Plant these for Pollinators!
Pollinator Week is celebrated each year to remind us how important pollinators are to our world. Help to preserve and support these vital populations by planting pollinator-friendly! Check out some of our favorite perennials, annuals, and shrubs to keep your garden buzzing with activity all season long!
Annuals
Lantana
Unique, brightly colored flowers bloom all summer long, even late into the season! A favorite of hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and more. Lantana is also one of the best annual picks to stand up to intense summer heat and dry spells.
Zinnia
Popular annual with a generous supply of nectar that attracts butterflies, bees, moths, and hoverflies! Zinnias come in a range of vibrant colors with double, semi-double, and single flower varieties.
Perennials
Coreopsis
Easy to grow perennial that bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects can’t get enough of! Continuous blooms in summer look great in masses, containers, borders, and more. Some great Van Wilgen Grown varieties include ‘Moonbeam,’ and ‘Uptick Red,’ both in stock now!
Agastache
Attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds while fragrant foliage keeps deer and rabbits away! Bottlebrush-like flowers have an extremely long bloom period (early summer to late fall). Try our best-selling Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ or Proven Winners varieties Meant to Bee® ‘Royal Raspberry’ and ‘Queen Nectarine.’
Coneflower
Echinacea is well known and loved for a reason! They provide nectar to a wide variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, skippers, and wasps. You’ll also find beautiful species of birds like goldfinches and cardinals eating the seeds of spent flowers.
Shrubs
Winterberry
Great native pollinated by bees and some fly species! Stunning display of berries in winter that attracts and feeds many species of birds. Both male and female varieties are required for berries, with one male typically being enough to pollinate 5-10 female plants. Our favorites in stock now include ‘Red Sprite’ and ‘Winter Red’ (female), and ‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Apollo’ (male).
Summersweet Clethra
Native shrub hummingbirds and butterflies love! Fragrant flower spikes bloom early to midsummer, creating a beautiful display in the landscape. Foliage turns a lovely yellow color in fall for extended interest. Grab ‘Hummingbird’ for white flower spikes, or try ‘Ruby Spice’ for reddish-pink blooms (pictured below).
