it aims to nurture a gardening culture among singaporeans
TRANSCRIPT
Types of Pollinator-attracting Plants
Nectaring plants have flowers that pollinators drink nectar from. Sunbirds, butterflies and bees all feed on nectar, and will seek out gardens with nectaringplants to feed on.
Host plants are those which an animal will feed and live on. Many caterpillars have specific host plants that they feed on, so by planting these host plants, you can help to boost the population of butterflies in your garden.
Types of Pollinators
Butterflies are attracted to flowers with bright coloursand lots of nectar. Because butterflies all have a long, straw-like mouthpart called a proboscis, some plants have evolved long, tube-like flowers to attract them.
Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies. A caterpillar will undergo metamorphosis into a chrysalis before emerging as a butterfly. Many species of caterpillars are host-specific and will only feed on certain plants. For example, Lime Butterfly caterpillars will only feed on leaves from plants in the citrus family.
Bees are attracted to a much wider range of flowers than butterflies. Bees will harvest both nectar and pollen from flowers to make honey. Singapore has over 100 species of bees, which include honey bees, stingless bees, carpenter bees, and many more!
Sunbirds and flowerpeckers regularly visit flowers to feed on nectar. Like butterflies, these birds have a long tongue to drink nectar. As such, they are also attracted to long, tubular flowers with a lot of nectar. Small, fast and colourful, these birds are a joy to watch in the garden as they flit from flower to flower.
Pollinator-attractingPlants
Most pollinator-attracting plants grow colourful, fragrant flowers or are host plants for young pollinators (e.g. caterpillars). When you provide a consistent source of food, pollinators will be more likely to visit your garden, and by extension pollinate other plants you are growing.
Benefits of Growing Pollinator-attracting Plants
1. Increase fruit yield from edible crops2. Provide habitats and forage plants
for local biodiversity3. Make your community garden more
interesting by providing opportunitiesfor wildlife-watching
Pollinators
Animals that transfer pollen from the male anther of a flower to a female stigma of a flower are pollinators. This process, called pollination, helps to bring about the fertilisationof flowers to produce fruit. Some common pollinators in Singapore include butterflies, bees and birds.
This brochure features
10 commonly cultivated
pollinator-attracting plants
found in community gardens in
Singapore. This term generally
refers to plants that attract
pollinators like butterflies,
bees and birds by providing
food in the form of nectar,
pollen or leaves.
There are numerous varieties of
pollinator-attracting plants that
can be grown in Singapore.
We hope that this brochure will
encourage you to try growing
some in your home or
community garden!
About Community in Bloom
Community in Bloom (CIB) is
a programme that was launched by the
National Parks Board (NParks) in 2005.
It aims to nurture a gardening culture among
Singaporeans by encouraging and facilitating
community gardening efforts.
It is also an opportunity to build community
bonds and strengthen social resilience
in our City in Nature.
For more information, visit our website atwww.nparks.gov.sg/cib or email us [email protected]
For more information on plants in Singapore,visit NParks Flora & Fauna Web at www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb
For more gardening resources and tips, visit go.gov.sg/gardening-resources
To learn more about our City in Nature, scan the QR code or visit www.nparks.gov.sg/about-us/city-in-nature
Pollinator-attracting
Plants
10
Pa
god
aFlo
wer
Sca
rlet
Sp
ira
l Fla
gTurk’s
Turb
an
Torc
h
Gin
ger
Java
nese
Ixora
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eC
lero
dendru
mpanic
ula
tum
The
Pagoda F
low
er
is a
larg
e w
oody
shru
b w
ith p
ink,
ora
nge-
red o
r re
d
trum
pet
-shaped
flo
wer
s th
at occ
ur
in c
lust
ers
rem
inis
cent
of C
hin
ese
pagodas.
It is
attra
ctiv
e to
larg
e butter
flies
and c
an b
e gro
wn
from
see
ds
or
stem
cuttin
gs.
It is
a g
ood foca
l poin
t fo
r bio
div
ersi
ty g
ard
ens
or
orn
am
enta
l gard
ens.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eC
ost
us
woodso
nii
A larg
e her
bace
ous
shru
b w
ith p
rom
inen
t re
d c
ylin
drica
l in
flore
scen
ces,
the
Scarlet
Spiral Fla
g
is a
ttra
ctiv
e to
la
rge
butter
flies
and
sunbirds.
It ca
n b
e gro
wn fro
m s
tem
cuttin
gs,
or
pro
pagate
d v
ia d
ivis
ion o
r aer
ial pla
ntle
ts. It
is a
use
ful flo
wer
ing b
ord
er p
lant in
bio
div
ersi
ty
gard
ens.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eM
alv
avi
scus
arb
ore
us
A larg
e w
oody
shru
b w
ith
num
erous
attra
ctiv
e sm
all
red flo
wer
s,
the
Turk
’s T
urb
an is
very
attra
ctiv
e to
su
nbirds.
