plants for pollinators

 Best perennial plants for pollinators

If your garden has turned into a ghost town without becoming a bunch of pollinators, you are not alone. Pollination One of the main reasons for the declining population is habitat loss. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators are becoming rare sights due to the widespread use of pesticides and the declining supply of nectar-dependent flowers for which they depend for food. Fortunately, you can play a role in reversing this trend by creating a pollinating habitat in your garden.

"Small plantings may seem insignificant to you, but if each yard is set aside a small area for pollination, your surroundings will be a seasonal buffet of honey and pollen that supports the diversity of bees, butterflies, and other flower visitors. It can be placed on a patio or on a sunny spot on the stoop, ”

10 Pollination garden plants

These 10 perennials are all native to North America and attract butterflies and bees and other beneficial insects. Get more regional resources

Anise Hyssop

Bees prefer to eat the ultra-sweet nectar of densely packed flowers of henna which makes it a favorite plant of beekeepers.

Aster

An important late food source for native bees and helps to retain monarch butterflies during autumn migration. Indigenous varieties are the best choice for pollination gardens.

Bee balm or wild bergamot

This pollinator has the luxury of a bunch of tuberous flowers that are irresistible to superstars, native bees, and bumblebees. According to The Cerus Society, it is also recognized as a valuable honey plant for kings.

Blazing Star 

This native meadow plant will bring to your garden the beauty of butterflies including kings, swallowtails, and painted females.

Milkweed or butterfly weed

One of the biggest factors contributing to the decline of monarch butterflies is the lack of milkweed, its only caterpillar host plant. It is an important food source for the larval stage of kings and many butterflies and honey seekers flock to this plant.

Foothill Penstemon

This California native is a good choice for attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Ideal for Mediterranean climate and low water gardens, rocky slopes, or hills.

Joe pie weed

Large vanilla-scented flower clusters stand taller than other perennial flowers in the garden in late summer. They attract large exotic butterflies such as monarchs and swallowtails along with many native bees and other insects.

Lanceleaf Coreopsis

This reliable and lush flowering plant is a common component of native perennial gardens and native wildflower mixes and provides early food for bees and butterflies.

Pica Bella Coneflower

According to Todd Jacobson, head of horticulture at The Morton Arboretum, Pica Bella is one of the best pollinators for many conifers. The open flower shape of the native species provides an excellent feeding platform for kings and swallowtails. Other insect pollinators also treat these long-blooming beauties.

Showy Goldenrod

Of the 100 plants that feed on bees, goldenrods are one of the most important late-season pollinating plants. The bees meet with them in flocks before winter to collect their nectar, and other bees use the pollen to deliver late hives.

10 Tips for Starting a Pollination Garden

1 Plant Native Plants: Native plants are more attractive to local pollinators than imported or hybrid plants because of the combination of plants and native pollinators. Native plants are easy to install and do not require the use of pesticides. If you can only find the type you are cultivating, choose the one that is closest to the natural shape of the native plant. Learn more: Native Plants: How & Why to Grow a Native Plant Garden.

2 Select plants with different flowering times: Use a mix of flowering plants from early spring to autumn. By providing a balanced food source, pollinators can help your garden It Will continue throughout the season.

3 Add a variety of plants: Add a variety of colors, aromas, heights, and shapes to attract different types of pollinating species. Flowers in blue, purple, white, and yellow attract bees. The red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple flowers are great for attracting butterflies. (See: Flowers for the Bee-Friendly Garden and 25 Butterfly Garden Plants)

4 Avoid double-flowered varieties: Double-flowering plant species, and pollinators make it difficult for honey to reach.

5 Plant each plant multiple times: Arrange your plants in groups. Flowers planted in large quantities will attract more pollinators than scattering individual plants throughout the garden.

6 Allow larval host plants: This can be difficult because you have to accept these  The plants are eaten by butterfly caterpillars. Plant the damaged plants in a place where they cannot be seen directly so as not to affect the overall look of the garden. (See: Butterfly Larva Host Plant List from Penn State Extension Service)

7 Choose a sunny spot: Collecting honey and spreading pollen is hard work. Since many pollinators are energized by the heat of the sun, find your pollinator in a place that receives adequate sunlight. Provide rocks for warmth and relaxation.

8 Create Safe Irrigation Areas: Place rocks in shallow water to allow pollinators to land and drink water safely. A plant saucer or shallow birdbath works well.

9 Provide safe havens: Encourage pollinators to visit your garden by providing natural or man-made nesting sites. Bumblebees and many solitary bees build nests in the ground and require open patches of bare soil. Deadwood, such as hollow logs and logs, provides nesting sites and shelter for bees, wasps, and beetles. Bee and insect houses also provide nesting sites and can be purchased, Or you can drill holes in untreated wooden blocks approximately 3 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep or make your own using pre-made nesting pipes.

10 Avoid pesticides: Avoid using pesticides as much as possible. If you need to use one, choose the one with the least toxicity and spray at night when the pollinators are less active.