For years, gardeners have enjoyed watching their yards bloom into colorful displays of springtime beauty. By creating attractive landscapes, they also enjoy attracting wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds, and other creatures.
Attracting pollinators is a way to help them to survive when climate change is harming them in many ways. You can help them a little during this tough time by taking these simple steps. So, dig into learning those top 10 plants to attract pollinators to your yard and be a helping hand in the environment a little.
Table of Contents
Here are the Top 10 Plants to Attract Pollinators to Your Yard
1. Passionflower
This beautiful vine grows best in zones 5 to 9. This easy-to-grow perennial produces clusters of white flowers throughout summer and into fall.
The flowers are pollinated by butterflies such as swallowtails, monarchs, painted ladies, and skippers. These butterflies lay eggs on the plant leaves, and the larvae feed on the leaves. When the foliage dies off, the chrysalis stage begins.
2. Hollyhock
If you want to make an impression in your garden, choose this tall butterfly host plant. This perennial grows well in full sun and along fences or walls for support. Its large flowers come in many colors, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds alike. In addition, the leaves provide a great place for insects (and birds) to hide from predators.
3. Bee Balm
A list like this would not include bee balm without including it. Bee balm attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. It is one of the most popular wildflowers in North America.
This vigorous perennial grows up to three feet tall and spreads quickly by underground rhizomes. It likes full sun and well-drained soil. When you see it growing along roadsides, it is often because someone planted it there intentionally.
4. Dill
Anethum graveolens is one of those plants that seem to grow everywhere. It’s easy to find in nurseries, grocery stores, and even your local park. But did you know that there are several species of dill? And that each variety offers different benefits to butterflies.
The most common type of dill is called Anethum graveolens. This perennial grows best in full sun and moist soil. It produces small, feathery, dark green leaves throughout the growing season. Dill is often used in cooking, especially in Scandinavian countries. Dill is considered to be one of the four main herbs in Swedish cuisine.
5. Chokecherry
The chokecherry tree is native to North America and can grow up to 30 feet tall. Its leaves are oval-shaped and greenish-yellow in color. They turn red in the fall. Chokecherries are deciduous trees that produce fruit throughout the growing season.
On the branches of chokecherry trees, long bloom clusters appear in spring. These flowers attract butterflies, such as two-tailed swallowtails.
Chokecherry trees produce berries that are perfect for bird feeders later in the season. Birds love the sweet taste of fruits.
This tree grows well in full sun and does best in moist soil. However, it tolerates drought conditions just fine.
6. Snapdragon
Snapdragons are easy to grow and very attractive to butterflies. Snapdragons are hardy perennials, growing best in full sun and well-drained soil. They tolerate heat, drought, and poor soils. Plant seeds outdoors 2 weeks before the last frost date, spacing 12 inches apart.
Seedlings emerge in 10 days. Transplant seedlings into larger pots once roots fill the container. Plants do fine in containers up to 18 inches deep. Water regularly during dry spells. Divide every three to five years to keep the plant vigorous.
Propagate from cuttings taken in late spring or early summer. Cut-off side shoots just above ground level. Place stem end vertically in moist potting mix. Cover stems with plastic wrap; place in a warm room overnight. Remove plastic wrap in the morning. Prune flower buds back to encourage the growth of new flowers.
7. Violet
The most popular perennial flower in North America, violet blooms attract butterflies and hummingbirds alike. In addition to attracting pollinators, violets provide food for beneficial insects such as lady beetles and lacewings.
Butterflies love violets because they offer nectar and pollen. And while some butterfly species feed exclusively on flowers, others use both types of plant material. For example, the common buckeye butterfly feeds mostly on leaves but also eats the petals and stamens of violets.
Hummingbirds eat the seeds of violets. A single seed contains enough protein to sustain a bird for up to three days.
8. Lavender
Lavender is one of those plants you know you want to grow because it smells good. And while there are many different types of lavenders, some of our favorites include French lavender, English lavender, and lemon balm.
They’re all easy to grow, too. Lavender is one of the easiest perennials to start from seed. You’ll find lavender seeds everywhere—in catalogs, online, and even in grocery stores. Make sure you buy quality seeds; cheap ones won’t produce much lavender.
9. Foxglove
A late spring or early summer garden will be adorned with tall spires of bell-shaped flowers. Foxgloves are great for gardeners with shaded spaces and moist, organic soil. They’re easy to grow and constantly supply blooms throughout the season.
Though annual, foxgloves reseed and tend to stay in the garden year after year. Plan to plant them twice in a row if you want to enjoy them every year. We found the best purple foxgloves to grow in your garden here.
10. Sunflower
Helianthus annuus is one of the easiest flowers to grow. They don’t require much care and can tolerate various soil conditions. You can even plant them in the sand. Not only do they look great in the garden, but they’re also a favorite food source for some beneficial insects like bees.
You can start sunflowers indoors about six weeks before planting out. Seedlings usually emerge within 10 days. Keep the temperature around 70 degrees F. and keep the lights off until the seedling emerges. When the leaves begin to yellow, transplant the seedlings outdoors and give the young plants plenty of room to grow.
Once the weather warms up, sunflowers grow along roadsides, fields, and gardens everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
1. What is the most effective pollinator?
One bee colony can pollinate 3 million flowers a day. Bees are the most efficient pollinators. Like all living organisms, plants must reproduce to survive. Therefore, they must have access to sufficient resources to carry out their reproductive duties.
2. What plant has only one pollinator?
As a result of coevolution, yucca plants and yucca moths completely depend upon one another. Only the yucca moth pollinates the flowers, and its caterpillars feed exclusively on yucca seeds—the end result an exclusive relationship between two species.
3. How does a hummingbird get pollen onto a flower?
The hummingbird uses its beak to transfer pollen from the male part of a flower, called the anther (where pollen is produced), to the female part of the flower, called the stigma (which receives pollen). Hummingbirds visit over 150 flowering plants daily, often visiting more than 100 times per hour.
4. Why do I need to water my houseplants?
The amount of moisture a plant needs depends on several factors, including the size and type of plant. For example, a palm tree requires less water than a cactus. Houseplants should not receive any direct sunlight during the winter months. During this time, they may lose as much as half of their stored energy if exposed to light. Using low-water indoor plants such as succulents and ferns instead of traditional houseplants to save money on water bills.
5. Is there anything else I can do to help my houseplant thrive?
Houseplants rely on us for many things, including daily maintenance. Watering is perhaps the most important thing we can provide for our houseplants. But you can also fertilize, repot, prune, and divide your plants when necessary. You might even consider adding humidity or heat to the environment.
Conclusion
The best way to attract pollinators to your yard is to plant a variety of attractive blooms. This will ensure that you have a diverse array of plants for pollinators to choose from. Having enough space for these beautiful flowers to bloom is also important. The above mention plants will surely help you.
