A summer garden buzzing with bees, with butterflies flitting among the blooms—it’s a heavenly sight and a hallmark of a healthy environment. As they travel from flower to flower, feeding on their nectar, these pollinating insects are performing a necessary task—transferring pollen from one blossom to another, allowing them to morph into fruits and seeds, safeguarding and continuing the cycle of life.
In the video above, This Old House landscape contractor Jenn Nawada explores various pollinator-friendly plants at a local nursery with host Kevin O’Connor. This guide will help you understand the importance of pollinator plants and how to incorporate them into your garden.
Correction: In the video above, one plant is identified as Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed), but it should be identified as Asclepias incarnata (rose milkweed). Both will attract butterflies.
What Are Pollinator Plants?
Pollinator plants are flowering species that attract and provide food for pollinating insects and birds. These plants produce nectar and pollen, which are essential food sources for pollinators. As pollinators feed, they transfer pollen from one flower to another, facilitating plant reproduction.
Types of Pollinators
Unfortunately, populations of pollinator insects have been declining for decades. As a result, there’s a movement to encourage homeowners to replenish pollinator-friendly food sources in their yards. While honeybees have gotten a lot of press—bees are the only species that actively collect pollen rather than transfer it passively—there are about 4,000 native bee species in North America, not to mention myriad species of butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles, and nectar-loving hummingbirds that are all pollination workhorses.
Benefits of Pollinator Plants
Incorporating pollinator plants into your garden offers numerous advantages:
- Increased biodiversity in your yard
- Improved fruit and vegetable yields for edible plants
- Support for local ecosystems
- Enhanced garden aesthetics with colorful blooms
How To Create a Pollinator-Friendly Garden
Designing a garden that attracts pollinators requires thoughtful planning and plant selection. By following these guidelines, you can create a thriving habitat for these essential creatures.
Choose Native Plants
Native plants are adapted to local conditions and have evolved alongside native pollinators. They typically require less water and maintenance than non-native species. As Nawada points out, native plants are an excellent choice for pollinator gardens because they support local ecosystems and reduce the need for chemical interventions.
Provide Diverse Bloom Times
To support pollinators throughout the growing season, include plants that flower at different times. This ensures a continuous food source from early spring through late fall. Below, we’ll list examples of recommended plants for each season.
Stick to Straight Species
By “straight species,” we mean the version that evolved in the wild, not human-engineered cultivars. However, cultivated varieties can also be useful if they have not lost the properties of the parent plants that attract pollinators. For example, if a cultivar is an exceptionally double-petaled variety, it may not have the pollen or nectar levels of its parent, or its petals may be so dense that pollinators cannot penetrate them. If you must choose a cultivar, make sure it doesn’t differ too widely from the original in appearance and color.
Offer Variety
Each pollinator has its own techniques for sourcing nectar and transferring pollen, so flowers should be as varied as the pollinators that visit them. Include a mix of flower shapes and colors to appeal to a wide range of species:
- Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and long-tongued bees
- Flat or clustered flowers for butterflies and short-tongued bees
- Purple, blue, and yellow flowers to attract bees
- Red and orange flowers to attract hummingbirds
Follow Best Practices
Beyond the plants you pick, also follow these steps to ensure your pollinator garden thrives and continues to support local wildlife.
- Wait until spring to cut back perennials so pollinators can nest and overwinter among them.
- Avoid using pesticides, which can harm beneficial insects.
- Plant near a water source or provide one, such as a shallow birdbath or fountain.
- Leave some areas of bare soil for ground-nesting bees.
Perennials That Attract Pollinators
Different times of the year are ideal for certain flowering plants. If gardeners time their garden design correctly, they can add plants that flower in each season, ensuring they always have a pollinator plant or two to offer birds, bees, and butterflies. For all but the cup plant, Culver’s root, and Joe Pye weed, there are cultivar versions of each plant below that will also attract pollinators.
Blue False Indigo (Baptisia Australis)
- What it attracts: Native bees—including bumblebees—butterflies and moths
- How it grows: Reaches up to 5 feet tall and wide in full sun and well-drained soil in Zones 3–9. Blooms from late spring to early summer.
- Plant profile: This big, bold perennial is a wonderful border filler, its tall stems of blue-green leaves topped with spikes of blue pea-like flowers that are followed by dusky, dark-gray seedpods. Its deep taproot makes it exceptionally drought-tolerant. Bumblebees especially love this plant, but it attracts any number of pollinators. New cultivars have introduced lots of interesting flower colors, and most seem to be just as attractive to pollinators as the original species.
Butterfly Weed (Asclepias Tuberosa)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, and hummingbirds
- How it grows: Up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil in Zones 4–9. Blooms from midsummer to early fall.
- Plant profile: A species of milkweed without the characteristic milky sap, this perennial is highly attractive to monarch butterflies, who flock to the nectar of its domed heads of starry orange flowers. Found in dry, open fields and prairies in most of the U.S., it thrives on difficult sites. Once planted, it does not like to be moved or divided. Seeds can be gathered from its pods and sown in fall to sprout in spring.
