There is growing awareness about the value of preserving and restoring floral-rich habitats for the benefit of pollinators, especially native bees. The increasing demand for native plants in pollinator habitat restoration and other ecological landscaping applications, combined with the desire for more robust and predictable plant habits, have led to the selection and breeding of native cultivars. Yet, little is known about how these cultivated varieties differ from the native species in their ability to attract and support pollinators. I compared flower visitation by all insect pollinators to 12 native herbaceous plant species and 14 native cultivars in a replicated field experiment at two sites over two years. I classified insect pollinators during visual field observations into seven taxonomic and functional groups. I found seven native species to be visited significantly more frequently by all insect pollinators (combined) than their cultivars, four were visited equally, and one native cultivar was visited more frequently than the native species. Bees (both native and non-native) and moths/butterflies exhibited similar preferences, whereas flies showed no preference between the native species and the native cultivar. Our study shows that many insect pollinators prefer to forage on native species over cultivated varieties of the native species, but not always, and not exclusively. Some native cultivars may be comparable substitions for native species in pollinator habitat restoration projects, but all cultivars should be evaluated on an individual basis. Plant selection is integral to the value and success of pollinator habitat restorations, yet there is little consistency and overlap in pollinator planting recommendations and very little empirical data to support plant choice. Non peer-reviewed pollinator plant lists are widely available and are often region-specific, but they are typically based on anecdotal rather than empirical data and lack in specificity. To help close the gap between anecdotal and empirical data, and between practice and research, I reviewed the published literature on plant selection for pollinator habitat restoration. I explicitly reviewed and compared the value of native plant species, near-natives, non-natives and native cultivars. From there, I identified gaps in the literature that are most needed in practice and recommended basic strategies for practitioners to navigate plant lists and choose the best plants for a site's success.

Due to the growing recognition of the social and ecological consequences of the global decline in pollinator species, the need for more effective policies for the conservation of pollinator habitat is now more than ever. These trends call for research that provides a deeper understanding of farmers' decision-making processes. In this regard, this study tested a modified version of the Theory of Planned Behavior as a conceptual model for explaining farmers' perceptions and behavior regarding the adoption of pollinator conservation programs and practices. Specifically, the study tested how farmers' perceived behavioral control, attitudes, subjective norms, concern about herbicide resistance issues, and sociodemographic variables influence their intentions and actual adoption of pollinator conservation programs and practices. Quantitative survey data were gathered from 41 principal farm operators in the state of Illinois through the administration of a web-based survey. The resulting data were first explored using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis, following which multiple regression analysis was used to test four hypotheses on the predictors of farmers' intentions to adopt, as well as their adoption of pollinator conservation practices and programs. The results from the regression analysis showed that farmers' attitudes and their subjective norms had statistically significant positive effects on their adoption of pollinator conservation practices on their farms, as well as their intentions to adopt those practices in the near future. Perceived behavioral control also had a statistically significant positive effect on farmers' adoption of federal pollinator conservation programs, as well as their intentions to enroll in these programs in the future. Overall, these findings call for comprehensive pollinator conservation policies that facilitate the provision of information and incentives for farmers to voluntarily adopt pollinator conservation practices on their farms, as well as the provision of appropriate resources and opportunities for farmers to enroll in pollinator conservation programs over which they have minimal control.