Make your yard a haven by planting perennials that attract butterflies and other pollinators. Discover the best pollinator plants for your region.
Planting a pollinator plot benefits all kinds of wildlife, from bees and butterflies to birds and bears. These plots provide pollen and nectar for pollinators, which leads to more hard- and soft-mast production in gardens, orchards, and farms.
Andy Rosenberger, a senior private lands biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), says planting for pollinators is crucial. “Because many species of native insects are experiencing population declines, it’s quite necessary to plant native wildflowers for food production,” he says. In many cases, current methods of land management have stopped these plants from coming up on their own.
“If we don’t help our pollinators,” he says, “we’re going to lose some of these species and have less production from our farms and gardens as well. And not helping our pollinators also results in non-native plants and animals getting the upper hand over our native flora and fauna that evolved here.”
Preparing a Pollinator Plot
Bob Boeren, a retired state forester who now operates Boeren’s Consulting Forestry, consults on how to sustainably manage land and build wildlife habitat, including how to start a pollinator-friendly piece of land.
“Generally, homeowners and landowners will want to select a place that receives full sun most of the day, is well-drained, and is far enough away from traffic so that pollinators won’t be endangered before and after they visit,” he says. He recommends that you then take a soil test and remove fescue and other grasses. After you’ve removed the grass, Boeren says to “rake away the debris and then rake through the plot to work up the soil. Use the information gained from the soil test to see what needs to be added. For example, soil tests sometimes show that lime has to be added. After the soil is amended, it’s time to plant.”
Selecting Native Plants: Perennials That Attract Butterflies
The property owner’s individual situation will determine which seeds to plant and which native flora should be selected. The soil will also contain native seeds. For instance, in the plot my wife, Elaine, and I created, asters and broomsedge naturally appeared. Shrubs and small trees may even enter into the game plan.
Property owners can even tailor their plans to help certain fauna. Many pollinators only use one plant species or a few species of plants. “For example,” Boeren explains, “if you want to attract and help out zebra swallowtails, you could plant pawpaws, a very important understory tree in the East. Another small tree, black cherry, is known to attract the eastern tiger swallowtail. A really great draw for butterflies is the purple coneflower. And as many people know, milkweed is a crucial plant for monarch butterflies.”
Boeren says paying attention to which plants are native is also important. “Another approach is to plant seed mixes that will produce flowers native to your area. Also, avoid spraying chemicals anywhere near your plot once it starts to bloom. Neonicotinoids, for example, can be very harmful to moths, hummingbirds, bats, bees, and other creatures.”
Finally, pollinator plants will need periodic maintenance. Every late winter, I remove invasive plants and clear out debris. In early spring, I asked Boeren to come to my plot so he could give his expert opinion on what should be done.
Before he arrived, I mowed the broomsedge (Andropogon virginicus) that grows around the perimeter to revitalize it. I also removed the dead stalks of stickweed (Verbesina occidentalis) and other flower stalks that had bloomed the previous year. With the bed of the plot more visible, Boeren didn’t take long to spot several problems — ones that are likely to appear in readers’ plots as well.
“Two invasive plants, honeysuckle and ground ivy, have moved in, probably popping up when you couldn’t see them when the plot was at its peak last spring and summer,” he said. “There’s even a sprig of autumn olive that’s a few inches tall. A songbird could’ve pooped out a seed of that invasive when it was visiting the plot.”
Boeren killed the patch of honeysuckle and ground ivy that blanketed one corner of the plot. No native plant would be able to grow there until the invasive plants were removed. To avoid disturbing the native plants that had appeared nearby, he pulled up the honeysuckle by its roots and dug up the autumn olive, so as not to harm the native wild strawberry plants already in bloom.
Another benefit of creating a pollinator plot is that native plants may begin to appear naturally. Two redbuds (Cercis canadensis) and a dogwood (Cornus florida), both in full bloom during Boeren’s visit, showed up after I stopped mowing that part of my front yard. These two understory trees make a fine border to any pollinator plot.
Other small native trees and shrubs that may appear or can be planted include the Allegheny plum (Prunus alleghaniensis), serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum), and numerous species of wild cherries, haws, and viburnums. At another plot on our land, for example, I planted two each of Allegheny plum and serviceberry.
Year-Round Benefits of Supporting Pollinators
Over the course of the dozen or so years Elaine and I have had a pollinator plot, we’ve planted a number of different flora: purple coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca), early sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides), heart-leaved aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium), and black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), just to name a few. I didn’t realize at first that I needed to have wild flowers in bloom from early spring through late summer and early fall.
For example, Rosenberger says mining bees can appear in late winter or early spring and are critical early season pollinators. Planting early blooming flora, such as evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), Virginia iris (Iris virginica), and butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), can be of great service to mining bees and other early season pollinators
Similarly, late-summer blooms fulfill an important niche. Although a crop is often a success or failure by late summer, local pollinators still need food sources during that time.
