Urban pollinator gardens are a way to help build local ecosystems and support the biodiversity that is abundantly found within them. By definition, ecosystems are geographical areas where organisms (both living and nonliving) work together to create a communicable, living environment. In other words, plants, animals, insects, weather, temperature, soil, water, etc…, all work together and develop into a potentially sustainable “bubble of life”.

(Fennel with Swallowtail caterpillar)

Why the Need for Urban Pollinator Gardens?

There is no doubt that San Antonio is growing, and it is continuing to grow fast! With each new building built, or asphalt road laid, our local pollinators are eked out just a little bit more. Urban pollinator gardens help to reestablish pollinator plants that have been depleted in cities full of concrete sidewalks and industrial buildings. These gardens help to restore the local habitats of our native and local pollinators, which in turn will help preserve nature, maintain vital food supplies, and much more. (Did you know pollinators are responsible for one out of every three bites of food you eat?) 

Not only do urban pollinator gardens make our otherwise drab cityscape look fabulous with lush foliage and colorful, vibrant blooms, they also create a crucial, protective habitat for travel-weary bees and butterflies looking for sustenance to continue their incredible journeys. Couldn’t you plant a flower or two to help out?

(Busy and happy bees on Mystic Spires salvia)

How to Create an Urban Pollinator Garden

You don’t have to have acre upon acre to support our local and native pollinators; that’s the beauty of an urban pollinator garden. Pollinators don’t seem to be phased by city life when they have welcoming patches of nectar-rich flowers to visit! You can create a thriving ecosystem in your own landscapes no matter what size you have available. Patios, balconies, decks and rooftops, with assorted pots full of pollinator-friendly plants, can all be a designated area to support a bevy of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, and more.

Fill up your urban pollinator garden with nectar-rich plant selections that will be sure to bring in a bevy of butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and moths. Pollinator plants that go to seed are also attractive to local birds. For some great plant options, check out the list of plants below that will be utilized in the Legacy Park Urban Pollinator Gardens in San Antonio. Access the links below for an in depth look at each of these pollinator friendly plants. Important growing information can be found there for success in growing these urban pollinator plants in your own landscapes and container gardens. For a quick look and easy-to-reference guide, see this link.

New Gold™ lantana is a sterilized, non-invasive pollinator plant.

6 Urban Pollinator Garden Plants in Legacy Park

1. Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) 
2. Duranta (Duranta erecta) 
3. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) 
4. New Gold Lantana (Lantana camara ‘New Gold’) 
5. Mystic Spires Salvia (Salvia longispicata x farinacea Mystic Spires Blue’)
6. Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggi)

~The Happy Gardener, Lisa Mulroy