Succession Bloom in Bermudagrass for Pollinator Forage.

Many pollinators require floral resources from a variety of plants to maintain health and vitality. Forage sources must provide a season long succession of blooms to best equip the insects for life-cycle activities, such as foraging, nest-building, and reproduction. Historically, seed mixes for lawns contained clover and other legumes, providing nutrition sources for pollinating insects. However, aesthetic preferences for lawns have changed and many valuable sources of pollinator nutrition are considered weeds. There are countless acres of turfgrass available in the US that might be manipulated to encourage and support a strong pollinator presence, without compromising human views of aesthetically pleasing landscapes. The objective of this study was to determine if spring/summer/fall blooming plants can persist in warm-season turfgrasses and provide a succession of blooms throughout the growing season. Under this objective, we seek to determine their flowering period and preference by pollinators. In April 2016, eight herbaceous perennials were incorporated into a stand of bermudagrass Cynadon dactylon ‘cv. Riviera’ maintained as a lawn. Because of the limited study time (two seasons), entries were started from seed in the greenhouse and introduced to the field in 4” pots, to offer the best chance at survival. Plants were evaluated for persistence, coverage, flower coverage, and pollinator activity. Entries showing the most promise after two seasons included Trifolium repens ‘cv. Resolute’ and ‘cv. Durana’, both known for grazing tolerance. Non-legumes which flourished in the competitive bermudagrass environment included Claytonia virginica (spring beauty) and Prunella vulgaris (self heal). The white clover and self heal escaped the confines of its plot which could be problematic as weeds, but also demonstrated their ability to spread once established. White clover, spring beauty, and self heal show promise for use in out of play areas on golf courses, or in low-maintenance lawn situations.