“Stickweed, a member of the aster family, is hated by many farmers, because it sometimes forms dense stands,” Rosenberger says. “But it’s a very important late-season bloomer and a favorite of bumblebees. Ragweed causes allergic reactions in some people, and beggar’s lice sticks to our clothes, but both of them provide food for many species of wildlife and are also late-season bloomers. Pound for pound, the seed from ragweed is extremely nutritious for quail and other game birds and songbirds. So whether a plant is a pest, weed, or a wonderful wildflower or forb is really in the eye of the beholder.”
Plus, he says these benefits are ongoing. “Native sunflowers, ironweed, and various asters are other possible additions to a pollinator plot for late-growing season visitors. And the benefits that your pollinator plot provides won’t end after the last plant has bloomed, either.”
I certainly can attest to that fact. For example, last October, long after the last plant in our pollinator plot had bloomed, I noted goldfinches and various species of sparrows continually visiting to scarf down seedpods and to forage among the leafy debris. Come winter, rabbits found cover there, and wintering hermit thrushes had security and food there as well. Pollinator plots truly provide year-round benefits to a wide variety of creatures.
Finally, Bob Glennon, a private land biologist for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and the USDA, offers a creative way to provide both food and cover for pollinators: For cover, he suggests mixing in native warm-season grasses, such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and splitbeard bluestem (Andropogon ternarius), with wildflowers, such as red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), and gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis), for their blooms.
Rob Kretz, a consultant for Prairie Moon Nursery, listed four species that would work well in a pollinator plot just about anywhere in the U.S.: panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum), wild bergamot, sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), and dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum).
Good Things Take Time
When we first began our pollinator plot in our front yard, I must confess that the response of other folks, including Elaine, was not positive. Visiting friends snidely questioned if my lawnmower needed repair. My sweet wife even questioned whether anything would come from letting part of our yard “go to seed.”
But one summer day during the second or third year of the plot’s existence, Elaine and I strolled by our creation. Bumblebees were visiting the purple coneflowers, butterflies had alighted on some milkweed, honeybees were seemingly everywhere, and the plot’s blooms seemed to glisten in the early morning light. And Elaine says, “You know, it really is beautiful.”
Native Flowers to Plant in Every Region: Best Pollinator Plants
These suggestions for five pollinator plants and one milkweed for each region of the United States were compiled by Matthew Shepherd, director of outreach and education for the Xerces Society, and from Attracting Native Pollinators and 100 Plants to Feed the Bees.
Northeastern U.S.
Pollinators
- Bicknell’s cranesbill (Geranium bicknellii)
- Wild lupine (Lupinus perennis)
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
- Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)
- New England aster (Symphyotrichum
novae-angliae)
Milkweed
- Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Southeastern U.S.
Pollinators
- Spotted geranium (G. maculatum)
- Dense blazing star (Liatris spicata)
- Joe-Pye weed (E. fistulosum)
- Virginia mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
- Common sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)
Milkweed
- Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)
Midwestern U.S.
Pollinators
- Spotted geranium (G. maculatum)
- Wild lupine (L. perennis)
- Wild bergamot (M. fistulosa)
- Purple coneflower (E. purpurea)
- New England aster (S. novae-angliae)
Milkweed
- Butterfly weed (A. tuberosa)
Great Plains
Pollinators
- Wild bergamot (M. fistulosa)
- Rough blazing star (L. aspera)
- Narrow-leaved coneflower (E. angustifolia)
- Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
- Smooth aster (S. laeve)
Milkweed
- Showy milkweed (A. speciosa)
Rocky Mountains
Pollinators
- Perennial blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata)
- Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata)
- Purple prairie clover (D. purpurea)
- Smooth aster (S. laeve)
- Rocky Mountain goldenrod (Solidago multiradiata)
Milkweed
- Showy milkweed (A. speciosa)
California & Southwest
Pollinators
- California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
- Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri)
- Silvery lupine (L. argenteus)
- Sulphur flower (Eriogonum umbellatum)
- Eaton’s aster (S. eatonii)
Milkweed
- Showy milkweed (A. speciosa)
Pacific Northwest
Pollinators
- Large-leaved lupine (L. polyphyllus)
- Perennial blanketflower (G. aristata)
- Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani)
- Sulphur flower (E. umbellatum)
- Pacific aster (S. chilense)
Milkweed
- Showy milkweed ( speciosa)
Bruce Ingram is a freelance writer and photographer and the author of 10 books, including Living the Locavore Lifestyle, a book on living off the land. Get in touch with him at BruceIngramOutdoors@Gmail.com.
Originally published as “Practical Pollinator Plots” in the March/April 2023 issue of Grit and regularly vetted for accuracy.
