Cover Crops

Alfalfa - Deep roots break up compacted soil, drought tolerant, fixes nitrogen (Blooms spring to fall) - Feeds almost all pollinators - Plant in spring or fall

Baby Blue Eyes - Beautiful blooms support pollinators, nitrogen fixing (Blooms spring to summer) - Attracts bees, butterflies, beneficial insects - Plant in fall or spring

Baby's Breath - Light growth smothers weeds, improves soil structure (Blooms summer) - Attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies - Plant in spring

Bachelor Buttons - Prolific blooms support pollinators (Blooms summer to fall) - Attracts butterflies, beneficial insects - Plant in spring after frost

Barley - Tolerates poor soils, fibrous roots improve soil structure (Blooms spring) - Attracts predatory wasps - Plant in fall

Birdsfoot Trefoil - Legume fixes nitrogen, deep roots break up soil (Blooms spring to fall) - Supports bumblebees and honeybees - Plant in spring or fall

Borage - Bee forage, attracts beneficial insects, dynamic accumulator (Blooms summer) - Supports bees, hoverflies, parasitic wasps - Plant in spring

Buckwheat - Rapid growth helps choke out weeds and builds organic matter (Blooms mid summer to early fall) - Attracts hoverflies, wasps, butterflies - Plant in late spring to mid summer

CA Poppy - Taproot cultivates soil, self-seeds, supports pollinators (Blooms winter to spring) - Attracts bees, beetles, butterflies - Plant in fall

Calendula - Provides habitat for beneficial insects (Blooms spring to frost) - Attracts hoverflies, lacewings, ladybugs - Plant in spring or fall

Carrot - Taproot loosens soil, provides insect habitat (Blooms mid summer to fall) - Provides habitat for ground beetles - Plant in spring to midsummer

Celery - Fine roots build organic matter, retain moisture (Does not bloom) - Plant in spring

Comfrey - Deep roots accumulate nutrients, increases organic matter (Blooms spring to summer) - Attracts bumblebees, honeybees, hoverflies - Plant in spring or fall

Coriander - Flowers attract pollinators, allelopathic compounds inhibit weeds (Blooms mid summer to fall) - Attracts parasitic wasps, hoverflies - Plant in spring

Cowpea - Summer legume, nitrogen fixer, smothers weeds (Blooms summer) - Attracts pollinators like bees - Plant in early to mid summer

Crimson Clover - Provides nitrogen fixation, adding nitrogen to the soil (Blooms spring through early summer) - Supports bees, ladybugs - Plant in fall

Fennel - Fragrant flowers attract insects, taproot breaks up soil (Blooms mid to late summer) - Attracts hoverflies, tachinid flies, braconid wasps - Plant in spring

Field Peas - Legume, canopy suppresses weeds, adds organic matter (Blooms summer) - Supports pollinators like bees - Plant in spring

Hairy Vetch - Excellent nitrogen fixer that boosts soil fertility (Blooms spring to early summer) - Host plant for butterflies - Plant in fall

Kurapia - Perennial clover, fixes nitrogen, stays green in heat (Blooms spring to fall) - Attracts honeybees, hoverflies, ladybugs - Plant in spring or fall

Mustard - Rapid growth suppresses weeds, biofumigant controls pathogens (Blooms early spring) - Attracts syrphid flies, predatory wasps, bees - Plant in fall or early spring

Oats - Rapid growth smothers weeds and prevents soil erosion (Blooms mid summer) - Attracts hoverflies, ladybugs, lacewings - Plant in spring or fall

Sour Clover - Tolerates acidic, low fertility soils (Blooms spring) - Flowers support pollinators - Plant in fall

Sweet Alyssum - Fragrant blooms attract pollinators and lacewings (Blooms spring to fall) - Attracts hoverflies, parasitic wasps, lacewings - Plant in spring

Trailing Rosemary - Groundcover prevents erosion, supports pollinators (Blooms sporadically) - Attracts bees, parasitic wasps - Plant in spring

White Clover - Fixes nitrogen as living mulch, improves soil aggregation (Blooms spring to fall) - Supports ladybugs, lacewings, hoverflies - Plant in spring or fall

Winter Rye - Extensive root system holds soil in place over winter and fixes nitrogen.

(Blooms spring) - Larval host for some butterflies - Plant in fall