Pollinator-Friendly Plants for Your Garden
Spring is here, and with planting on the horizon, it’s more important than ever to think about the types of plants you’ll bring to your garden. While many people focus on vegetables and other crops, we wanted to remind you that flowers and blooms serve a purpose too! Growers can tend to dismiss flowers as attractive but unnecessary additions to their grow, but your local pollinators will thank you for adding a few of these beautiful blooms to your plot.
Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are a vital part of your local ecosystem. They play an important role in ensuring that your vegetables produce. It has been proven time and again that without bees in particular, our nation’s food supply will become very limited.
These beneficial neighbors are in danger. Rising use of pesticides and herbicides, as well as shrinking native wild areas, have left them with decreased food supply and habitat loss. When planning your green space this year, we encourage you to nurture some plants with your local pollinators in mind.
Tips to Create a Pollinator-Friendly Garden:
Native Plants
One of the most important factors to consider when planting a garden that is friendly to pollinators is the addition of native plants. Your local pollinators may not be able to make use of imported flowers, so be sure to include blooms that occur naturally in your area. Local bees, butterflies, and birds have evolved to interact with the plants in their natural habitat, much of which is lost day by day to human development. Restoring native blooms is a great way to support pollinators in your area, so be sure to do some research and bring in the best for your little friends.
Cross-Season Garden
Many gardeners make the mistake of clearing out their beds completely in the winter or early spring to make way for late spring and summer blooms. This can be detrimental to the health of your local pollinators that depend on an early-season food supply. Take care to include early and late bloomers in your garden beds to ensure pollinators have food year-round. It’s also a good idea to hold off on pulling old canes and hollow-stalk plants that may house young butterflies and bees until these insects are fully grown.
Plant Variety
It’s always best to keep a range of plants available for your pollinator friends. By familiarizing yourself with the types of creatures you can expect to see, you can cater your plant choices to their tastes. It’s important to include different plant options so that you draw in more than one type of pollinator. The best gardens make certain all of the bees, birds, and butterflies in the area can find something to eat.
Water Zones and Safe Spots
Food is not the only thing that pollinators worry about day-to-day. You can ensure that your beneficial neighbors have everything they need by including watering zones and safe places to rest before continuing on their way. Set up a small pool with rocks to break the surface tension of the water for insects like bees and butterflies, or keep a birdbath for hummingbirds. Bee boxes, hollow-caned plants, and birdhouses are also great additions to your yard that will ensure your friends have a spot to hide from predators or rest overnight.
Organic Growing
The last and perhaps most vital tip for keeping your pollinators happy and thriving is to cultivate organically. Bees and butterflies frequently fall prey to commercial pesticides, which in recent years has resulted in an incredible decline in pollinator insects. By practicing organic cultivation, you make your yard a safe haven from pesticides and harmful chemicals and make better quality plants available to your tiny neighbors. In this way, you can play a part in ensuring that your area will benefit from future generations of pollinators for years to come.
Top Plants to Grow for Pollinators
Anise Hyssop: A hardy perennial in the mint family native to the United States, Anise Hyssop is an edible bloom with colorful purple towers of flowers that draw the eye. It is deer and rabbit resistant and flourishes in full sun to partial shade. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Aster: Sky blue aster is a United States native perennial flower, characterized by daisy-like blooms in shades of blue, green, and purple. They are drought-tolerant plants that require very little maintenance. Season: Late Summer through Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Bachelor Button: Bachelor Buttons are invasive and non-native, so they are prohibited in some states. Take care and research local laws when planting these colorful, edible blooms. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Bee Balm: A North America native, bee balm is an edible medicinal plant in the mint family traditionally used to soothe bee stings. These red, pink, and purple flowers tolerate full sun and partial shade. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Black-Eyed Susan: Perfect for a splash of color, these bright flowers are North American natives that prefer full sun and tolerate drought. Season: Summer/Fall. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Blazing Star: A low-maintenance North American native, blazing star is known for its tall cones of purple flowers and drought tolerance. Season: Mid-Summer through Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Blueberry: A North American fruit, blueberries are popular for their delicious berries, but they are also great attractors of pollinators. Season: Spring through Summer Flowers, Summer through Fall. Fruit Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Borage: A bright blue flower, borage is a Mediterranean annual that is good for keeping away pests, but take care as it can be invasive. This plant is edible, deer and rabbit resistant, and is often used in salads or as a drink garnish. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Butterfly Bush: A tropical plant native to Asia, Africa, and some parts of the Americas, butterfly bush is a colorful shrub that attracts a diverse array of butterflies. Take care when planting and prune often because they can grow out of hand quickly. Season: Summer. Attracts: Butterflies. 
