Plant It & They Will Come

So how do you attract pollinators? Native plants are great! Typically, they are lower maintenance and don’t require soil modifications or a watering schedule because they are already adapted to the landscape. But you don’t need to limit your garden to native plants only. A mix of both can work. Some introduced plants can be wildly attractive to pollinators, especially ones that produce a lot of nectar.

Begin your pollinator garden by simply adding some of the plants listed here into your existing garden beds. If that’s not possible, consider creating a separate, small garden, or find a small area that needs some brightening like near the shed or mailbox.

Start your pollinator space with just a few pollinator-friendly plants that are easy to grow. If you can, work in a small birdbath or fountain, it’s helpful for hydration for these small creatures and adds a focal point.

It’s suggested that you plant in groups to increase pollination efficiency. When a bee or butterfly can visit the same type of flower over and over, it quickly learns how to enter the flower. While grouping flowers is encouraged, planting a diverse variety of plants and flowers creates a vivid and interesting place for a wide array of pollinators to visit, not to mention, pleasant to look at too! It’s also helpful to choose plants that will flower at different points throughout the year.

For families and kids, gardening for wildlife allows a child to understand and respect nature and our environment. Plus, it’s more family fun time seeing who visits your garden!

Bees

Bees can see color much faster than humans and they are most attracted to blue, violet, yellow and white flowers. Fun fact: Bees cannot see the color red! Bees are always looking for flowers that are full of nectar, and they prefer a sweetly aromatic or minty fragrance. Bees are active during the day and prefer flowers that are wide open while the sun is out. Large petals provide easy to land on platforms.

Bee Favorites: Black-Eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, Lavender, Sunflowers, Borage (a.k.a. Starflowers), Cosmos and Chives.

Butterflies

Butterflies have favorite colors too! They prefer bright, bold colors, like red and violet. As for scents, they prefer faint aromas. Flowers that are shaped like a narrow tube with a wide landing pad encourage them to visit. Like bees, butterflies prefer to do their visits during the day. They also like areas that provide protection from the wind.

Butterfly Favorites: Alyssum, Milkweed, Queen Anne’s Lace, Fennel, Snapdragons, Daisies and Yarrow.

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds are attracted to scarlet, orange, red or white flowers especially those with tubular shapes where they can draw out nectar with their slender beaks and long tongues. They also prefer flowers that can support their weight, as they are a bit heavier than bees and butterflies. Fun fact: hummingbirds have no sense of smell! Hummingbird feeders, filled with a sweet nectar substitute, are also a popular item to add to a garden.

Hummingbird Favorites: Dahlia, Lilies, Nasturtium, Bleeding Heart, Hollyhocks, Iris and Zinnia. ●