Planting Guides | Pollinator.org (2024)

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Ecoregional Planting Guides

Selecting Plants for Pollinators

Our ecoregional planting guides, Selecting Plants for Pollinators, are tailored to specific areas of the United States. You can find out which ecoregion you live in and get your free guide by entering your zip code below. For Canadian Guides click here

For help finding the right guide for you, please call 415-362-1137 or email info@pollinator.org

Starting on Page 16 of the planting guides you can find lists of plant names that will attract pollinators and help you build beautiful pollinator habitat! Print these lists and bring them to your local native plant, garden center or nursery.

Click on a Guide to Download!

Inside each guide you'll find 24 pages of native planting information. All in full PDF Format.

Adirondack

American SemiDesert

Arizona - New Mexico

Black Hills Coniferous Forest

CA Coastal Chaparral

CA Coastal Steppe

CA Coastal Woodlands

CA Dry Steppe

Cascade Mixed Forest

Central Appalachian

Chihuahuan Desert

Colorado Plateau

EBF Continental

EBF Oceanic

Everglades Province

Great Plains Palouse Dry Steppe

Great Plains Steppe and Shrub

Great Plains Steppe

Hawaiian Islands

Intermountain Semidesert

Canada

ONTARIO

Lake Erie Lowlands
En français

Manitoulin Lake Simcoe
En français

Algonquin Lake Nipissing
En français

QUEBEC

Southern Laurentians
En français

ALBERTA AND SASKATCHEWAN

Aspen Parkland

Fescue Grassland

Mixed Grassland

Moist Mixed Grassland

MANITOBA

Lake Manitoba Plain

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Highlands

South Central Nova Scotia Uplands

South West Nova Scotia Uplands

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Thompson-Okanagan Plateau

Okanagan Highlands

Okanagan Range

Lower Mainland

Eastern Vancouver Island

Western Vancouver Island

Georgia-Puget Basin

Pacific Ranges

Columbia Mountains and Highlands

Fraser Plateau

Coastal Gap

Haida Gwaii

Fraser Basin

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Prince Edward Island

About the Guides

These guides were funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the C.S. Fund, the Plant Conservation Alliance, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management with oversight by the Pollinator Partnership, in support of the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign. To learn more about why planting for pollinators is important, click here.

List of Common Plants

What to Plant?
Below is list of common plants for those who want to attract pollinators to their garden – it’s a simple list of plants readily available in most nurseries and big box stores in the lower 48 states. These plants are are not known to be invasive, but always research invasive plants in your area and never plant known invasive species.

What do I get from the Planting Guides?
While the generic plants listed below are fine for any area, we urge you to go a step further and use the list within the Planting Guides. It provides SPECIFIC native plants for your ecoregion – the native plants that are adapted to your climate.
Lavandula spp. (Lavender)
Rosemarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
Salvia spp. (Sage)
Echinacea spp. (Coneflower)
Helianthus spp. (Sunflower)
Cercis spp. (Redbud)
Nepeta spp. (Catnip)
Penstemon spp. (Penstemon)
Stachys spp. (Lamb’s ears)
Verbena spp. (Verbena)
Phacelia spp. (Bells or Phacelia)
Aster spp. (Aster)
Rudbeckia spp. (Black-eyed Susan)
Origanum spp. (Oregano)
Achilliea millefolium (Yarrow)

Why is Planting for Pollinators Important?

Whether you are a farmer of many acres, land manager of a large tract of land, or a gardener with a small lot, you can increase the number of pollinators in your area by making conscience choices to include plants that provide essential habitat for bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, hummingbirds, and other pollinators.

Where can I Buy Native Plants?

Visit Plant Native's site to find a nursery near you using your zipcode www.plantnative.org.

The Kramer Lab ERA Vendor Table - This is a subset of data collected as part of a nationwide assessment conducted by Abbey White at Chicago Botanic Garden in 2015. **PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS INFORMATION ON VENDORS AND SPECIES AVAILABLITY HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 2015, AND THEREFORE IS HIGHLY SUBJECT TO CHANGE** A description of the methods used, and results of the nationwide assessment, are available in a manuscript in Restoration Ecology: White A, Fant JB, Skinner M, Havens K, Kramer AT. (2018) Restoring species diversity: Assessing capacity in the United States native plant industry. Restoration Ecology. 26:605-611 For additional information, visit
http://sites.northwestern.edu/... or contact Andrea Kramer at Chicago Botanic Garden (akramer@chicagobotanic.org).

https://monarchjointventure.org/mjvprograms/habitat/milkweed-vendor-map

https://www.xerces.org/milkweed/milkweed-seed-finder#mwf_tool

What's the Buzz About? Hear What People are Saying About the Guide.

