I have a neighbor who planted mostly pollinator friendly plants in her front yard, and it’s a joy to walk by her house. There’s always an assortment of happy butterflies and bees floating about and besides being very pretty, it just makes me happy! The other benefit, of course, is that by turning your garden into a haven for pollinators, and you’ll soon reap the benefits. Native plants are most attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds, but these multi regional varieties are a great place to start.
Check with your local garden center for a list of the best native pollinator-friendly plants in your area.
Aster
Aster’s starry flower heads bloom in pleasing colors, such as blue, white, pink and purple. Plant this perennial in spring to enjoy flowers in late summer and fall. Aster plants love full sun or partial shade.
Goldenrod
Pollinators love this yellow-plumed perennial, which also helps keep bad bugs away from your vegetable garden. There are more than 100 varieties of goldenrod, with several for every type of climate. It’s also easy to care for and drought-tolerant.
Coneflower
This native perennial blooms midsummer to fall, and it’s relatively drought-tolerant. Plant in spring; it likes full sun to light shade.
Herbs
Bees like herbs with single-petaled flowers, such as basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Hummingbirds like tubular blossoms, such as those on lavender, hyssop and rosemary. Butterflies prefer chives, thyme, mint, and parsley.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are easy to grow, even in very dry areas, during times of drought and in clay soils. Pollinators love the large, colorful flowers, and you’ll also attract birds that like to eat the seeds.
Choose the planting location carefully—some varieties can reach up to 15 feet tall!
