At the South Side Permaculture Park, we’re growing a variety of flowering plants such as coneflower, coreopsis, blazing star, anise hyssop, etc. Flowering plants attract pollinators, which are important for the reproduction of these plants. Pollinators often visit flowers to collect food, and end up carrying the pollen from one flower to another, which can result in fertilization of the plant. Pollination is incredibly important for sustaining a plant’s population as well as a diverse gene pool, which allows for the plant’s resilience to environmental stress. Flowering plants are great at purifying air and water by sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen. Their root systems and foliage also protect soils from heavy erosion.
To learn more, check out: USDA Pollination