Coneflower: Also known as Echinacea, this plant is native to North America and is revered for its medicinal properties. These low-maintenance, drought-resistant plants prefer full sun. Season: Summer through Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Coreopsis: Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and native to North America, coreopsis is a colorful addition to your garden. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Cosmos: This South American native has been naturalized in most other countries and boasts colorful blooms and a long growing season. These flowers draw aphids away from other crops but take care because they can be invasive. Season: Summer through Early Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Daisy: While there are many different daisies, the blackfoot daisy is native to the US and Mexico. Boasting drought tolerance and a long growing season, these dainty flowers are a perfect addition to a low-maintenance garden. Season: Early Spring through Late Fall. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Dahlia: Dahlias are a staple flower in any garden, coveted for their showy blossoms in almost every color of the rainbow. They will bloom year after year if properly cared for and put out more flowers the more often they are cut, making them perfect for floral arrangements. Season: Summer through Late Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Dogwood: Flowering dogwood is a tree native to the Eastern United States renowned for its beautiful spring blooms. Season: Spring. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Elderberry: A United States native, elderberry is an edible berry plant that has numerous health benefits. Season: Summer Flowers and Fall Fruits. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Foothill Penstemon: Native to California, foothill penstemon is a showy, long-lived perennial that boasts drought tolerance and bright purple blooms. Season: Late Spring through Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Goldenrod: A beneficial medicinal plant, goldenrod is a bright yellow bloom in the aster family. Season: Late Summer through Early Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Heliotrope: Native to Peru, heliotropes are a deer-tolerant perennial plant often treated as an annual in zones that suffer frost. Season: Summer through Fall. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Lavender: An herb commonly used for essential oils and herbal medicines, lavender is a popular perennial plant in many gardens. Season: Spring through Late Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Marigold: A colorful Central and South America native, marigolds make excellent additions to gardens for borders and cut flowers. Season: Spring through Fall. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Milkweed: An integral part of the Monarch butterfly life cycle, milkweed is native to the Americas and an attractive perennial to add to your garden. Be sure you’re buying the correct strain for your area, as some subspecies of milkweed aren’t as beneficial to your local butterflies. Season: Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Mint: A frost-hardy perennial that can grow year-round in warmer climates, mint is an edible herb known for its culinary benefits. Take care when planting. Mint does best in containers as it can take over entire beds when planted in the ground. Season: Spring through Summer. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Pincushion: Also known as Scabiosa, this hardy perennial comes in many colors and can be deadheaded for repeat blooming. Season: Spring through Late Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Sage: A shrubby culinary herb, sage is a staple in kitchen gardens. It’s renowned for its flavor and as a healing herb. Season: Spring through Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Raspberry: Native to the United States, raspberries are edible berry plants that produce delicious fruit. Season: Spring Flowers and Summer Fruits. Attracts: Bees and Butterflies. 
Snapdragon: A beautiful annual known for its dragon-head blooms, Snapdragon is a colorful and attractive addition to your garden. Season: Spring through Late Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Sunflower: A flower that bears delicious edible seeds, the sunflower is used as a food crop around the world. These tall blooms make colorful additions to your garden but may require extra support to stand straight. Season: Spring through Early Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Verbena: Native to the Americas and Asia, verbena is a colorful herb often used in aromatherapy. Season: Spring through Fall. Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, and Hummingbirds. 
Zinnia: An easy to grow annual flower, Zinnias add a splash of color to any garden. They are often used in beds and as cut flowers. Season: Summer through Fall. Attracts: Butterflies.
Do Your Part to Keep Pollinators Around
Flowers bring more than beauty to the garden. These plants play a huge part in keeping local pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds thriving. Without these beneficial neighbors, our ecosystem is prone to a decrease in food security, economic impacts, and wildlife and habitat loss. Support your pollinators by growing native plants, leaving them some safe areas in your green space, and growing organic with a fertilizer like Geoflora Nutrients. And as a bonus, you’ll get to enjoy some beautiful flowers, too.
