The native plants that draw the most (and most diverse) pollinators

There are certain plants in our garden that are absolute magnets for pollinators. The most spectacular for drawing them in large numbers along with real diversity of species from our observations are Wild Bergamot, Rose Milkweed, Late Boneset, Purple Coneflower, and Rattlesnake Master. We created a category for these great native plants here. Often, we've seen clouds of pollinators around the first three of these species, which share a very useful feature: they have many flowers on each plant.

Wild Bergamot attracts bumblebees in large numbers during its bloom period and also brings in a wonderful array of butterflies and moths (including hummingbird moths like this Nessus Sphinx moth!). Rose Milkweed and Late Boneset have very small flowers that both long tongued and short tongued bees, as well as beneficial wasps, butterflies, and moths can access. Purple Coneflower brings in a similar mix of pollinators, but features much larger flowers and the central cone acts like a landing pad for butterflies.

It’s important to note that while it can be helpful to plant a few of these plants, you can do the most good by planting swathes of them. And the more you can plant, the better. Pollinators are best served with a large patch of flowers. Flying pollinators use a lot of energy moving between pollen and nectar resources and if you have the space to do it, plant abundantly and densely to ensure these pollinators find what they need.

It helps that all of these plants are also incredibly attractive, so you get the aesthetic benefits but also the ecosystem benefits at the same time. With them, you can create a lovely place of respite for yourself and others.

Warm wishes for an abundant growing season. Happy planting!

-Andrew