Planting for Pollinators

When selecting plants for your pollinators keep the following thoughts in mind.

Asclepias tuberosa, or Butterfly Weed, is a wonder plant to attract pollinators.

Asclepias tuberosa, or Butterfly Weed, is a wonder plant to attract pollinators.

Basic Pollinator tips

  • Choose Plants native to your region.

    Native plants have been proven to be four times more attractive to pollinators than non-natives, so your first choice should be plants native to our region.

  • Choose flowers with a range of shapes and colors.

    A variety of flower shapes and colors will provide food for different kinds of pollinators.

  • Don't forget host plants for the larval stages.

    The caterpillars of butterflies and moths feed on the leaves of very specific plants. Don't forget to include these host plants in your garden.

  • Plant in drifts.

    Pollinators are more likely to find plants in gardens that provide larger drifts of color. When you purchase plants, purchase 3 or more and plant them together.

  • Provide a succession of bloom.

    Pollinators need nectar and pollen sources throughout the season so choose a variety of plants that will provide a succession of bloom from early spring through fall.

  • Avoid modern hybrids.

    Many garden plants have been manipulated for larger blooms and a show of color and have lost their ability to produce nectar. When buying annuals, purchase older heirloom varieties.

  • Don't forget trees and shrubs.

    Many woody plants provide early season nectar for pollinators and are the primary host plants for many moths and butterflies. Think of your entire yard as a pollinator habitat.

Native Perennials for a Sunny Pollinator Garden

Plant Name Common Name
 Color Soil Drainage
 Bloom Time
Agastache foeniculum Anise Hyssop lavender blue well drained to dry summer to late summer
Aquilegia canadensis Columbine red well drained late spring
Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed purple-pink moist to wet mid-summer
Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed orange well drained to dry summer
Eupatorium dubium Coastal Plain Joe Pye mauve pink moist to wet late summer
Eupatorium hyssopifolium Thoroughwort white dry late summer
Helianthus spp. Sunflower yellow moist to dry summer
Helenium autumnale Sneezeweed yellow moist to wet late summer
Liatris spicata Marsh Blazing Star purple moist to wet summer
Lobelia cardinalis Cardinal Flower red moist to wet late summer
Lobelia siphilitica Great Blue Lobelia blue moist to wet late summer
Monarda fistulosa Wild Bergamot lavender moist summer
Monarda didyma Oswego Tea red moist summer
Penstemon digitalis Foxglove Beardtongue white moist spring
Pycnanthemum muticum Broad-leaved Mountain Mint silver-green moist mid-late summer
Solidago nemoralis Gray Goldenrod yellow moist to dry fall
Symphyotrichum laeve Smooth Aster purple-blue moist to dry fall
Veronicastrum virginicum Culver's Root white moist mid-late summer
Zizia aurea Golden Alexanders yellow moist to wet spring

Native Perennials for a Shady Pollinator Garden

Plant Name Common Name Color
 Soil Drainage Bloom Time
Aquilegia canadensis Columbine red well drained to dry late spring
Arisaema triphyllum Jack-in-the-Pulpit gren and brown moist spring
Eurybia divaricata White Wood Aster white moist to dry fall
Phlox divaricata Wild Blue Phlox lavender moist spring
Phlox stolonifera Creeping Phlox lavender moist spring
Solidago caesia Blue Wreath Goldenrod yellow moist to dry fall
Spigelia marilandica Indian Pink red moist summer
Tiarella cordifolia Foamflower white average spring
Viola canadensis Canada Violet white moist spring to early summer

Shrubs for a Pollinator Garden

Plant Name Common Name Color Soil Drainage
Bloom Time
Ceanothus americanus New Jersey Tea white dry, well drained summer
Cephalanthus occidentalis Buttonbush white wet to average summer
Clethra alnifolia Summersweet white moist to average summer
Itea virginica Virginia Sweetspire white wet to dry summer
Salix discolor Pussy Willow green, yellow medium to wet spring

Trees for Pollinators

Plant Name Common Name
Soil Drainage
Bloom Time
Acer rubrum Red Maple wet to dry early spring
Amelanchier laevis Serviceberry average to dry spring
Cercis canadensis Redbud average spring

Many of the above native plants can be found in garden centers. Others are readily available at native plant nurseries or native plant sales sponsored by local conservation organizations.

More Perennials and Annuals to Attract Pollinators

Plant Name
 Common Name
Echinacea purpurea Purple Coneflower
Lavendula English Lavender
Ocimum Basil
Origanum Marjoram
Origanum Oregano
Petrosillum Parsley
Rosmarinus Rosemary
Thymus Thyme
Zinnia Zinnia

Created February 2009, updated September 2013, Connie Schmotzer, Penn State Extension

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