The Most Attractive Flower Fields for Pollinators
When winter finally says goodbye, flower fields start to show their true colors. The breathtaking and colorful flower fields paint a vibrant picture, and when we get the chance to stand near one, it’s just spectacular. It kind of looks like the ocean, especially when the wind is blowing a little, only in different colors. We are not the only ones enjoying the magic. These meadows are the most attractive flower fields for pollinators. They are great food sources for all the bees, butterflies, and the rest of the insects that help the environment.
If you drive by these flower fields or have the possibility to stand in front of it, the smell of them is just wonderfully captivating. And did you ever “listen” to flower fields? The buzz of pollinators is mesmerizing, even meditative.
What are flower fields for?
Flower fields, or harvesting fields are extremely useful, they play an essential role in the ecosystem and have multiple purposes in their lifecycle. While they are excellent food sources for pollinators, they are produced for different reasons: some of them will become food and other interesting things for us humans, and others will become forage for poultry and livestock animals, such as alpacas. Did you know alpacas are the most eco-friendly animals? Find all 10 reasons why it’s true.
Some harvesting fields bloom for only a few weeks, like the opium poppy, and some radiate for months, like the sunflowers. But one thing is for sure, once we see them, it’s hard to forget the view.
Some cultures say, that Kokopelli, the god of all soils helps Mother Earth by nourishing the lands and preparing fields for sowing. Find out more about Kokopelli.
Do you notice these beautiful flower fields when you pass by? If you live in the city, they are not easy to find, but if you travel around, you can catch them regularly. Harvesting fields are all over near highways.
The Most Attractive Flower Fields for Pollinators
#1 - Rapeseed, a.k.a. the Fields of Gold
Rapeseed, also known as canola is a member of the mustard or cabbage family. Its yellow flower is rich in pollen and nectar, therefore pollinators such as bees love it.
The plant is used for its oil-rich seed to produce vegetable oil and biofuel. While processing the seed, it produces a high-protein meal as byproduct, so these remains are great forage for poultry, livestock animals, and fish. However the Chinese rather use it as soil fertilizer. Farmers also use it as cover crop since it suppresses weeds and improves the quality of the soil.
Rapeseed fields bloom for only about a week, so you need to be on high alert if you don’t want to miss this beauty.
Fun Fact About Rapeseed:
Since the richness of glucosinolate and erucic acid, rapeseed oil was originally used as lubricant.
#2 - Lacy Phacelia, the pollinators' favorite
Lacy Phacelia is a member of the Boraginaceae family, a top pollen-producing plant. Therefore very attractive to pollinators like bumblebees, hoverflies, honeybees, and butterflies, which is probably why people also call it the Honey Plant. The beautiful nectar-rich purple flowers open in different times continuously, so the flowering period is long.
It’s used as hay and forage for poultry and livestock animals, plus as a cover crop and green manure. Lacy Phacelia contains high levels of nitrogen and is good at suppressing weeds. Also, it helps in the improvement of soil fertility and structure.
Florists love to use the cut flowers in floral arrangements and other decorations because they last longer.
Fun Fact About Lacy Phacelia:
People often plant Lacy Phacelia, to prevent aphid infestation in the garden. It’s flower attracts “pest control agents”, such as hoverflies, and their larvae love to feed on these tiny pests.
#3 - Flower fields mixed with Common Poppy
Common Poppy is a member of the Papaveraceae family, and it grows where it can: fields, roadsides, grasslands, even on sidewalks, but its favorite place is usually in the wheat fields. That phrase ‘Look, but don’t touch’ is accurate with this flower, because a few moments after you pluck them, they lose all their petals. Better to leave it for the pollinators.
Common Poppy is a weed, the Latin name of it is Papaver Rhoeas. Papaver means “food”, Rhoeas means “red” in greek. Don’t confuse it with Opium Poppy, which has purple petals.
Fun Fact About Common Poppy:
Common Poppy petals contain strong red dye, so sometimes it’s great to color wine for example. If you mix the dried petals with potpourris, the red color really helps the composition. In addition, the pods look great in flower arrangements.