"I am wrote a book on bees, wasps, and ants for gardeners and have included reference to your guides and your website, both of which are super. You are providing a great service to the gardening community. Many thanks."
-Eric Grissell Sonoita, Arizona

"I found the guide to be visually pleasing and well written. I found my way without effort and loved the print size (using a laptop). I have never thought of flies as pollinators. Now, I feel almost bad for the swats".
- Sharon Weston

"I recently downloaded your guide for the region appropriate for Connecticut. I found it to be just what I was looking for in terms of plantings I can add to my yard that would support pollinators. It provided a lot of information on what kinds of pollinators are in my area, as well as many tips to make my yard more user-friendly for bees, butterflies, birds, etc. I don't think there is anything you didn't cover. The presentation was concise, easy-to-read, and enjoyable. Thanks so much for all the hard work that went into these guides. I look forward to improving my property both for myself, and all the wildlife that relies on it."
-Lisa Banik Waterbury, CT

"Your guide has opened up a whole new area of ecological observation and quick reference as to what species of pollinators use what plants as well as an opportunity through personal observation as to what additional pollinator are important . All of these pollinators and the pollination process are providing food and future fruits and seed production for birds. People must realize that you cannot have the butterflies and moths without the caterpillars and you cannot have food for the birds and other wildlife without the pollinators."
-Jerry W. Davis Certified Wildlife Biologist

How Should I Cite a Guide?

Citations will vary depending on the format used, but generally all of the below information should be included.

Pollinator Partnership (or Pollinator Partnership Canada). Year. Full Title. Published by Pollinator Partnership, San Francisco, USA. Number of Pages. url

FAQs

What is the best mulch for pollinator gardens? ›

Crimson clover, borage, yarrow, lemon balm, and even kale can be used to create pollinator-friendly living mulches. As these plants grow, their leaves shade the soil and their roots create air and water pockets, necessary elements for good plant health.

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What are the best pollinator flowers for vegetable gardens? ›

Other pollinator-attracting annuals include zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, lantana, tithonia, and snapdragons. Look for plants that have simple flowers—double-petalled, frilly flowers make it harder for pollinators to reach the nectar and pollen.

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What is the best soil for a pollinator garden? ›

Dry Pollinator Garden plants thrive in dry, drought-prone, well drained soils. Dry sites are usually found on hills and/ or sandy soils. Savanna Pollinator Garden plants thrive in moist soils that are partially shaded by scattered trees and receive 3-6 hours of sun per day.

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What plant attracts the most pollinators? ›

Milkweed is one of the most important pollinator-friendly plants and the sole food source for monarch butterfly larvae. The flower nectar, pollen, and leaves are food sources for a wide range of bees, wasps, hoverflies, beetles, butterflies, and moths. Learn more about growing milkweed.

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What flowers do not like mulch? ›

Some of the worst effected plants are grassy plants (iris, daylilies, liriope, etc.), Indian Hawthorn, Azaleas and Loropetalum. Over mulching is one of the most costly and common mistake people make. Landscapers are the worst about over mulching…

Does cedar mulch really repel pollinators? ›

Since cedar is actually one of the more common types of wood mulch, the idea that it adversely affects pollinators is unlikely. Does cedar affect bees specifically though? No, bees are not negatively harmed by cedar mulch.

Keep Reading ›

What flower keeps bugs away from vegetables? ›

Nasturtiums. If aphids are chewing up your garden, it's time to plant some nasturtiums. Easy to grow and pretty in bloom, nasturtiums repel aphids, squash bugs, striped pumpkin beetles, and whiteflies. Plant nasturtiums near beans, cabbages, and cucumbers to ensure an insect-free growing season.

Get More Info Here ›

What vegetable plants don't need pollination? ›

Which Plants Are Self-Pollinating? Many, but not all, crops are self-pollinating. This includes: beans), broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, kohlrabi, onions, and peppers. Fruit trees also self-pollinate including apples, cherries, peaches, and pears.

How can I increase pollination in my vegetable garden? ›

“Direct sowing seeds such as zinnias and cosmos not only will attract more pollinators, but they'll also make your vegetable garden more pleasing to the eye.” Companion planting pollinator-friendly flowers with vegetables is a natural way to help keep the plants healthy and increase yield.

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How do you layout a pollinator garden? ›

Planting pollinator plants in a raised bed, containers, and flower pots is a great ways to create extra planting space for pollinator plants. To make the most of a small space, plant in layers from tall to small: Grow tall plants like Sunflowers in the back. Grow mid-height flowers like Zinnias or Cosmos in the middle.

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What is the bees' most favorite flower? ›

1. Bee balm (Monarda spp.) This plant is called “bee balm” because it was once used to treat bee stings, but bees really are obsessed with the flowers. There are a variety of plants in the bee balm family that are native to North Carolina.

Read The Full Story ›

How can I make my garden more pollinator friendly? ›

Use a wide variety of plants that bloom from early spring into late fall. Help pollinators find and use them by planting in clumps, rather than single plants. Include plants native to your region. Natives are adapted to your local climate, soil and native pollinators.

Read On ›

What plant keeps bees and wasps away? ›

Citronella: Citronella is a popular insect repellent, and it can also repel yellow jackets and wasps. Plant citronella grass in your garden, or use citronella candles or oil in your outdoor living areas. Lavender: Lavender has a sweet scent that can attract bees but repel yellow jackets and wasps.

Know More ›

What is the number one pollinator? ›

Who makes the list of top pollinators for our food crops? Wild honeybees work ceaselessly to pollinator crops like apples and blueberries. Most managed bee hives are European bees that work for the agricultural industry. The majority of these hives are moved across the country in order to pollinate different crops.

Discover More ›

What plant attracts hummingbirds the most? ›

Honeysuckle. Also a tubular flower, honeysuckle is a hummingbird magnet for its sweet nectar, as the name of this vining bloom suggests. "Hummingbirds adore these open-mouthed florals and are even more attracted to their bright red-toned petals, which flower on and off throughout the year," says Poole.