A variety of flowering native plants that offer nectar and pollen throughout the growing seasons is, without question, the best way to attract and support a variety of pollinators.
Pollinators are attracted to blooms that fit their physiological traits – specifically blooms that fit the length of their tongue. Some bees are generalists, flitting among flowers to drink nectar and collect pollen from an array of plants. Flat or shallow blossoms, such as asters or coreopsis, attract a wide variety of bee species. But long-tongued pollinators (such as butterflies and bumble bees) are attracted to flowers that have tube-shaped nectaries, such as Monarda or Liatris. Flowers that bloom in early spring provide food for newly emerging bumble bee queens, while fall blooms favors pollinators that are actively seeking the additional energy needed for overwintering. Also, grouping three or more of a single plant attracts bees because a large cluster of plants blooming together allows them to forage more efficiently.
Inextricably linked, pollinators are as vital to native plants as the plants are vital to them. Garden with native plants and forgo the use of chemicals to create pollinator-friendly landscapes that can help curb pollinator decline.
PLANTING FOR POLLINATORS – PDF: This Prairie Nursery resource offers a pollinator plant list arranged by season, to help you maximize support for pollinators in the garden. Find out which pollinators are likely visitors to each plant, as well as which plants are host plants for butterflies and moths. Each plant listed in this PDF resource is linked to a page on our website for complete information at your fingertips.
Browse all POLLINATOR FAVORITES on our Website – Guaranteed to turn your yard into a pollinator paradise!
Create the Best Habitat with POLLINATOR-FRIENDLY PRACTICES