16 Pollinator Plants That Will Attract Birds, Bees, and Butterflies to Your Garden

Bring pollinators to your yard with these plants that offer nectar, seeds, and insects.

Hummingbird feeding on BeeBalms
Photo:

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Attracting pollinators to your yard is a form of matchmaking. Planting the right native species can entice birds, butterflies, and bees to make your backyard their new home—or at least a regular stop on their daily foraging route. Some plants draw pollinators with nectar and pollen, while others provide plentiful seeds for birds to eat in fall and winter.

If your goal is to attract more pollinators to your garden, prioritize plants native to your area, which often host insects that local birds have evolved to rely on for food. And, make sure you include plants that flower in different seasons to provide nourishment for pollinators year-round.

To help make your landscape more attractive to the flora and fauna in your neighborhood, we're sharing several expert-recommended pollinator plants that will bring all the birds, bees, and butterflies to your yard.

01 of 16

Dogwoods

Flowering Dogwood

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Dogwoods in the Cornaceae family, including flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), offer flowers to entice pollinators and berries to feed local fauna. This understory tree provides habitats for birds and produces beautiful blooms that offer added curb appeal. Flowering dogwood grows best in woodland margins, so it may be challenging to grow depending on your area.

  • Zones: 5 to 9
  • Size: 15 to 30 feet tall x 15 to 30 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Partial shade to full sun; moist, well-drained soil
02 of 16

Winterberry

Winter Berry

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The winterberry bush (Ilex verticillata) is a holly bush with smooth—not spiky—leaves and a plethora of vibrant red berries that provide food for birds all winter long.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 6 to 12 feet tall x 6 to 12 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
03 of 16

Goldenrod

Goldenrod

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Goldenrod (Solidago), a member of the aster family, is a fall-blooming flower with panicles of bright yellow flowers that provide food and nectar to pollinators toward the end of the growing season. “Goldenrod and aster are critical late-season pollen for overwintering bees as well as prime foraging for birds,” says Becca Rodomsky-Bish of The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “The seeds they produce will be used for birds throughout the winter if they are not deadheaded.”

  • Zones: 2 to 8
  • Size: 2 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full to partial sun; well-drained soil
04 of 16

American Elderberry

american elderberry

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American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) produces hundreds of small blooms, making this plant a prime draw for pollinators. The small, purple berries ripen in late summer and early fall and are as enticing to birds and other small animals as they are to humans who like the taste of elderberry.

  • Zones: 4 to 10
  • Size: 5 to 12 feet tall x 6 to 10 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; moist soil
05 of 16

Golden Alexander

Golden Alexander flowers

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A bright yellow wildflower, golden Alexander (Zizia aurea) adds a sunny accent to your spring garden with its early May and June blooms. The flat top of the flower—made up of many tiny blooms—draws birds and butterflies.

  • Zones: 3 to 8
  • Size: 12 to 24 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; clay soil
06 of 16

Wild Geranium

Wild Geranium flowers

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An herbaceous perennial, wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) blooms with small purple or pink flowers from April through June. It draws a variety of pollinators for its nectar and provides seeds and fruit for birds.

  • Zones: 5 to 8
  • Size: 12 to 28 inches tall x 12 to 28 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full shade to partial sun; moist soil
07 of 16

Columbine

Columbine flowers

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Tiny columbine (Aquilegia) flowers bloom in shades of red, pink, blue, yellow, and white. A second layer of backward-extending petals provides a pretty backdrop to the central bloom. Columbine is a hardy perennial that draws pollinating insects, including butterflies and hummingbirds.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil
08 of 16

Foxglove Beardtongue

Penstemon flower attracting hummingbird

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Foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) shows off tall clusters of bell-shaped flowers in shades of pink, white, and purple. The flowers’ tubes make it easy for hummingbirds to draw nectar, while late-season seeds provide food for other birds after the flowers finish blooming.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 6 inches to 6 feet tall x 8 inches to 3 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained, sandy soil
09 of 16

Blue Star

bluestar flowers

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Star-shaped blue flowers give Amsonia its common name, while the nectar and pollen it provides attracts hummingbirds and pollinating insects. In addition to attracting pollinators, blue star is also deer-resistant.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 42 inches tall x 24 inches wide
  • Care requirements: Partial shade to full sun; rich, moist soil
10 of 16

Bee Balm

Purple BeeBalms

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Bee balm (Monarda), a member of the mint family, offers a sweet nectar that entices hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies to its tube-shaped purple flowers, which grow in round, dozens-strong clusters.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 1 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 4 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
11 of 16

False Sunflower

False Sunflowers

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In fall and winter, plants like false sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides) provide seeds that keep birds fed all year. Smaller than true sunflowers, these 2-inch-wide flower heads add bright yellow accents to your garden in the summer.

  • Zones: 3 to 9
  • Size: 1 to 5 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; loamy, well-drained soil
12 of 16

Joe Pye Weed

Joe Pye Weed with Butterfly

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The tiny purple or pink flowers of Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) have a sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators during its summer bloom time. In the fall, this perennial flower provides seed heads to nourish birds during the winter.

  • Zones: 4 to 9
  • Size: 5 to 7 feet tall x 1 to 4 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-drained soil
13 of 16

Asters

purple asters in the sun

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Pink-and-purple asters, with their yellow centers, are another fall-blooming favorite of gardeners and pollinators. They provide the same overwintering benefits to birds and bees as goldenrod, and when the plants are grown together, they boost your garden’s ability to provide food to local fauna through the winter.

  • Zones: 3 to 8
  • Size: 1 to 6 feet tall x 1 to 4 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil
14 of 16

Cardinal Climber

cardinal climber flowers

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Cardinal climber (Ipomoea sloteri) is a trellis-climbing vine, which can also be used as a groundcover. It boasts vivid red, trumpet-shaped flowers that draw pollinators during its summer and fall bloom periods.

  • Zone: 3 to 10
  • Size: 10 to 15 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wide
  • Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil
15 of 16

Oak Tree

Oak leaves

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Grow an oak tree (Quercus) on your property and watch pollinators flock to it. "Oak is the most powerful plant you can put on your property," says Doug W. Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home. More than 4,000 species throughout North America are supported by oak trees.

  • Zone: 3 to 8
  • Size: 40 to 100 feet tall x 60 to 100 feet wide (depending on variety)
  • Growing conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil high in organic matter
16 of 16

Butterfly Bush

Ultra Violet Butterfly Bush

Sunset Plant Collection

As the name implies, butterfly bush (Buddleia) is a popular plant among butterflies. A deciduous flowering shrub, this plant produces colorful blooms in a range of colors, but purple is one of the most common hues. It's a dense, fast grower that adds beauty to any landscape.

  • Zones: 5 to 9
  • Size: 5 feet tall x 6 feet wide
  • Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil
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