A study out of the University of Arkansas investigated whether bulbs can flower and persist in warm-season lawns while providing nutrition for pollinating insects.
A study out of the University of Arkansas investigated whether bulbs can flower and persist in warm-season lawns while providing nutrition for pollinating insects.
Michelle Wisdom, Michael Richardson, Douglas Karcher, Donald Steinkraus, and Garry McDonald sought to determine the parameters by which bulbs can survive and be serviceable beyond their peak seasons.
Their findings are illustrated in the article “Flowering Persistence and Pollinator Attraction of Early-Spring Bulbs in Warm-season Lawns” as published in HortScience.
Early-spring flowering bulbs can increase biodiversity while adding color to lawns and other grassy areas. Flowering bulbs are known to naturalize in grassy areas such as meadows and pastures, but they must be vigorous enough to compete with the grass, and grass systems must be managed in a way to not damage the bulbs. It can be a delicate balance.
Thirty early-spring flowering bulbs were established in bermudagrass and buffalograss lawns in late August. Those bulbs were then assessed over three growing seasons for flowering characteristics, persistence, and their ability to attract pollinating insects.
Read more at American Society for Horticultural Science
Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay
