Resources

Flowers for Pollinators

Be sure to check your Plant Hardiness Zone before you design your landscape or plant any flowers. I’m located in Zone 5b, so the plants below are some that I’ve found to work in my area. I’ll leave it to you to research planting recommendations for your particular yard, but keep in mind the availability of sun, your soil type, any drainage issues, and consider nuisance wildlife (rabbits, deer, etc). You’ll also want to consider when the plants in your yard flower; ideally your yard will offer blooms from early spring through early fall to provide pollinators much-needed resources throughout the growing season. And, this list is by no means exhaustive! You might find other options that better suit your area or think of ones I’ve missed. The Xerces Society also has a great resource for pollinator-friendly plants you can filter by state and region. Happy Planting!

A suburban home featuring a well-maintained garden with a mix of lush flowering plants and a neatly trimmed lawn under a clear blue sky.

Annuals

Zinnias are my #1 easiest recommendation to attract pollinators. I planted mine from a seed packet and they’ve been an absolute joy to watch grow. They bloom for months and are available in a rainbow of colors. This year on my zinnias alone I’ve seen:

  • Bees: Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, Sweat Bees, Two-Spotted Longhorn Bees, at least 3-4 species of other native bees
  • Butterflies: Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, Yellow Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Broad-winged Skippers, Red Admirals, Painted Ladies
  • Moths: Snowberry Clearwing
  • Birds: Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Goldfinches
A variety of colorful zinnias in full bloom, surrounded by green foliage, against a mesh fence background.
A bee collecting pollen from a vibrant pink zinnia flower with a blurred green background.
A bee collecting pollen on a vibrant yellow zinnia flower, surrounded by green foliage.
A bee with pollen on its body collecting nectar from a vibrant peach-colored zinnia flower.
A bee on a yellow margigold, surrounded by green foliage.

Marigolds are easily found at any garden store. Often used to border gardens to ward off pests, they also provide long-lasting blooms that pollinators will frequent as other flowers fade in late summer. I see bumble bees on mine later in the season.

Perennials

Allium is another one of my favorites. It’s in the garlic/onion family and some varieties come in bulbs. The variety I have stays short, around 1-2 feet high. The greenery grows first, then it sends up the flowers, which rise up slowly like little alien spaceships! The flower balls are shades of purple. It blooms later in summer so it’s great for honey bees - they’re always covering it.

A honeybee collecting nectar from the pale purple flowers of a blooming allium plant.
Lush garden with blooming allium plants and assorted colorful flowers in the background on a sunny day.
A bee collecting nectar from the pale purple flowers of a blooming allium plant.

Anise Hyssop smells amazing! They are part of the mint family and put out stalks of purple flowers. These get tall, around 3 ft, and can spread, so make sure you plant in a place where that’s okay. They attract many different types of bees and are a great addition to your yard.

A honeybee collecting nectar from lavender-colored anise hyssop flowers on a bright day.
Close-up of a bee collecting nectar from a purple anise hyssop flower, with a blurred green background.

Autumn Clematis wasn’t on my radar until my neighbor’s began to creep over our fence. It creates a magnificent blanket of fragrant white flowers that honey bees can’t get enough of! This blooms in September and I would highly recommend adding it as a great late-season option.

A dense cluster of small white autumn clematis flowers in bloom, with a softly blurred green background.
A bee collecting nectar from white autumn clematis flowers on a clear day.

Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is a bright yellow long-time bloomer. They attract a variety of pollinators, and the chipmunks have certainly enjoyed eating the seed heads after mine are done blooming!

Yellow cone flowers with dark centers in full bloom under bright sunlight, surrounded by green foliage.
A bee collecting pollen on a vivid yellow black-eyed susan flower.

Blazing Star Liatris is a fun one to grow. They look a bit like a Dr. Seuss creation with their fuzzy stalks, but honey bees love them because of all the tiny purple/pink blooms! These typically grow 1-3 feet tall, but in 2023, mine grew 5 feet tall. Keep that in mind as you plant, as I had to use supports to keep them upright.

A blazing star liatris plant with vibrant purple flowers in a sunny suburban yard.
A painted lady butterfly and a small moth on a vibrant purple liatris flower in bright sunlight.
Calamintha plant growing in front of an old metal wheelbarrow in a garden with mulched soil.

Calamintha is short, but can still make a big impact. They stay around 1 ft tall and attract a variety of native bees, as well as honey bees. I’ve seen them planted in large groups and they can be breathtaking - like a sea of stars. I have white, but purple is also an option.

