New Books

There are several new books on native plants and pollinators.

• Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide. Includes trees, shrub and perennial plant profiles for the Midwest, Great Lakes and Northeast Regions. A comprehensive guide illustrating the bees that occur in north-central and eastern United States and southern Canada ​In-depth profiles of 27 bee genera covering the life cycles, habitats, diet, foraging behaviors, crops pollinated, nesting lifestyles, seasonality, and preferred native forage plants.”

A good companion book to Heather’s Pollinators of Native Plants. “A comprehensive book illustrating the specific relationships between native pollinators, beneficial insects, and native plants. Organized by plant communities, the book profiles over 65 perennial native plants of the Midwest, Great Lakes region, Northeast and southern Canada and the pollinators, beneficial insects and flower visitors the plants attract.”

• Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees: Gardening Alternatives to Nonnative Species by Wild Ones members Charlotte Adelman and Bernard Schwartz. “This is a complete reference book with 448 pages and 484 color photos. Aside from specifying ornamental attributes, the authors include “Nature Notes” to indicate species of butterflies, birds, and other pollinators that are attracted to the native shrub or tree. The previous book on native plants by these authors was an award-winning best-seller.”

A good companion book to Charlotte and Bernie’s The Midwestern Native Garden – Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants. “The authors provide a comprehensive selection of native alternatives that look similar or even identical to a range of non-native ornamentals. These are native plants that are suitable for all garden styles, bloom during the same season, and have the same cultivation requirements as their nonnative counterparts. Plant entries are accompanied by nature notes setting out the specific birds and butterflies the native plants attract.”

• New guide to Wisconsin’s native plants This free publication prepared by the Natural Heritage Conservation Program of the WDNR includes recommendations for landscaping and natural community restoration. “Landowners who want to boost wildlife habitat on their property — whether in a city lot or on hundreds of acres in the country — now have access to resources to help choose native plants that can thrive where they live, benefit a wide variety of birds and other wildlife, and promote water quality. Get started today!”  I was privileged to participate in the updating of this guideline, so I know it was developed with a lot of heart and passion.