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Plant a Pollinator Garden to Get Bees, Hummingbirds, and Butterflies Buzzing

Grow these spring and summer bloomers to make your garden irresistible to the nectar lovers you need

Johanna Silver

Want to support pollinator habitat? It’s as easy as planting a garden (and staying away from pesticides, of course). Grow these beautiful and fragrant plants to attract bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and other friendly pollinators to your garden. You can set aside a little patch of wild meadow for your buzzy buddies, or add them to your existing planting plan. Don’t want to bother with ornamentals? No problem —pollinators like vegetable gardens, too.

1 /21 Mark Turner

Aster x frikartii

In early summer to fall, butterflies often sun as they sip on these daisylike blooms. Perennial; full sun.

2 /21 Photo by Doreen L. Wynja

Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii)

Slender cones of flowers in spring and summer. Evergreen or deciduous; sun to light shade.

3 /21 Photo by Doreen L. Wynja

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Slender cones of flowers in spring and summer. Evergreen or deciduous; sun to light shade.

4 /21 Photo by Mark Turner

Fennel

Airy umbrellas of yellow florets in summer also attract bees. Annual or perennial; full sun.

5 /21 Photo by Linda Lamb Peters

Lantana

Tiny flowers in tight clusters all year in mild climates. Evergreen shrub (annual in colder climate); full sun.

6 /21 Photo by Linda Lamb Peters

Bee balm (Monarda)

Need convincing that this is a great in a pollinator garden? The plant is called bee balm, after all. Clusters of long-tubed flowers in summer also attract hummingbirds. Perennial; sun, or light shade in hottest climates.
7 /21 Photo by Kimberley Navabpour

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Star-shaped flowers appear in summer. Annual; sun or partial shade.

8 /21 Photo by GAP Photos Ltd.

Oregano

This delicious addition to a pollinator garden draws bees and hummingbirds as long as you let the plants flower. Perennial herb; sun or partial shade.
9 /21 Photo by Ernst Kucklich

Sunflower

Bright and bold, they’re beacons for honeybees. Be sure to choose pollen-bearing varieties. Annual; full sun.

10 /21 Photo by Linda Lamb Peters

Alstroemeria

Summer blossoms are great for bouquets, but leave a few on the plant for hummingbirds. Perennial; sun (afternoon shade in hot climates).

11 /21 Photo by David Dixon / Getty Images

Lion's tail (Leonotis leonurus)

Tubular flowers with furry coats cluster along stems in summer and fall. Evergreen shrub; full sun.

12 /21 Thomas J. Story

Lavender (Lavandula)

Another pollinator garden favorite. With their fragrant blooms and totally unfussy nature, it’s no wonder lavenders have been grown for centuries. Flowers can be pale purple, violet, pink, or white and many varieties are intensely aromatic. In the garden, plant as an informal hedge, in mixed borders, as accents in containers, or in large masses for swaths of color. All varieties need well draining soil and low to moderate water.
13 /21 Photo by Charles Mann

Cape Fuchsia

Cape fuchsia is positively irresistible to hummingbirds. With flowers in shades of red and creamy green-white, these shrubs make a wonderful addition to any pollinator-friendly garden.
14 /21 E. Spencer Toy

Black scabiosa (Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black’)

Growing 2-3 feet tall and 1 foot wide, this scabiosa produces rich, velvety blooms on exceptionally long stems. Thrives in full sun and when given moderate water. Zones 1-24, H1, H2.

15 /21 Photo by PlantHaven

Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)

Flowering stems resemble glowing torches—or pokers (hence the name), making them a homing device for the hummingbirds in your pollinator garden. Perennial; sun or part shade.
16 /21 Photo by Kimberley Navabpour

Salvia

Plant this in a pollinator garden and the hummingbirds will definitely come. Among our favorites, pineapple sage (S. elegans) produces red blooms in early fall and S. ‘Indigo Spires’, deep blue in summer; both are perennials. Sun.
17 /21 Photo by Andrea Gómez Romero

Sweet alyssum

This easy ground cover is an affordable addition to your pollinator garden. Honey-scented blooms are, of course, a natural for bees. Annual; full sun or light shade.
18 /21 Rachel Weill

Blanket flower

Blanket flower (Gaillardia) features gorgeous golden tips and requires moderate water.

19 /21 Silke Dsener/EyeEm/Getty Images

This annual is one of the most ubiquitous wildflowers in the U.S. and it has naturalized throughout most of the continent. It makes a wonderful garden plant too—especially when planted in masses or groups for dramatic effect. This native likes semi-damp to damp areas in full to partial sun.
20 /21

Coneflower (Echinacea)

Colorful and super tough, ‘Ruby Star’ coneflower from Monrovia nurseries has large pinkish-purple blooms with pronounced coppery centers. The plant grows 2-feet tall; the flowers are 4 inches across. Among the many showy hybrids are ‘Orange Meadowbrite’, butter-yellow ‘Sunrise’, and reddish-orange ‘Sundown’.

21 /21 Rachel Weill

Achillea ‘Moonshine’ (Yarrow)

Blankets of yellow flowers top this easy-care perennial from spring to fall. The flat flower heads form a landing platform for bees and butterflies to collect pollen. ‘Moonshine’ reaches 2 feet tall and wide with flowers held above finely divided grey leaves. Low water once established.