years. On top of this, some ornamental trees have been developed to look pretty but not provide the nectar pollinators crave.
Here is a list of trees, native to Ontario that pollinators love:
Serviceberry
The serviceberry is one of the first trees to blossom in April, making it an important source of nectar and pollen for pollinators waking up from the winter.
Canada Plum & American Plum
These super fragrant trees can be smelled on the May breeze when they bloom.
Black Cherry Trees
There are a few varieties of the cherry tree but most are abundant pollen and nectar producers in May and June.
Ohio Buckeye
This tree, which blooms in late May and early June, grows 15 to 25 meters tall.
Eastern Redbud
One of the most beautiful trees on this list, the eastern redbud blooms gorgeous pink flowers in May.
Indigo Bush
A large shrub that can grow 5 to 6 meters in height and spread to twice that width. It blooms in June but isn’t a fragrant plant, making it perfect for someone with smell sensitivity.
Eastern Flowering Dogwood
Planting this tree is doubly beneficial since it is a species at risk in Ontario. Its large, white flowers bloom in May and June.
Basswood
This tree is known to grow faster than many North American hardwoods, often twice the annual growth rate compared to other trees.
Elderberry
This June - July blooming tree can grow well in both wet and dry soil but requires a sunny location.
How to Plant a Tree
Planting a tree is like planting a garden with a few other considerations to keep in mind. If you have never planted a tree before here are a few tips to help you:
- Choose a location that will allow the tree to grow to full height.
- Locate all underground utilities prior to digging.
- Dig a hole 2-3 times wider than the root ball.
- Remove the tree from the container it is in and set it in the hole.
- Care for the tree as necessary, this could include staking it, and watering it.
If gardening isn’t your thing, you have lots of trees and shrubs to choose from. Trees are low-maintenance and offer great benefits to you and your neighbourhood pollinators. Trees also help counteract climate change, an issue that is impacting everyone, pollinators included. Read more about how climate change affects pollinators.
