I’m enthusiastic about nurturing a flourishing vegetable garden, and I’ve learned that attracting pollinators is essential for its success. Selecting the right flowers can greatly impact the presence of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects in your garden.
Based on my experience, I’ve identified several pollinator flowers that have significantly boosted the productivity of my vegetable garden. In this guide, I’ll share my insights on the top pollinator flowers that have proven to be invaluable in fostering a healthy and lively vegetable garden.
1. Lavender
Lavender is a fragrant perennial herb known for its slender, aromatic foliage and clusters of small, fragrant purple flowers. Renowned for its calming scent and versatile uses, lavender is cherished for its ornamental beauty as well as its role in aromatherapy, culinary applications, and traditional herbal remedies.
Lavender is not just a feast for your eyes and nose; it’s a magnet for a variety of pollinators and a lot of beneficial insects essential for your vegetable garden. The strong fragrance and rich nectar of lavender draw an impressive crowd. You’ll see honeybees and bumblebees buzzing around these flowers, alongside delicate butterflies. Even hummingbirds have been known to visit, adding a dash of color and motion to your garden.
Lavender blooms almost all the time and comes back every year, you’ll want to ensure well-draining soil and plenty of sunlight. Lavender thrives in these conditions and once established, it’s drought-resistant, making it a low-maintenance choice for busy gardeners.
2. Basil
Basil is a common herb that can be grown in your kitchen garden, window, or patio. It’s one of the easiest herbs to grow and also one of the most popular! This herb has many different uses from making pesto sauce for pasta dishes to adding flavor to soups. Basil isn’t just a staple in your pesto; it’s also a magnet for a variety of pollinators in your garden.
When you allow your basil plants to flower, they become absolute hotspots for pollinators. Honeybees and bumblebees can often be seen buzzing around basil blooms. The strong aroma of basil, which you might love in your pasta, also helps in attracting these beneficial creatures.
In my garden, I usually plant purple basil and allow it to go to flower for the bees, and a row of green basil for cooking, you don’t want to let your green basil go to flower because the leaves will turn bitter as soon as it will flower.
To incorporate basil in your vegetable garden, you can mix basil plants in between your veggies. Basil is especially good friends with tomatoes, offering them protection and companionship. According to my experience, planting a row of basil next to your tomato plants can prevent tomato hornworms effectively.
You can also use basil as a border around your garden. Its scent can help deter pests while inviting pollinators. Or Consider planting a patch of basil in a sunny spot. As the basil grows and blooms, it’ll be a beacon for pollinators.
3. Marigold
Marigolds are native to Mexico, but the sunny annuals have become incredibly popular and are grown in countries around the world. Marigolds are annual flowering plants with vibrant, golden-orange blooms and aromatic green foliage. They are popular for their hardiness and ability to thrive in diverse growing conditions, making them a beloved choice for garden borders, containers, and companion planting. Marigolds are a vibrant addition to your vegetable garden, not just for their splash of color, but for their power to attract a bustling community of pollinators.
Marigolds produce a generous amount of nectar, with bright colors, which is why you’ll often see bees and butterflies buzzing with activity on a sunny day. They bloom for an extended period, providing a consistent food source, while their distinctive fragrance can also help mask the scents of your veggies, thus deterring pests like white fly.
You can intersperse marigolds among your vegetables, creating a natural pest barrier due to their scent.
Another method is to use them as border plants, which serve as a bright, welcoming entrance for pollinators.
To maximize their benefits, consider planting marigolds in small groups between rows, or as solitary beacons throughout your garden.
4. Borage
Borage, also known as starflower, is a delightful annual herb with stunning bright blue, star-shaped flowers. People love to grow it for its culinary and medicinal benefits, and its leaves, which taste like cucumber, are perfect for adding to salads and herbal teas.
In the garden, borage is a real hit with pollinators, thanks to its beautiful blue flowers that attract bees and other beneficial insects. It’s not just a pretty sight; it’s like a buffet for pollinators seeking a nutritious meal.
Bees, butterflies, and hoverflies all flock to borage for its sweet nectar. The nectar and protein-rich pollen are vital for the diets of these important pollinators.
If you want to include borage in your vegetable garden, there are a few simple ways to do it. You can position it near crops that need pollination to help increase their yield, plant it in intervals for a continuous supply of flowers, or pair it with strawberries or tomatoes to help them grow better and fend off pests.
5. Echinacea/ Coneflower
A native to the eastern United States, Echinacea, or Coneflower are found in many flower gardens. It is a vibrant and hardy perennial that’s not just eye-catching but a powerhouse for attracting pollinators to your garden.