Spotted Geranium (Geranium Maculatum)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, and moths
- How it grows: Up to 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide in full sun to part shade and moist, in well-drained soil and in Zones 3–8. Blooms from late spring to early summer, and sporadically through late summer.
- Plant profile: Of the native hardy geraniums, this species has the largest flowers. In hot, dry summers and full sun, its foliage will yellow—cutting it back by half and watering deeply will encourage fresh, new growth. This plant might be a little harder to find in the nursery, but it is worth the effort for its usefulness in open, shady gardens.
Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium)
- What it attracts: Native bees, beetles, butterflies
- How it grows: Up to 3 feet tall and wide in full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil. Blooms early to late summer in Zones 3–9.
- Plant profile: Blooming atop aromatic, fine-textured, feathery foliage, yarrow’s flat clusters of tiny, daisy-like flowers lure myriad pollinators. This flowering plant spreads by rhizomes to form thick mats and is best suited to the outer reaches of a garden. Cultivated varieties are better behaved and sturdier. Yarrow is also highly deer resistant, and no one flower color is more attractive to pollinators than another, so you can pick from white, cream, pale yellow, pink, peach, and rosy-red blooms.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, and wasps
- How it grows: Up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil in Zones 3–9. Blooms mid-to-late summer.
- Plant profile: This drought-tolerant native is tough and reliable. Coneflowers love full, baking sun but will tolerate a bit of shade, too. In autumn, when their petals fall, the central cones, which dry to brown, offer winter interest and provide seeds for foraging birds. You’ll be hard-pressed to find the original species in a nursery—avoid double-flowering cultivars, which are not nearly as attractive to pollinators, who show no flower-color preference.
Bee Balm (Monarda)
- What it attracts: Native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, and wasps
- How it grows: Up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide in full sun to part shade and consistently moist, well-drained soil in Zones 4–9. Blooms mid-to-late summer.
- Plant profile: Hummingbirds and bees adore this easy-to-grow native, with its big, spreading clumps of aromatic foliage topped with tufted whorls of tubular flowers. The most common species, Monarda didyma, blooms red, but cultivars derived from a cross with Monarda fistulosa come in pink, lavender, and white as well, and are generally more resistant to powdery mildew.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, and moths
- How it grows: Up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil in Zones 4–9. Blooms midsummer to early fall.
- Plant profile: This member of the mint family is a magnet for bees, with spikes of lavender blooms that are key for honey production. The foliage tastes and smells of sweet licorice and is used for herbal teas. Plants self-sow prolifically but are easy to pull up if unwanted. While it thrives in full sun, it can tolerate a bit of shade. Pollinators do not flock to gold-leaved cultivars, but they love the showy ‘Blue Fortune.’
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, and butterflies
- How it grows: Up to 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide in full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil in Zones 4–9. Blooms midsummer to early fall.
- Plant profile: These common native plants—often seen along roadways—are supersized, making them wonderful for the back of a naturalized border or along rustic waterways or woodland edges. They don’t seem to have pest or disease issues besides an occasional touch of powdery mildew during damp seasons, and their rough leaves are deer resistant. Look for Eutrochium purpureum and cultivars, E. maculatum and cultivars, E. fistulosum and cultivars, or E. dubium and cultivars.
Culver’s Root (Veronicastrum Virginicum)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, and butterflies
- How it grows: Up to 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide in full sun to light shade (in hotter climates) and moist soil in Zones 3–8. Blooms from late spring to early summer.
- Plant profile: This underused North American perennial fits into mixed garden beds with ease, adding lovely verticality, intriguing foliage, and delicate branched spikes of tiny white or blue flowers. Adaptable and reliable, the plant blooms for almost a month, and cut flowers last at least a week in a vase. It is at risk in a number of states, so planting it is beneficial to both the many pollinators it attracts and to its longevity as a species.
Cup Plant (Silphium Perfoliatum)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies; birds, and moths
- How it grows: Up to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide in full sun to part shade and any deep, moist soil in Zones 3–9. Blooms midsummer to early fall.
- Plant profile: This large perennial’s 3-inch-wide golden flowers wave in the breeze above vigorous, rough-textured foliage. Its leaves are positioned on opposite sides of the stem, forming a cup that holds rainwater, so it serves as a water source even when not in bloom. It self-sows with abandon, so place it at the very back of a border or at the outer reaches of a garden, where it can thrive.
Blazing Star (Liatris Spicata)
- What it attracts: Honeybees, native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths
- How it grows: Up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun and moist, well-drained, lean soil in Zones 3–9. Blooms midsummer to early fall.
