BEE REPORT Dolores Pollinator Boulevard
A Project of With Honey In the Heart Bee Count Report by Jaime Pawelek, 2017 Illustrated by Sophia Li Funded by Edwards Mother Earth Foundation
Introduction By the spring of 2017, the two medians along Dolores Street between Market and 14th Street had been transformed from dry, neglected grassy patches into colorful, flowering pollinator gardens. The next step was finding the answer to the question: were they successful pollinator gardens? We enlisted the help of bee researcher Jaime Pawelek, who conducted surveys in April, June, and August of that year. The surveys involved collecting insects at the two planted medians, as well as one unplanted median that functioned as a control. Median 1 had been planted in 2016 and was already established, while Median 2 had been planted right before the surveys were conducted. The report documented the flowers in bloom and the types of bees and other pollinators visiting those flowers. The insect sampling consisted of two methods: net collecting and pan trapping. The findings were promising, showing that many types of pollinators, including a dozen different species of bees, frequented the newly planted medians. It was noticeably significant in contrast to the unplanted median, which attracted far fewer pollinators and was much less aesthetically pleasing. The Pollinator Boulevard is still relatively new and currently only encompasses two medians, but the data shows that it already is providing much-needed habitat. And with time and more efforts to expand in both size and floral diversity, Dolores Street has the potential to be an even better home for pollinators in the city.
Duboce Avenue
MEDIAN 1 14th Street
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MEDIAN 2
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Dolores Street
MEDIAN 3 Dolores Park
Number of Insects Collected at Each Median
MEDIAN 1
MEDIAN 2
MEDIAN 3
Insects were collected using pan traps or collected directly from flowers. Key: 1 icon = 1 insect.
The Pollinators
49% 45% 4% 2%
FLIES
26 individuals collected from 10 species
BEES
24 individuals collected from 11 species
BUTTERFLIES
2 individuals collected from 2 species
WASPS
1 individual collected from 1 species
FIERY SKIPPER
LEAFCUTTER BEE
Hylephila phyleus
CABBAGE WHITE
Megachile perihirta
SWEAT BEE Halictus tripartitus
Pieris rapae
YELLOW-FACED BUMBLEBEES
Bombus vosnesenskii
HONEY BEES
Apis mellifera
The Plants
47 18 9
PLANT TYPES
observed to be flowering in Medians 1 and 2 during surveys
PLANT FAMILIES
including pollinator favorites Asteraceae and Lamiaceae
NATIVE SPECIES BACHELOR’S BUTTONS
MARGARITA BOP
Centaurea cyanus
SEASIDE DAISY
Penstemon heterophyllus
COYOTE MINT
Monardella villosa
Erigeron glaucus
YARROW
TANSY-LEAFED PHACELIA
Achillea millefolium
Phacelia tanacetifolia
CALIFORNIA POPPY
Eschscholzia californica
BRANDEGEE SAGE
Salvia brandegeei
Most Attractive Plants In Each Survey
SPRING
Median 1 + Wild Radish + Rock Purslane + California Poppy + Spanish Lavender + Tansy Phacelia
SUMMER
Median 2 + Germander Sage + Tansy Phacelia + Lupine + California Poppy + Penstemon + Seaside Daisy
AUTUMN
Median 2 + Germander Sage + Rock Purslane + Cosmos + Bachelor’s Buttons + Seaside Daisy
Median 3 was unplanted and used as a control. A few wild dandelions were observed.
PT PT SG SG CG CG SI GG GG CG AS AS RO EV MV MV MV GC GC SI SM PA PT EC SI RO GG GG CG CG SG SG CG CG SC GC GC EV MV MV PT PT RO SG CG CG SI GG GG CG CG AS PA SI GC GC EV RO EV EV MV MV SC PT SG SG CG CG CG EV CC CG CG GG GG EC GC GC PA AS RO EV EV MV MV SI PA EV PT SG SG CG CG SI CG CG GG GG EV SC GC GC EV PA EV MV MV PT GG SG SG SI CG CG GG AS RO RO CG SI GC EV EC CC EV MV MV PT GG GG SG SG CG SI PA SC CG CG GG AS RO SI EV GC GC EV PT GG CG SG SG CG CG CG GG RO RO EV EV MV GC SI SI SI SC AS EV PA SC GC RO RO EV EV MV PT GG CG SG SG CG EC CG GG GG EV CC GC SI SI SC GC PA AS AS RO EV MV MV PT GG GG CG SG SG CG SI GG GG CG CG GC GC RO EV MV PT GG CG SG SG CG GG GG SM EC SI CG CG SI SI SC GC GC PA AS AS RO EV MV GG GG SG SG CG CG CG CG GG GG GG
AS
CC
SC
Planting Plan BOTANICAL NAME
COMMON NAME
Aloe x spinoissima
Spider Aloe
Ceanothus ‘Centennial’
California Lilac
Erigeron glaucus Ker Gawl
Beach Aster
Eryngium varifolium ‘Big Blue’
Sea Holly
Echium candicans L.F.
