Host Plant Network

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Host Plant Network We are a network of community scientists and conservationists who grow and map host plants for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee and other important pollinators.

Our first species emerged after being seeded directly into the grass in parkways - the Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasci...
07/02/2026

Our first species emerged after being seeded directly into the grass in parkways - the Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)!! 🎉🌱🤩

This is a part of our Bees on the Block, where sixty neighbors on five blocks are growing pollinator plants in their front yards and hosting a native lawn seed experiment in their parkways. 🌱

The Partridge Pea was also an all-star in our greenhouse experiment. After being seeded into little pots of turfgrass, it grew a few feet and eventually bloomed! It’s has cute yellow flowers and a big personality. 🌟

The Bees on the Block gardens are growing!! 🌱🎉55 neighbors across 5 Evanston blocks are transforming their front yards -...
06/25/2026

The Bees on the Block gardens are growing!! 🌱🎉

55 neighbors across 5 Evanston blocks are transforming their front yards - each planting a 3×3-foot native garden and hosting a native lawn alternative seed experiment in their parkways. Together, they installed 1320 plants and nine pallets of fencing across the neighborhood.

We also seeded the same eight native species directly into the existing turfgrass in the parkways (that little strip between sidewalk and street) to test practical, scalable ways to grow native lawn enhancements. Fingers crossed they take root! 🤞🏻✨

Huge thanks to our incredible volunteers, to Chicago Botanic Garden for growing the plants, and to Northwestern University, the Francis Y. Kwong Memorial Award, and The Garden Club of America for generously supporting this project.

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Evanston, IL
60201

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