Bright red cardinal flowers blooming in a garden with lush green foliage in the background.

Cardinal Flower is a stunner as well, and both hummingbirds and honey bees will come to the bright red flowers. This is a good choice because it blooms later in the summer, when other flowers are slowing down. Mine has stayed around 2 feet tall.

Coneflowers are so cool. A variety of bees and butterflies like them. But, they can get tall and rangy, close to 3-4 feet. I like to leave them after they bloom for birds to eat the seeds.

A cluster of pink coneflowers with prominent, spiked central cones, surrounded by green leaves, against a wooden fence backdrop.
A bee collecting pollen on a pink coneflower with a vibrant orange center.
A bee collecting nectar from bright yellow goldenrod flowers.

Goldenrod gets a bad rap as a weed, but it’s a wonderful plant. Many people mistake it for Ragweed, which is what actually makes you sneeze. Fun fact: the pollen grains in Goldenrod are too heavy to be moved by wind, so it’s definitely Ragweed giving you an allergic reaction. In September you’ll see fields of tall yellow flowers that look like feathers, and that’s Goldenrod! It’s an extremely important late-season nectar source for honey bees. Don’t pull these if you see them.

Great Blue Lobelia is a new-to-me plant that I just planted in 2022. It has blue flowers on tall stalks, around 3 ft high, and I’ve seen bumble bees enjoying the blooms. I’m interested to see how it does after it’s established for a few years.

Two tall great blue lobelia plants blooming beside a house with gray siding, in bright sunlight casting shadows on the ground.
Close-up of a vibrant great blue lobelia flower in focus, with another slightly out of focus in the background, against a backdrop of white siding.

Hydrangeas are a wonderful choice If you want to fill in big gaps in your yard. There are MANY varieties; I have the Incrediball® variety and the flower heads are simply massive. I do see honey bees on these in early summer for pollen. They bloom white, then turn green for the rest of summer, and I leave them up all winter (even when they’re brown, they give visual interest) and cut them back in the spring.

Hydrangea shrub with green and white blossoms by a house, surrounded by mulch.
A bee collecting nectar from white hydrangea flowers on a green leafy background.

Prairie Phlox is another tall grower, 2-3 feet high. It’s good for height and color as you’re planning your landscaping. I don’t see as many pollinators on these, as their nectar source is at the bottom of the bloom and many bees’ proboscises (tongues) aren’t long enough to reach. But at times I’ve seen honey bees and bumble bees chew a hole in the bottom of the bloom to access the nectar. They’re pretty for a bright pop of color. They are available in white and shades of pink.

A garden bed with tall pink prairie phlox flowers against a wooden fence, next to a beehive with blue and gray geometric patterns.
A bumblebee collecting nectar from vibrant pink prairie phlox flowers in a sunny garden setting.
A group of pink sedum flowers.

Sedum is a great border plant you may see in lots of landscape designs. It has succulent-like leaves and blooms pink in mid- to late-summer. I’ve seen a variety of different bees on mine.

A bright sunflower framed by green leaves, with a bee collecting pollen at its center, set against a clear blue sky.

Sunflowers are a slam dunk to plant for all types of wildlife. They will attract bumble bees and honey bees, as well as birds, chipmunks, and squirrels if you leave the heads on the stems after they bloom. You and the bees enjoy the blooms, everyone else can eat the seeds. Alternatively, after they’re done blooming, you can cut the heads off and store them upside down in a paper bag in your garage to let the seeds dry out. Then you’ve got another stash to plant for next year.

Trees are actually an important source of early season pollen and nectar, which many of us don’t think about! If you’re in the market to plant a tree, here are a few to consider as they are great for honey bees:

  • Maple
  • Tulip
  • Cherry
  • Red Bud
  • Black Locust
  • Basswood/Linden
  • Flowering Crabapple
Double check based on your location whether any of these are good options for your yard (some towns have rules regarding acceptable trees, especially in parkways).
A bee collecting pollen on a bright yellow flower.

Vegetable Gardens are underrated as a source of pollen and nectar for bees. Imagine the excitement I felt the first time I saw one of my honey bees on my cucumber plant! You’ll see honey bees pollinating cucumbers, squash, blueberries, etc.

Local Source Recommendations

If you’re in the western suburbs of Chicago, I get my plants locally from:

All information above has been gathered from my own experience gardening, beekeeping, and observing. Any errors are accidental and my own!