When turning your garden into an eat street for pollinators, native flowers are the well-stocked diner, serving up precisely what the community craves. Every local bee, butterfly, and hummingbird knows the menu by heart and finds a perfectly nourishing meal every time.
What about exotic ornamental blooms? They might be visually attractive, but ultimately disappointing vending machines offering nothing but empty calories.
So if you wish to truly fuel your patrons, stick with the familiar, nutritious, tasty, life-giving fare of native plants.
Why Native Plants Win for Pollinators?
Native plants and local pollinators have a long history together. Their flowers have developed the right shapes, colors, and scents to attract their specific pollinators. In return, the pollinators have developed special body parts (like certain tongue lengths (!) or ways of flying) that let them easily reach the nectar and pollen within.
Exotic plants, on the other hand, often lack these vital connections. Many are bred for visual appeal, not for pollinator support. Their flower shapes might be too complex for local insects to reach the food. Some may offer pollen or nectar that is less nutritious, or none at all.
Furthermore, exotic plants might not bloom when local pollinators are most active, meaning they provide unreliable or insufficient food sources.
And finally, our gardens are becoming more and more vital with natural habitats constantly shrinking. When you plant native flowers, you offer pollinators essential and reliable food and shelter. You also support the local populations of beneficial insects and help our local ecosystems remain healthy. It’s a win-win-win!
What Makes a Great Pollinator Plant?
If you’re looking to turn your garden into a restaurant district for local pollinators, you should choose plants that genuinely serve their needs. It means they must have:
Finally, avoid using pesticides. Even pollinator-friendly flowers can harm insects if they’ve been treated with them. So if you’re getting your plants from a nursery, always choose plants free from neonicotinoids and other systemic pesticides.
And if you’re wondering which flowers to steer clear of, here’s a helpful guide on blooms to skip in a bee-friendly garden.
Top 10 Native Flowers That Feed Pollinators Better Than Exotics
Being a locavore is great for us, and guess what? Pollinators, too, think there’s a bee-g difference bee-tween nutritious native meals and exotic bee es.
1. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
You’ll often find it in gardens from zones 3 to 9, always keeping its lovely black eye wide open for pollinators. Rudbeckia grows vigorously in full sun and draws in bees, butterflies, and birds. Besides, Black-eyed Susan virtually takes care of itself with little to no fuss. Plus, it spreads out nicely on its own over time.
2. Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis)
Are you after a tough, long-lived perennial with impressive looks? Blue False Indigo checks several boxes. It loves full sun and grows well in Zones 3–9. It’s popular with bumblebees and crucial early-season bees. And it certainly won’t dye on you.
3. Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
They’re orange, they love monarchs, and yet, they’re not Dutch. Butterfly Weed flowers, interestingly, just like the Dutch, are quite happy in full sun. They offer a lifeline for monarch butterfly larvae (they munch on their leaves!).
Furthermore, this very drought-tolerant plant is a top nectar spot for adult monarchs and native bees in Zones 3–9. On the other hand, local deer are not impressed.
4. Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Shady spots and woodland edges will welcome a plant that co(lu)mbines beauty with benefit. Blooming in spring, it prefers part sun to shade in Zones 3–8. Columbine attracts hummingbirds and important early bees. It’ll even self-seed gently, which creates more natural charm over time.
5. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Goldenrod dismisses old myths as its pollinator value truly mirrors its weight in gold. While it demands plenty of sunshine to thrive across Zones 3 to 9, in return, it provides an essential fall nectar for bees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles. And keep in mind, ragweed, not Goldenrod, causes allergies.
6. Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)
Just as summer winds down, Joe-Pye Weed steps up! A tall, showy native, it thrives in sun to part shade across Zones 4–9. Quite conveniently, it starts cooking for swallowtails, monarchs, and countless bees right when they most need it, and completely weeds out the competition.
7. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
New England Aster and Goldenrod will create a stunning asterpiece in your autumn garden. Their perfect timing makes them lifesavers. The aster’s purples and blues contrast with Goldenrod’s yellows, all the while fueling migrating monarchs, bees, and skippers in zones 4–8.
8. Penstemon digitalis (Beard tongue)
Beardtongue is both versatile and low-maintenance, and fits into diverse garden spots. Even in challenging soils, it does great in full sun across Zones 3–8 and sends up handsome flower spikes. Bumblebees, long-tongued bees, and hummingbirds are returning guests, happy they have a familiar touchdown spot in every bloom.
9. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Echinacea is also an amazing choice, always so purple-sfully cone-nected with helpful insects throughout its long bloom period. Full sun suits it well in attracting native bees, bumblebees, and butterflies. And even its seed heads feed birds through fall, mostly in Zones 3 to 9.
10. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
You should cultivate Wild Bergamot to create a natural haven with persistent appeal. It smoothly adapts from full sun to part shade across Zones 3–9 and draws native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies throughout the season. As a bonus for you, its leaves make a refreshing herbal tea.
Cultivating a Buzz-Worthy Future
If you plan to cultivate landscapes that truly dish out successful eco-feasts, skip the imported stuff. Choose native plants, and give your tiny local wildlife the home team advantage!