- Plant profile: This native’s tall batons of spidery pink-to-lavender flowers open from top to bottom. The plants are tough and drought-tolerant and look right at home in cultivated gardens, where their grassy foliage is a nice contrast to other perennials. While several species are attractive to pollinators, L. spicata and its cultivars are most commonly found in nurseries and garden centers
Sneezeweed (Helenium)
- What it attracts: Native bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, and wasps
- How it grows: Up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide in full sun and fertile, moist, well-drained soil in Zones 3–8. Blooms late summer to fall.
- Plant profile: There are species of this plant native to every corner of the United States. With 1- to 2-inch-wide daisy-like flowers in every color of the sunset, from golden yellow to deep red, they attract bees and butterflies in droves. The most common species, yellow-flowering H. autumnale, is most attractive to pollinators, but many perennial cultivars attract them as well, opening up a big range of colors and heights to work with. Sneezeweed will not make you sneeze unless you’re handling dried plants, but if eaten in large quantities, all parts of the plant can be poisonous, so take care if pets and children are in residence.
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum Novae-Angliae)
- What it attracts: Native bees including bumblebees, butterflies, and moths
- How it grows: Up to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide in full sun to part shade and fertile, moist soil in Zones 4–8. Blooms late summer to fall.
- Plant profile: These masses of small, daisy-like, deep-purple flowers with golden centers are a nice contrast to the ubiquitous fall colors of red, orange, and yellow. Left in place, they are a great source of late-season nourishment for a variety of pollinators. Despite its name, this perennial is native as far west as North Dakota and New Mexico and as far south as Alabama. It’s incredibly versatile and drought tolerant, and very much at home in meadow gardens. Studies suggest that cultivars in different colors do not attract as many pollinators.
Pollinators for Every Season
Season by season, here are the specific pollinator plants from Mahoney’s Garden Center discussed in the video.
Spring Bloomers
- Ilex verticillata (Winterberry)
- Attracts: Bees and birds
- Features: White flowers in spring, red berries in fall
- Dicentra (Bleeding heart)
- Attracts: Bees and hummingbirds
- Features: Heart-shaped flowers, shade-tolerant
- Fothergilla (Witch alder)
- Attracts: Bees and butterflies
- Features: Fragrant white bottlebrush flowers
Summer Bloomers
- Asclepias incarnata (Butterfly weed)
- Attracts: Monarch butterflies, bees
- Features: Bright orange flowers, drought-tolerant
- Echinacea purpurea (Purple coneflower)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies, birds
- Features: Long-lasting blooms, seeds for birds
- Monarda (Bee balm)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Features: Aromatic foliage, vibrant flowers
Fall Bloomers
- Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England aster)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Purple daisy-like flowers, late-season bloomer
- Helenium (Sneezeweed)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Daisy-like flowers in warm colors
- Solidago (Goldenrod)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Yellow flower clusters, drought-tolerant
Shrubs and Trees for Pollinators
Woody plants can provide valuable resources for pollinators while adding structure to your garden. They offer flowers, habitat, and sometimes even food.
Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs can add season-long interest and support pollinator populations. Here are some popular choices:
- Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf hydrangea)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Large panicles of flowers, attractive fall foliage
- Vaccinium corymbosum (Highbush blueberry)
- Attracts: Bees, birds
- Features: Edible berries, attractive fall color
- Diervilla (Bush honeysuckle)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Tubular flowers, native to North America
Trees for Pollinators
Trees can contribute significantly to a pollinator garden. They provide nectar, shade, and nesting sites. The Arbor Day Foundation recommends these bee-friendly trees, but many local species are also pollinator-friendly.
- Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)
- Attracts: Bees, butterflies
- Features: Early spring flowers, heart-shaped leaves
- Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
- Attracts: Bees, birds
- Features: White flowers, edible berries
- Tilia americana (American linden)
- Attracts: Bees
- Features: Fragrant flowers, important honey plant
Additional Tips for a Thriving Pollinator Garden
Here are some other ways to create a more resilient and welcoming pollinator garden.
Consider Plant Placement and Density
When designing your garden, think about placement and density. Grouping plants into “landing pads” ensures that pollinators don’t have to travel far for their next meal, making your garden more appealing and efficient for them. Grouping also enhances the visual impact of your garden.
Incorporate Host Plants
Host plants are specific species that serve as breeding grounds for certain pollinators. For instance, monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Including these in your garden supports the complete life cycle of pollinators. Other examples include:
- Parsley for swallowtail butterflies
- Willows for various butterfly species
- Sunflowers for many bee species
Maintain Seasonal Interest
A well-designed pollinator garden should remain vibrant and attractive throughout the year. Incorporate a mix of plants that provide not only flowers but also attractive foliage, stems, and seed heads. A diverse plant palette keeps the garden appealing even when some plants are not in bloom.
Our Conclusion
Creating a pollinator-friendly garden is a rewarding way to support local ecosystems and enjoy a beautiful, vibrant outdoor space. By choosing native plants, providing diverse bloom times, and following best practices, you can create a thriving habitat for bees, butterflies, and other essential pollinators right in your own backyard.
Resources
Jenn Nawada and Kevin O’Connor visited Mahoney’s Garden Center.
