From the Editor

Welcome to the 20th issue of Native Plants Journal. When the journal was started back in 2000, one of the original goals was that NPJ would serve as a clearinghouse for useful information produced by government employees. Over the years we have published quite a few articles penned by those folks. With this issue, with that goal still in mind, we start a new series of articles: germplasm releases. This suite of articles will be named as such in their headers and footers, and will be following a fairly consistent style. Germplasm releases have their special niche in the native plant restoration toolbox, and I hope you find the information and plant materials useful.

As we proofed this issue, we also celebrated the 2nd annual National Pollinator Week, 22–28 June. With the plight of European honey bees and the collapse of colonies nationwide, the role of pollinators, and in particular, native pollinators, has gained more attention. In this issue we present a nice overview of native pollinators (bees) and how all of us, whether nursery managers or field restoration experts, can improve the health and vigor of these native pollinator populations. As a bonus, many of the techniques will benefit other pollinators, such as butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds, as well.

You also hold in your hand the 5th Native Plant Materials Directory. This directory is the most comprehensive and up-to-date directory out there. Each year we verify the entries to ensure accuracy. We are particularly grateful to our advertisers as that helps keep the price of subscriptions reasonable, and the journal coming to you 3 times each year. Along with the directory, check out the article on using mycorrhizae to improve seedling growth, the potential benefits of using biological controls to control root disease in pines, and new equipment available to prepare highly disturbed sites so that native plants can flourish. Enjoy NPJ and tell your friends to subscribe!