Native Plants, Cultivars, and Nativars: Which Is Best for Pollinators?

Let's say you walk into a nursery.

There's a native plant.

Next to it is a prettier version.

Maybe it's shorter. Maybe it blooms longer. Maybe it's brighter pink.

So... Is it still good for pollinators?

That question deserves more than a simple yes or no.

What I'm hoping to accomplish in this article is not  telling you what to plant.

I hope to help you understand the trade-offs.

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  A cultivar of Echinacea Purpurea

• 

  A cultivar of Echinacea Purpurea

• 

  A cultivar of Echinacea Purpurea

• 

  Purple Coneflower Echinacea Purpurea

• 

  Native Tennessee Coneflower

• 

  A cultivar of Echinacea Purpurea

Native Plants

• Native plants evolved alongside local insects for thousands of years.

• Many butterflies and moths need them as host plants.

• Pollinators recognize them.

• Birds benefit because insects benefit.

• These are the ecological (and pollinator) gold standard.

Cultivars

A cultivar is simply a cultivated variety selected by people.

Sometimes selected for:

• color

• size

• disease resistance

• longer bloom

• compact growth

Some cultivars are native species.

Some aren't.

The cultivar name will be added onto the plant’s scientific name; for example, if the plant is an Echinacea purpurea, the particular plant chosen for its special characteristics may now be known as Echinacea purpurea ‘Lovely Lucinda.’ That fancy little last name part is the telltale sign that it's a cultivar.

Nativars

This is the part that confuses everyone.

A nativar is a cultivar of a native plant.

It's still genetically the same species...

...but humans selected it for certain traits.

Examples:

• Purple coneflower becomes a shorter version.

• Joe Pye Weed becomes compact.

• Ninebark has darker leaves.

So...Are Nativars Good?

The answer is...sometimes.

Research has shown that some nativars perform nearly as well as straight species for pollinators. Others don't. It depends on what trait was changed.

Better changes

Height, disease resistance, growth habit and compact size -

These usually don't dramatically affect pollinators.

More questionable changes

Double flowers

Different flower shape

Unusual flower color

Dark purple foliage

Variegated leaves

Those changes can reduce nectar, pollen accessibility, or even make the plant harder for insects to recognize. In the case of changes to Ninebark, (Physocarpus spp.) it's been bred into dozens of cultivars featuring dark red foliage, which is high in anthocyanins, and may be toxic to caterpillars or other insects that might use the leaves. So while the flowers still feed pollinators, as a host plant to some of those pollinators, it could be toxic. A Ninebark hosts many species of moths, including the Io moth, Cecropia silkmoth, Blinded sphinx, Unicorn caterpillar, and Large maple spanworm.

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  A Ninebark cultivar

• 

  The straight native Ninebark species

My Favorite Analogy...

Imagine your favorite coffee shop.

One day it's painted blue instead of tan.

You still recognize it.

Now imagine they remove the front door and replace it with a tiny window.

Same building.

Much harder to use.

Some nativars are like changing the paint color.

Others are like moving the front door.

Pollinators notice.

My Advice:

If your goal is supporting wildlife as much as possible...

Choose the straight native species whenever you can.

But...

If your garden conditions, HOA, or tiny yard mean you'll actually plant a compact native cultivar instead of nothing...

That's still often a positive step.

At the end of the day...

I don't think the goal is to make gardening more complicated. It's to make better choices when we have the opportunity.

If a straight native species fits your space, that's usually the best option for wildlife.

If a thoughtfully selected nativar is what works in your garden, you've still created habitat that wasn't there before.

The important thing is understanding the difference, because once we know more, we can plant with purpose.