Planting for a Pollinator Friendly Garden

​Planting a variety of flowering plants that bloom throughout the growing season will attract all kinds of pollinators. Not just butterflies, hummingbirds and bees but other insects, birds and animals that help in the pollination process.

Flowers with tubular shapes such as monarda, nepeta, salvias, veronicas and liatris and flowers with flatheads such as daisies, echinaceas and asters are some favorites. However, the flowering part of any plant attracts pollinators. 

It is important to have blooming plants throughout the season.
Late season bloomers are especially important for providing a food source for pollinators as late into the season as possible.
We have a tendency to forget about late season food sources. We are done with the gardening season and preparing for winter, cutting back gardens, mowing, brush hogging etc.

Some late season blooming plants include tall sedums, eupatoriums, grasses (the flowerheads are great for pollinators). Native plants such as asters, rudbeckia (brown-eyed susans) and goldenrod are incredible late season food sources. If you are fortunate enough to have an area on your property that you can allow to naturalize please do so. Nature provides the best plants for our native pollinators.

Some other things to consider :

A water source which can be a simple as small bird bath or a dish. Change out the water regularly.

Plant food sources for the larvae stage. Remember before it becomes a beautiful butterfly it has a stage where it is a voracious vegetarian. Some plants to consider for this stage are asclepias (butterfly weed) and fennels and dill which are loved by the Swallowtail family of butterflies.

Be careful about pesticide use!!
Especially the use of systemics which are absorbed though the whole plant.
I find that once plants are outside they take care of themselves through the ongoing balancing of nature. I have few insect pest issues in my gardens. Your garden may not be picture perfect. But remember that all those beautiful images we salivate over in the winter have been ‘enhanced’.

Because I grow perennials, annuals and herbs the following list includes what I have available here at Swallowtail Gardens for the 2022 season.
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However, as stated above, the flowering parts of all plants attract pollinators, trees, shrubs, grasses and native plants all provide incredible and necessary food sources.

Happy Gardening!

THE FOLLOWING PLANTS AVAILABLE AT SWALLOWTAIL GARDENS ATTRACT POLLINATORS

PERENNIALS

Achillea
Anemone
Aquilegia
Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)
Astilbe
Baptisia
Brunnera
​Buddleia (Butterfly Bush)
Campanula
Cimicifuga
Coreopsis
Delphinium
Dianthus
Dicentra
Echinacea
Gaillardia
Geraniums
Geum
Helenium
​Heliopsis
Hemerocallis (Daylily)
Heuchera
Hosta 
Lavender
Leucanthemum (Shasta Daisy)
Liatris
Ligularia
Monarda
Nepeta
Perovskia
Phlox
Platycodon
Pulmonaria
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Sedum
Stokesia
Tiarella
Veronica
Veronicastrum

ANNUALS

Angelonia
Bidens
Browallia
Calibrachoa
Cuphea
Dahlia
Fuchsia
Geranium
Lantana
Lobelia
Lobularia
Petchoas
Petunias
Salvia
Scaevola
Sunpatiens
Torenia
​Verbena

HERBS

Basil
Chives
Cilantro
Dill 
Fennel 
Mint
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage 
Thyme