Love them or hate them, dandelions are blooming in abundance across the UK this spring.
As an ecologist who studies the insects that visit these flowers, so fragrant in the sun, I have never been able to understand why anyone would hate them.
Why do some people despair when they see a dandelion peeking out of the grass in their garden or the cement of their driveway?
Most see dandelions as ‘weeds’: they don’t want them anywhere near their house and will reach for the lawn mower, or worse, a can of weed killer, when one dares to rear its yellow head.
Perhaps I am strange for rejoicing at the sight of a street, a lawn, or a field blooming with dandelions. But since these flowers are fantastic food for a wide range of endangered bees, I’d like to convince you to love these flowers like I love them, and care for them like you would any other wildflower in a meadow.
flowers in the city
In the last 50 years, urban areas and farms have expanded across the UK. The few places that were reserved for wildlife have eroded. We have pushed nature to its limits, but nature adapts, changes and overcomes these obstacles.
Studies of the foraging patterns of bees in cities, where much of their original food sources have been covered over with cement and asphalt, show a change in their wild and diverse diet to one dominated by dandelion, clover and brambles.
Dandelions are a bountiful source of nectar and pollen for bees flying in an environment where the diversity of food choices continues to decline. These plants grow on very little soil, flourish in early spring to just before winter and offer sustenance to bees throughout the year.
What makes dandelions so successful at feeding on a wide variety of pollinators is the shape of their flowers.
don’t cut mayo
don’t cut mayoAn initiative launched by the charity Plantlife, it encourages gardeners to embrace wilder lawns, allowing spring plants to go to seed before mower blades cut them.
This increases the biodiversity of the plants and supports the pollinators that depend on them for food during the summer.
“The immaculate bright green lawn of the bowling alley with its neat stripes may have historically been the desired garden aesthetic but, increasingly, we are seeing a cultural shift that sees wilder lawns buzzing with bees and butterflies becoming highly valued” says Plantlife CEO Ian Dunn. . “A sea change in attitudes towards turf management is taking place and it is for the benefit of plants, pollinators, people and the planet.”
The evolution of bees is a dance between the changing shapes of flowers and the corresponding length of bees’ tongues. Complicated flowers, like vanilla, evolved to ensure that only certain species of bees could pollinate them, while others developed simple, open flowers that anyone can get pollen and nectar from.
Dandelions fall into this second field. Take a look at a patch of dandelion flowers and you’ll be amazed at the diversity of visitors. During just 10 minutes in my garden, I saw at least 10 different species of bees and flies: the ever-abundant buff-tailed bumblebee, as well as the common carder bee, and a bee from one of my own hives toiling away collecting pollen for the colony. .
Among the many threats to pollinators (pesticides, nest habitat destruction, invasive species), lack of food It is one of the most important. Highly abundant dandelions can go a long way toward bridging this gap, at least in terms of nectar.
Some scientists have argued that dandelion pollen is not the best for bees. Research suggests that it may contain high levels of the essential amino acid proline (which bees can only get from food and cannot make themselves), but they lack several others, such as isoleucine and valine. A diet lacking in these elements can hinder a bee’s ability to grow, resist disease, and raise young.
But in a world where bees are stressed from lack of any food, I would say that any source that can thrive in the harshest of conditions, like dandelions, is something worth preserving.
dandelion sunrise
don’t cut mayo It’s Here: A Campaign Sponsored By The Charity plant life to let weeds grow in gardens. Sadly, by the end of May, all of that beautiful wildflower habitat could be cut down and sprayed with herbicides.
Manicured lawns are essentially green deserts: ostensibly full of plants but with nothing to feed bees or other wildlife.
Not everyone wants a lawn full of wildflowers. So I would recommend, instead of setting aside the entire garden for nature for a month, try to set aside a patch forever.
Dandelions are amazing plants that can survive anywhere as long as we let them. They are a lifeline to borderline pollinators and need protection as part of our environment in parking lots, driveways and lawns. The next time you see a dandelion, try to view it the way a bee would.
Philip Donkersley, senior research associate in entomology, lancaster university
This article is republished from The conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the Original article.