Echinacea flowers are like a busy airport for all sorts of pollinators. You’ll see butterflies fluttering around, bees of various kinds, including honeybees and bumblebees, all stopping by for a sip. Even hummingbirds might zip through for a taste. It’s impressive watching this flurry of activity once the Echinacea blooms.
Coneflower have large, central cones are brimming with pollen, a favorite food for bees and butterflies. These perennials bloom throughout the summer, providing a consistent food source over many weeks.
Incorporating Echinacea in your vegetable garden is simple and effective for attracting pollinators. You can Cluster Echinacea plants together, this creates a “target” for pollinators, making it easier for them to locate the plants. You can also use Echinacea plants along the edges of your garden. A colorful border isn’t just pretty; it also doubles as a pollinator magnet. Make sure Echinacea is close to your vegetable plants. This encourages pollinators to move between the flowers and your veggies, enhancing pollination rates.
6. Sunflower
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are perhaps one of the easiest flowers you can grow in the garden.
Sunflowers are iconic annual plants known for their large, bright yellow blooms and tall, sturdy stems. They are renowned for their ability to track the sun’s movement throughout the day, a phenomenon known as heliotropism.
Sunflowers are widely cultivated for their seeds, which are a popular snack and source of oil, and are also cherished for their ornamental value in gardens and floral arrangements.
Sunflowers are magnets for various pollinators. You’ll often find bees and butterflies fluttering around them, alongside other beneficial insects like hoverflies, lacewings, beetles, and parasitic wasps. That sounds super scary but parasitic wasps won’t hurt you, what they do is they can pierce the skin of a pest like leaf miners through the leaf and kill it.
The love affair between pollinators and sunflowers boils down to three main factors: abundance of pollen, nectar, and easy access. Their large flower heads with broad, flat petals provide a spacious landing platform, making it easy for pollinators to work.
Integrating sunflowers into your vegetable garden can be done with a few simple considerations:
- Plant in Clusters: Grouping sunflowers together can create a visual signal that’s easier for pollinators to spot.
- Varied Heights: Include different sunflower varieties to offer staggered levels of blooms.
- Strategic Placement: Plant sunflowers on the north side to prevent shading, as they can grow tall.
- Timing Blooms with Vegetables: Ensure some sunflowers are blooming throughout the growing season of your veggies to maintain pollinator presence.
Incorporating sunflowers amongst your vegetables not only supports pollinator health but can make your garden a visually stunning sanctuary.
7. Zinnia
Zinnias are annual flowering plants celebrated for their striking, colorful blooms that come in a wide array of hues, including red, pink, orange, yellow, and white. These cheerful, daisy-like flowers are prized for their long-lasting beauty and are a popular choice for adding vibrant splashes of color to gardens, borders, and floral arrangements.
Zinnias are magnets for many pollinators. Your garden will buzz with activity as bees, including native species and honey bees, flutter around these flowers.
Butterflies including monarch butterflies and painted lady are particularly drawn to zinnias, along with hoverflies and hummingbirds. Each pollinator is attracted to the zinnia’s bright colors and ample nectar.
Pollinators love zinnias for their long blooming cycle and wide range of colors, which is like a beacon to these creatures.
The flower’s structure provides an easy landing platform, and their nectar-rich composition offers abundant food. Zinnias also have a variety of flower head shapes, which accommodate different pollinator preferences.
8. Cosmos
Cosmos, a popular annual flowering plant, is characterized by its delicate, daisy-like blossoms that come in shades of pink, white, and magenta. These charming, open-faced flowers are known for their airy, feathery foliage and their ability to attract butterflies and other pollinators.
You can plant cosmos in clusters, adjacent to vegetables in areas that receive full sun, as they thrive with plenty of sunlight. Or combine cosmos with other flowering plants of various heights to create a diverse habitat for different pollinator species.
Cosmos are valued for their low maintenance, long-lasting blooms, and their suitability for adding a touch of natural beauty to gardens, meadows, and cut flower arrangements, making it a must-have in your vegetable garden.
9. Calendula
Calendula, also known as pot marigold, is a vibrant annual or perennial flowering plant with bright, daisy-like blooms in shades of yellow and orange. Calendula flowers are known for attracting honeybees, native bees, and beneficial hoverflies.
The bright color and abundant nectar reserves are like a beacon to these pollinators, ensuring your garden will be bustling with activity. Pollinators are drawn to Calendula due to its flat and open flower structure, which makes for easy access to pollen and nectar. The plants also have a long blooming period, providing sustained resources for pollinators throughout the growing season.
To incorporate calendula to your garden, you can interplanting by mix Calendula with your vegetables. This encourages pollinators to move among your plants, aiding in pollination. Or establish Calendula along the edges of your garden. This approach not only attracts pollinators but can also act as a trap crop, luring pests like aphids, brassica-eating caterpillars, and armyworms away from your vegetables.
