What are the Best Plants for Native Pollinators In Australia

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Many native Australian plants, like hibbertia, dianella, bubline, and solanum and some crops like tomatoes, blueberries, and kiwis rely on buzz pollination (sonication) for effective reproduction. Without it, these plants would struggle to produce fruit and/or seeds.

Buzz pollination occurs when a bee grabs onto a flower and vibrates its flight muscles without flapping its wings. This vibration shakes the pollen loose from the flower's anthers, allowing the bee to collect it. This method is particularly important for flowers that don't release their pollen easily.

Blue banded bees, in a different fashion contract their thorax muscles, repeatedly headbutting the flowers/stigmas at >300 times a second. Sonication occurs in a number of species such as Amegilla (Blue banded + Teddy bear bees), Lipotriches, Xylocopa (Carpenter bees), Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) bees, whilst European Honey Bees CANNOT.