#4 - Opium Poppy flower fields
Papaver somniferum a.k.a. opium poppy or bread seed poppy is not the same as common poppy. It is a member of the same Papaveraceae family but has different purposes. In fact, it takes great efforts to get rid of common poppies on opium poppy fields. Papaver in Latin means food, and somniferum means “to sleep”.
All parts of the plant can be utilized, which means opium poppy fields are very effective.
Seed pods are the source of opium, which is used by the pharmaceutical industry. Poppy seeds are edible in whole, or after grinding, often used as topping to kinds of pasta, or fillings in baked goods. The seeds have very low levels of opiates, and the poppyseed oil, which is extracted from the seeds contains even less. And the leftovers of the pressing process are used as forage for poultry. If you want to make brickets for the winter, the stems are good material.
If this is not enough, the pods look great in floral arrangements, and so florists often use them as decoration.
Fun Fact About Opium Poppy:
Opium contains morphine. In Greek mythology, the god of sleep is called Morpheus. In Latin, the name of the flower somniferum means “to sleep” or “sleep-bringing”.
#5 - Sunflower Flower Fields
Sunflowers are members of the daisy family, and they are cultivated for both humans and animals. It contains vitamins A, B, C, and minerals such as iron, calcium, and potassium.
Common sunflower oil is produced by applied pressure on the seeds. These leftover seeds and the non-or partly-dehulled sunflowers are great forage for poultry and livestock animals. In addition, humans love the seeds as snacks, and if we fill the bird feeders with them during the winter, birds will appreciate it.
The full flower is also a great ornamental prop in floral arrangements.
As the name shows, while the plants grow, they tilt their heads towards the sun, to gain more sunlight. Pollinators love the feeling of warmth, and so sunflowers attract them very much.
Fun Fact About Sunflowers:
The flower is actually made up of tiny little flowers, so the yellow head we admire as a flower is actually a large false flower.
#6 - Tulip flower fields
The world-famous tulip gardens around the world – especially in the Netherlands attract tourists, as well as pollinators. They are grown in many different colors, and those different colors symbolize different kinds of things – for example, red is for love, white is for apology, and yellow is for wishing happiness.
Tulip petals are edible, although they can cause allergies. They can also be used for potpourri, or we can make some pressed flower art with them.
Tulips self-pollinate, which means they do not need pollinators – but that doesn’t mean pollinators don’t need them. Tulips don’t have much nectar, and pollen, so it’s not enough for the hive, but it is enough to feed that one bee. This is especially important in early spring. After they are out of hibernation, other flowers are not blooming yet, and pollinators need the energy to start working.
after winter, when the spring arrives, all the bees will be out of hibernation and search for food and begin their next lifecycle phase
Fun Fact About Tulips:
The origin of the word “tulip” came from the Persian word “turban”, which is a type of headwear, and they look very much alike.
#7 - Lavender flower fields
Who doesn’t know lavender? The Ancient Romans used it for healing purposes and the greeks for decorations, and the Egyptians for calming the nerves. There was one time when rubbing lavender on the body was the substitute for bathing.
When I went to a lavender farm to take pictures, I was amazed at how many different kinds of butterflies hung out all around them. There were other pollinators as well, but I’ve never seen so many butterflies. While I was walking around, the smell of lavender is so calming and peaceful, that I didn’t wanna leave ever.
Fun Fact About Lavender:
Propagating lavender plants is really easy, you just need to cut off one stem, and stick it in a sandy pot, or some water first. Make sure the stems are still green and haven’t dried yet.
Flower fields for pollinators
These are only a few flower fields for pollinators, that I could take pictures of, but I’m hoping to catch more after each winter. Flower fields give us so much, not just the beauty, but they are great food sources to both humans poultry, and livestock animals. And let’s not forget about all those hard-working pollinators, who are in real danger, and need as many flower fields as possible.
Appreciate these wonderful plants, they deserve it. These flower fields help us understand why saving the environment is so important for humanity. They motivate us to do more and do better for our wonderful environment each day.
Want some tips on how to help the ecosystem? Check out the list of items we can reuse and repurpose right in our homes.
Liked what you read? Share it!
RELATED POSTS
