Buzzworthy Messaging: Assessing Residents’ Perceptions of Labels to Better Promote Pollinator Gardening

Consumers appear more likely to purchase plants with labeling indicating pollinator-friendly production or high pollinator resource value. No standardized label for pollinator-supporting plants or landscape practices exists in the United States, which has proliferated the variety of labels used by the industry. This mixed-methods study aims to provide insight into residents’ preferred pollinator-related labelling for plants and landscape practices in order to help Extension professionals and green industry stakeholders improve outreach, marketing, and communications efforts. Findings suggest a butterfly-friendly label would be most effective for marketing while residents would accept and favorably perceive labels emphasizing either pollinator-friendly or bee-friendly attributes.