It ca
n b
e gro
wn fro
m s
eeds
or
stem
cu
ttin
gs,
and it ca
n b
e use
d a
s a foca
l poin
t in
bio
div
ersi
ty g
ard
ens.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eEtli
ngera
ela
tior
The
Torc
h G
inger
is
a h
erb w
ith v
ery
pro
min
ent pin
k or
red torc
h-s
haped
in
flore
scen
ces.
It is
ve
ry a
ttra
ctiv
e to
su
nbirds
and c
an b
egro
wn fro
m s
eeds
or
div
isio
n. Im
matu
re flo
wer
buds
are
edib
le,
while
the
matu
re flo
wer
hea
d is
use
d for
cut flo
wer
arr
angem
ents
. It
is a
good
scre
enin
g p
lant fo
r bio
div
ersi
ty g
ard
ens
or
sh
aded
edib
le g
ard
ens.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eIx
ora
java
nic
a
A larg
e orn
am
enta
l sh
rub w
ith c
lust
ers
of tu
bula
r re
d
flow
ers,
the
Java
nes
e Ix
ora
is
very
attra
ctiv
e to
la
rge
and s
mall
butter
flies
. It
is a
host
pla
nt fo
r th
e Knig
ht
butter
fly (
Lebadea
martha
park
eri)
and a
use
ful
flow
erin
g b
ord
er o
r hed
ge
pla
nt.
Ca
nd
leB
ush
Cora
l V
ine
Blu
eSn
akew
eed
Gold
en
D
ew
dro
pFa
lse
Hea
ther
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eSe
nna a
lata
A larg
e bush
with
la
rge
vertic
al ye
llow
In
flore
scen
ces
that
rese
mble
gold
en
candle
stic
ks,
the
Candle
Bush
is
attra
ctiv
e to
ca
rpen
ter
bee
s and larg
e butter
flies
. It
is the
host
pla
nt fo
r th
e M
ottle
d E
mig
rant butter
fly
(Cato
psi
liapyr
anth
epyr
anth
e), a
nd L
emon
Em
igra
nt butter
fly (
Cato
psi
liapom
ona
pom
ona).
It is
a g
ood fo
cal poin
t fo
r bio
div
ersi
ty g
ard
ens.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eA
ntig
onon le
pto
pus
This
com
mon
orn
am
enta
l vi
ne
with
attra
ctiv
e pin
k flo
wer
s gro
ws
readily
on a
tre
llis
and is
very
attra
ctiv
e to
honey
bee
s (A
pis
spp.), st
ingle
ss b
ees
(tribe
Melip
onin
i) a
nd s
mall
butter
flies
. It
can b
e gro
wn fro
m s
eeds
or
stem
cu
ttin
gs
and is
a g
ood p
lant to
gro
w o
n fen
ces.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eD
ura
nta
ere
cta
A low
-main
tenance
flo
wer
ing b
ord
er
pla
nt th
at als
o
does
wel
l in
co
nta
iner
s, the
Gold
en D
ewdro
p is
a s
mall
orn
am
enta
l sh
rub w
ith a
ttra
ctiv
e purp
le flo
wer
s and r
ound
ora
nge
fruits
. It
is v
ery
attra
ctiv
e to
bee
s and
small
butter
flies
, and c
an b
e gro
wn fro
m s
eeds
or
stem
cuttin
gs.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eSt
ach
ytarp
heta
indic
a
A s
mall
shru
b w
ith
num
erous
small
purp
le-b
lue
flow
ers,
th
e Blu
e Sn
ake
wee
d
is v
ery
attra
ctiv
e to
cl
oak-
and-d
agger
bee
s (T
hyr
eus
spp.), blu
e-b
anded
dig
ger
bee
s (A
megill
asp
p.) a
nd s
mall
butter
flies
. It
can b
e gro
wn fro
m s
eeds
and is
a g
ood flo
wer
ing
bord
er p
lant.
Sci
en
tifi
c N
am
eC
uphea h
ysso
pifo
lia
The
Fals
e H
eath
er
is a
low
orn
am
enta
l sh
rub w
ith n
um
erous
small
pin
k flo
wer
s.
It is
ver
y attra
ctiv
e to
bee
s and s
mall
butter
flies
and c
an
be
gro
wn fro
m s
tem
cuttin
gs.
It m
ake
s a g
ood
gro
undco
ver
or
flow
erin
g
bord
er p
lant.