
Pollinator Garden Wheel

Podcast: Pollinators in Crisis
 More special products from the Division on Earth & Life Studies
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Plants for Pollinators
Create your own pollinator-friendly garden! Use these tips and the plant list below to turn your yard into a pollinator haven.



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- Color talks. Different-colored flowers attract different kinds of pollinators. Plan your garden to have a wide variety of colorful blooms throughout the spring and summer.
- Go native. Focus on plants that are native to your region, which are adapted to cooperate with many of your local pollinators.
- Create a big target. Arrange pollinator-attracting plants in clumps, rather than single plants. This will help pollinators to find flowers more easily.
- No yard? Add pollinator-friendly plants to window-boxes and balconies!
- Use pesticides responsibly. Reduce the level of pesticides used in and around your home. If you must use pesticides, switch to those that are targeted to specific pests and try to spray only when pollinators are not in your garden, such as at night or when flowers are not in bloom.
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| Plant |
Pollinators it attracts |
U.S. Regions |
Requirements & Cautions |
Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) |
Butterfly Bee |
All regions |
Full Sun; Don't fear! This is not generally an allergy-causing flower. |
Sedum (Sedum spp.) |
Butterfly Bee |
All regions |
Full sun/ partial shade; Choose a variety native to your region! Western: Spearleaf stonecrop (Sedum lanceolatum); Eastern/Central: Woodland stonecrop (Sedum ternatum) |
| Milkweeds |
Butterfly |
All regions |
Full Sun |
Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) |
Butterfly Bee |
All regions |
Full Sun; Beware! The following varieties can be invasive: Common sunflower (Helianthus annuus); Texas blueweed (Helianthus ciliaris) |
Berry bushes: blueberry, huckleberry (Vaccinium spp.) |
Butterfly Bee |
All regions |
Full sun/ partial shade |
Salvias (Salvia spp.) |
Butterfly Bee Hummingbird |
All regions |
Full Sun; Beware! The following varieties are invasive: Mediterranean sage (Salvia aethiopis); Introduced sage (Salvia pratensis); Europe sage (Salvia sclarea) |
Anise hyssop/ giant hyssop (Agastache spp.) |
Butterfly Bee Hummingbird |
SE, NE, N Central, NW |
Full Sun; Choose a variety native to your region! Eastern/North Central: Purple and Yellow Giant Hyssop; Northern: Blue Giant Hyssop |
Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) |
Bee Hummingbird |
NE, SE, N Central, S Cent |
Full sun/ partial shade |
Bee balm/ oswego tea (Monarda didyma) |
Butterfly Bee Hummingbird |
SE, NE, N Central, NW |
Full Sun |
Blazing-star/ gayfeather (Liatris spp.) |
Butterfly Bee Hummingbird |
NE, SE, N Central, S Central |
Full sun/ partial shade; Good alternative to the invasive species purple loosestrife! |
Trumpet (coral) honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) |
Hummingbird |
NE, SE, S Central |
Full Sun/ partial shade |
Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) |
Butterfly Bee |
NE, SE, S Central |
Full Sun |
| Red buckeye |
Butterfly Bee Hummingbird |
SE, S Central |
Sun/shade |
Zinnia (Zinnia spp.) |
Butterfly Bee |
SW |
Full Sun |
| Cosmos |
Butterfly Bee |
NE, SE, N Central, S Central, SW |
Full Sun |
Scarlet penstemon (Keckiella spp.) |
Bee Hummingbird |
SE, NE, N Central, NW |
Full Sun |
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