The Gardens on Spring Creek

  Ericameria nauseosa What’s Blooming:   Fall Perennials for Pollinators by Kelly Kellow, Greenhouse Horticulturist, Gardens on Spring Creek   The wait is finally over and now is the time to appreciate the plants that have taken all season to start blooming.   Fall-blooming perennials begin in August or September and bloom from October to November.   These plants are particularly important for busy honeybees, native solitary bees, bumblebees, hummingbirds, moths and other pollinators, serving as a last-minute meal before the long winter season.     As there are many great fall-blooming perennials, a few stick out in my head as pollinator favorites.   One that has just covered many of the natural areas with pillowy seas of yellow is rabbitbrush or Ericameria nauseosa .   While driving on east Prospect to I-25, I was amazed with all the yellow that was out there by the ponds.   Rabbitbrush is native to our region and does well in Fort Collins, requiring little maintenance.   It