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E very spring, I am always happily surprised when the first seemingly drunken butterfly meanders past me. It is likely that by the time the butterflies make their appearance, the more discreet insects have been visiting those "weedy" blossoms of dandelions or henbit for some time. The bees and butterflies seem to be the go-to guys when we talk about pollinators. But, the diversity of pollinators is quite impressive. The line-up includes wasps, flies, ants, beetles, hummingbirds, songbirds, mammals, reptiles and even the newest resident at the Museum of Arts and Sciences: African straw-colored fruit bats. Pollination — the movement of pollen from the anthers (male) to the stigmas GREEN THUMB TIPS The importance of pollinators BY KAROL KELLY | PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON GRIFFIN (female) of a flower — eventually leads to the production of a new plant. For some plants, like grasses and pine trees, pollen is moved with wind and/or water. Much more common, however, is the plants' dependence on another organism to "spread the love." Many flower petal colors, fragrances and even their sweet nectar are perfectly suited for the creatures that pollinate them and help them flourish. In Georgia, pollinators are big business! A recent University of Georgia study determined that the value of pollination on agricultural commodities in our state topped $360 million. We'd be without many of our favorite fruits and vegetables if not for these tiny heroes. Think of all of the good strawberries from Elliott Farms we might have missed! PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS There are a multitude of lists to help choose plants that will attract pollinators to your landscape. Lists may classify plants based on such things as site conditions, flower color, mature size of plants or even more specific information like which plants serve as nectar plants for which butterflies. Our native plants are ideal to attract native pollinators, and our local garden centers are overflowing with beautiful plants to choose from. One word of advice is to use plants that will extend your flowering season as long as possible. Blueberries are 34 maconmagazine.com | JUNE/JULY 2021