Here’s how to help your herb garden support pollinators [Master Gardener column] | Home & Garden

The third week of June has been designated National Pollinator Week by the Pollinator Partnership (pollinator.org). Though many plants are pollinated by wind and water, animals pollinate over three-quarters of plants in temperate regions such as Pennsylvania. Our gardens can provide habitats and sustenance for pollinators while beautifying our own surroundings.

Although we often think of native plants as the best way to nurture pollinators, culinary herbs can also play a crucial role in supporting them. Here are some herbs that you might consider growing, both for your own use in the kitchen and to benefit pollinators.

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Flowering herbs that provide nectar and pollen

Herbs taste best in cooking before they flower, so consider planting more than you need, allowing both you and the pollinators to enjoy them.

— Basil is used in many culinary traditions and is known to many as the primary ingredient in pesto. Both green- and purple-leaf varieties are available, and the flowers range from white to purple.

— Chives’ hollow leaves are easily clipped to add a mild onion flavor to dishes. It sports fluffy lavender flowers that are a favorite of bees.

— Oregano thrives in warm, dry conditions reminiscent of its Mediterranean origin. Like basil, it has stalks of multiple florets, making it an efficient stop for foraging bees.

— Rosemary often lasts through the winter in Lancaster County. Its flowers appear in late winter and early spring — a time when other sources of pollen and nectar are scarce.

Basil is a versatile, flowering herb that provides nectar and pollen for bees.

PEXELS

Herbs that serve as butterfly host plants

— Parsley is one of the most popular herbs to grow, since fresh-clipped foliage adds so much more flavor to dishes than dried flakes. Many are dismayed to see chubby, black- and green-striped “worms” devouring the leaves of planted parsley. These are actually caterpillars that will transform into black swallowtail butterflies. Black swallowtail caterpillars can only feed on a few types of plants (termed “host plants”), which also include the herbs dill, fennel and cilantro.

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— Borage is an herb whose young, raw leaves and brilliant blue flowers can add a cucumber-like taste to salads. It is the host plant for the painted lady butterfly, and bees use its flowers as a source of pollen and nectar.

If you want to grow herbs as butterfly host plants, you should definitely plant twice as many as you need. You can confine the damage by gently moving the caterpillars from one plant to another.

Don’t worry if you do not see the caterpillar transform into a butterfly while on your herb plants. When done feeding, it will move on and seek a protected area to form a chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly.

To read more about herbs and pollinators, see the Penn State Extension article “Culinary Herbs Are Good for Beneficial Insects, Including Pollinators,” at lanc.news/HerbsForPollinators.

If you find yourself with garden issues and questions as the summer heats up, our Garden Hotline is happy to assist. Contact us at LancasterMG@psu.edu or by calling 717-394-6851.

Lois Miklas is a Penn State Master Gardener for Lancaster County, and a former area Master Gardener coordinator.

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