Pride of Madeira
CG
EV
EC
Blanket Flower
GG
SC
Scabiosa atropurpurea L.
Pincushion Flower
November
December
EC
October
EC
EC
Bloom Calendar September
EC
Honey Sage
August
SC
Salvia mellifera Greene
July
AS MV PT
Autumn Sage
June
EC
Salvia greggii A. Gray
May
EC
SG
April
SC
Germander Sage
Gilia capitata Sim Erigeron glaucus Ker Gawl Perovskia artiplicifolia Benth Salvia brandeggi Munz Monardella villosa Penstemon heterophyllus Lind. Phacelia campanularia A. Gray Salvia chamaedryoides Cav. Echium candicans L.F. Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ Ceanothus ‘Centennial’ Eryngium varifolium ‘Big Blue’
EC
Salvia chamaedryoides Cav.
Encelia californica Nutt Phacelia ciculata Greene Salvia mellifera Greene Phacelia tenacifolia Benth
SC
PA
SC
BOTANICAL NAME Salvia greggii A. Gray Scabiosa atropurpurea L. Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. Aloe x spinoissima Eschscholzia californica
SC
PA
Santa Rosa Island Sage
March
GG GG CG PT SI MV MV SI SG SG PA AS AS SC GC GC SB SM PA EC SG SG GG GG CG CG PT MV MV SC GC GC SI SG SG SG GG GG CG CG AS SC PA RO PA MV GC GC EV RO SC SG SG CG CG GG GG EV CC GC GC PA AS SC MV SI PA PA RO SI PA EV SG SG CG CG GG GG EV PA SC GC GC EV SI MV RO GC SG CG CG SG GG AS SC MV MV PA EV GC GC GC CG CG SG SG GG AS SC MV PA PA EV PA SC EV MV MV EV GC GC GC GC CG CG GG SG SG CG MV EV PA PA RO SI SC GC SC EV PA MV GC GC CG GG GG SG SG CG SC GC RO CC GC EV PA SG SI SC CG GG GG GC GC RO GC SC PA MV PT RO GC GC MV SM GC CG CG GG GG SG CG SC SI SC SC GC GC PA MV PT RO RO GC CG CG GG GG GG SG CG
EC
Salvia brandeggi Munz
SM
SB
Indigo Spires Sage
SB
SC
SC
Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’
SI
SC
SC
Creeping Rosemary
RO
SC
California Desert Blue Bells
SC
Phacelia campanularia A. Gray
MV PT PT
Tansy Phacelia
MV MV PT
Phacelia tenacifolia Benth
PT
AS
Russian Sage
SC
Perovskia artiplicifolia Benth
PA
SC
Foothill Penstemon
SC
Penstemon heterophyllus Lind.
MV PT PT
Coyote Mint
AS
Monardella villosa
AS
MV
SC
Blue Gilia
SC
Gilia capitata Sim
AS MV PT PT AS SC MV PT PT AS AS SC SC PT PT MV PT AS SC MV SC PT AS PT SC
GC
January
February
In Summary
+ The most attractive plant families for native bees were Asteraceae (including cosmos and dandelions), which provides both nectar and pollen, and Lamiaceae (mint and lavender), which provides mostly nectar.
+ Both medians were still quite young when the surveys were conducted and need time to fully establish and grow.
+ However, many plants were flowering, even in Median #2, which had been planted right before the survey.
+ In the spring, blooming plants were most abundant in Median #1. In the summer
and fall, Median #2 had more flowers and bee activity. Results from the survey indicate that both of the planted medians were more attractive to pollinators than the unplanted third median.
BEFORE
AFTER
Looking Forward
+ Plant more late summer and fall blooming plants such as goldenrod, buckwheats, and coyote bush.
+ Include more native plants, especially those in the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families. + Group several of the same plant type in large patches to attract pollinators. + Set aside areas of bare soil for ground-nesting bees. + In time, the Pollinator Boulevard can become an even more flourishing home for bees and other pollinators. Overall results are promising!