Plants for Hummingbird, Native Bee, and Butterfly Gardens
Here are a few specifics for doing your part for planting a pollinator-friendly garden.
*Use native plants. Research has indicated that native flowers are four times more attractive to native
bees than non-native flowers.
*Include many different flower shapes and colors.
*Bees are most attracted to blue, purple, violet, white and yellow.
*Butterflies are attracted to flowers with a wide, landing area.
*Hummingbirds need plenty of nectar, which tubular flowers have tucked back in their corolla. They are attracted to red flowers.
*Plant flowers in groups – at least 4 feet in diameter is a good rule to go by.
*Be sure there is something flowering all throughout the growing season.
*Have nectar-rich flowers. Some flowers have been bred to be just showy, with no nectar. Avoid
double-petaled and nectar-less flowers.
A list of plants that attract:
Native Bees:
Pollen-covered bee; Photo thanks to Tom Sullivan of Pollinators Welcome
* Aster
* Black-eyed Susan
* Currant
* Elder
* Goldenrod
* Huckleberry
* Joe-pye weed
* Lupine
* Penstemon
* Purple coneflower
* Rhododendron
* Sage
* Snowberry
* Stonecrop
* Sunflower
* Willow
Female Ruby-throated hummingbird at Thistle
Hummingbirds:
* Red Columbine
* Trumpet Vine
* Orange Spotted Jewelweed
* Canada Lily
* Cardinal Flower
* Trumpet Honeysuckle
* Mountain Rosebay
* Bee Balm
* Indian Pink
* Salvia
Butterflies:
Monarch Butterfly on Common Milkweed; photo by Ann & Rob Simpson
* Coreopsis
* Coneflowers
* Phlox (many varieties)
* Bee Balm
* Sedums
* Liatris
* Butterfly Weed
* Yarrow
* Queen Anne’s Lace
* Cosmos
* Lantana
* Nasturtium
* Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia)
* Zinnia
* Verbena Bonariensis
* Beauty Bush (Kolkwitzia amabilis)
* Butterfly Bush
* Privet
* Lilac
* Blueberry bushes
* Bronze Fennel
* Nettles
* Thistle
* Milkweed
* Chives
* Pussytoes
* Daisy
* Violet
* Daisy fleabane
* Common Valerian
* Hawkweed
* Cinquefoil
* Black-eyed Susan
* Joe-pye Weed
* Clovers
Tags: bee, butterfly, flowers, gardening, hummingbird, monarch, native bees, nectar, pollen, pollinator, ruby-throated hummingbird, wildflowers, wildlife