can miscanthus grasses accomodate solitary bee nesting ? i have lots – most of the stems are @3/16″ diameter and full of white ‘pith’ – seems like a lot of fairly stiff digging and how wide is a bee ? anyway, what perennials should do the trick for nesting would you say?
Thank you for thinking of the bees!
Although the various kinds of Miscanthus grasses are attractive, they are also invasive plants, which are strongly discouraged.
Here is a link where you can find suggestions for similar grasses that are non-invasive. Grow Me Instead
As part of its Biodiversity Series, the City of Toronto has published several booklets, available as PDFs, including Bees of Toronto, Butterflies of Toronto, and Spiders of Toronto.
You can request a free e-version of A Flower Patch for the Rusty-Patched Bumblebee: Creating Habitat Gardens for Native Pollinators in the Greater Toronto Area here.
The City of Toronto also has a page focused on what you can do to help native pollinators, including PDF resources specifically about bees.
And finally, our own Gardening Guide for attracting bees and other pollinators.
Pollinator Garden: A Toronto Master Gardeners Guide
I think you discover many options for plants that both you and the bees will enjoy!