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A bumble bee rests on a leaf, its body positioned against a sign that reads "The Gardener's Right to Know." This sign is crucial for gardeners who want to make informed choices about the new pesticides in garden plants they purchase, helping to protect pollinators like this bee.

New Pesticides in Garden Plants: FOE’s Findings Beyond Neonics

For over a decade, Friends of the Earth’s Bee Cause Campaign called for neonics-free ornamental plants.  We tested flowering plants from garden centres and called out those with bee-toxic residues in their plants.

In 2024, Friends of the Earth Canada did a check-in with major garden centres reporting neonics were gone from their supply chains. This achievement took a decade of advocacy to achieve – flower testing in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Then, FOE decide to do an observational test to sample nectar and pollen, leaves, and soil from roots from plants promoted as pollinator friendly – lavender, butterfly bush, purple cone flower, honeysuckle and blanket flower.

The results were shocking. Yes, the neonics from the past were gone but seven fungicides and seven insecticides showed up across 15 tested samples. Any one of these products can be dangerous to pollinators but no one has considered how lethal a combination from these residues may be.

 

The image displays a table titled "Pesticides Reported*", which presents data on pesticide detection in various parts of five different plants.The table has four columns: "Plant," "Blossoms," "Leaves," and "Soil." The "Plant" column lists five plants: Lavender, Blanket Flower, Honeysuckle, Coneflower, and Butterfly Bush. For each plant, numerical values are provided for "Blossoms," "Leaves," and "Soil," likely representing the number of pesticides reported in each category. Lavender: 5 in Blossoms, 10 in Leaves, 7 in Soil. Blanket Flower: 5 in Blossoms, 8 in Leaves, 5 in Soil. Honeysuckle: 4 in Blossoms, 4 in Leaves, 4 in Soil. Coneflower: 7 in Blossoms, 13 in Leaves, 11 in Soil. Butterfly Bush: 8 in Blossoms, 8 in Leaves, 6 in Soil. Below the main table, there's an asterisk next to the title "Pesticides Reported*", with a corresponding note: "*MDL and MQL". Further down, three summary statistics are provided: Total Number of fungicides reported: 7 Total Number of insecticides reported: 7 Total Number of growth regulators reported: 1 The table is presented with a light green header for the title and column names, and alternating light green and white rows for the data.
Table showing reported pesticide levels in blossoms, leaves, and soil for five different plants, and the total number of fungicides, insecticides, and growth regulators reported.

 

 

Garden centres are playing a shell game – allowing their suppliers to switch out neonics for newer systemic pesticides or even pesticides not registered for use in Canada!

They’re greenwashing gardeners with their promotion of “pollinator friendly” plants.

 

Here are three ways you can help save the bees and other pollinators from pollinator-toxic pesticides.

1. Insist on your right to access important information on pesticides used to help make careful choices of ornamental flowers for your garden. Sign the Gardeners’ Right to Know petition

2. Document Potential Greenwashing – Take photos at garden centres you visit:

– “Pollinator Friendly” promotional signs at garden centres along with the date, name and location of the garden centre.

– “Pollinator Friendly” tags in flower pots – both sides needed along with the date, name and location of the garden centre.

– Send the photos through this link.

3. Question garden centre staff about pesticides used by the nurseries suppliers and about their use on site.


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