Powerful Pollinators - A planting Guide for Greater Melbourne

Pollinators (bees, other insects, birds, etc.) are both essential to, and depend upon, healthy ecosystems. They are essential to plant fertilisation, with an estimated one third of our food pollinator dependent.

Pollinators require habitat such as diverse native vegetation to provide year-round food sources and nesting sites.

Powerful Pollinators is a program designed to increase the prevalence, health and diversity of pollinators in the landscape: https://www.wheenbeefoundation.org.au/?s=powerful+pollinators The program encourages the strategic planting of ‘trees for bees’ and other pollinators and provides Pollinator Planting Guides developed by experienced botanists and field ecologists for use by landholders.  

Photo: Native Blue-banded bee  

The Guides specify relevant information  about pollinator habitat and floral resources to enable users such as land managers, Landcare groups, nurseries and gardeners to select the most appropriate indigenous species that provide value for pollinators.

As a Centenary Project, District 9800 partnered with the Wheen Bee Foundation to develop plant selection guides specifically suited to the bio-regions of the urban areas of Melbourne that support and attract birds, insects, bees and other pollinators all year round.

Additional Planting Guides have been developed by the Foundation for other bio-regions of Victoria and Australia.

Photo: Hoverfly