by Genevieve Schmidt
Recently I’ve heard from a number of wildlife gardeners who say they are no longer buying plants from regular retail nurseries because there is no way of telling whether or not the pollinator-attracting plants they are purchasing have been treated with neonicotinoid pesticides. Neonicotinoids (imidacloprid, etc) are a class of pesticide which many studies indicate contribute strongly to colony collapse disorder in honeybees, and can also kill other bees.
I’ve compiled a list of neonic-free growers, seed companies and nurseries (both wholesale and retail) to empower gardeners who value pollinators and wildlife to shop for pollinator-attracting plants that will be free of neonicotinoid pesticides.