10. Sweet Alyssum
Sweet Alyssum, known for its sweet fragrance because Sweet Alyssum emits a strong honey scent and colorful blooms, with a long bloom period is a top choice for inviting a variety of pollinators to your vegetable garden.
Sweet Alyssum flowers are especially adept at attracting beneficial insects such as hoverflies and ladybugs. These beneficial insects help to deter aphids, find and eat a lot of sucking insects in your garden
Additionally, their dense clusters of tiny flowers are a magnet for bees and butterflies, important pollinators that enhance the productivity of your garden.
According to a publication from Illinois Extension, Sweet alyssum’s blooms contribute to a diverse and vibrant garden ecosystem. Incorporating alyssum into your vegetable garden is straightforward, you can plant them as border planting to prevent aphid infestations, interplanting between vegetable rows, or succession planting to ensure continual bloom, deter pests, and attract pollinators throughout the growing season.
11. Bee Balm
Bee balm, also known as Monarda, is a perennial herbaceous plant renowned for its showy, fragrant flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. The blooms can range in color from red and pink to purple and white, adding vibrant splashes of color to gardens and landscapes. Bee balm is valued for its ornamental appeal as well as its traditional medicinal uses, often employed for its soothing properties.
Bee Balm is irresistible to a diverse group of pollinators. Here’s who you can expect to visit:
- Bees: Including honeybees and native bees.
- Butterflies: Especially the Monarch and swallowtails.
- Hummingbirds: Attracted to the tubular flowers.
- Moths: Some species are nocturnal visitors.
With the rich nectar, bee balm’s generous nectar supply is a major draw, combined with vibrant colors with the bright reds, purples, and pinks are visually appealing, and with aromatic leaves, the fragrance of the leaves can also help ward off certain pests made Bee Balm is such a standout in a pollinator-friendly garden.
12. Salvia
Salvia, also known as sage, is a vibrant and inviting plant for a variety of pollinators.
Featuring rich blue, violet, or white flowers, this hardy perennial can be a great addition to your vegetable garden.
Salvia is particularly adept at attracting bees and butterflies to your garden.
The long-lasting blooms create a haven for these vital creatures.
The flowers of Salvia offer copious nectar, making them highly desirable to pollinators.
These plants produce nectar-rich flowers throughout the summer and into fall, ensuring a consistent food source for visiting pollinators.
By planting Salvia, you’ll notice an increase in the number of bees, including both native varieties and honeybees, as well as butterflies fluttering around your garden.
To effectively incorporate Salvia in your garden, follow these steps:
- Plant in groups: Clustering Salvia plants together can create a more attractive target for pollinators than individual plants spaced widely apart.
- Choose a sunny spot: Plant your Salvia in areas that receive full sunlight, as this will attract the most pollinators.
- Include variety: Integrate different Salvia cultivars to offer a range of flower colors and blooming times.
13. Yarrow
Yarrow, a hardy perennial with feathery, aromatic foliage and flat clusters of small, dainty flowers, is a versatile and resilient plant. Its blooms come in various shades, including white, yellow, pink, and red.
Yarrow is prized for its ability to attract beneficial insects and for its historical uses in herbal medicine and as a natural dye. Additionally, its fern-like leaves and colorful blossoms make it a charming addition to gardens and floral arrangements.
Recognizable for its clusters of small, tightly-packed flowers and aromatic leaves, with a long blooming season and will come back every single year, yarrow is a top choice for a pollinator-friendly vegetable garden.
Here are some of the pollinators you’ll see:
- Bees: Both wild bees and honeybees are drawn to yarrow.
- Butterflies: Its flat-topped clusters are perfect landing pads for butterflies.
- Ladybugs: They frequent yarrow, which can help control aphid populations.
Yarrow thrives best in direct sunlight, so make sure to plant them in sunny spots, you can plant yarrow in clusters to create a big visual target for pollinators.
14. Aster
Aster, a perennial flowering plant, is well-known for its daisy-like blooms that come in a variety of colors such as white, pink, purple, and blue. These vibrant flowers are a favorite among gardeners and are cherished for their ability to attract pollinators with their nectar.
Pollinators including bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and moths love asters primarily for their ample supply of nectar and pollen, which are sources of food for many insects.
The flower’s structure, with its open and accessible composite heads, makes it easy for pollinators to land and feed.
With its long-lasting blooms and diverse range of species, the aster has become a beloved choice for adding color and beauty to gardens and landscapes.
To incorporate asters in your vegetable garden:
- Choose a sunny spot: Asters thrive in areas with full sun exposure.
- Space appropriately: Plant asters about 1-3 feet apart to allow room for growth and pollinator access.
- Pair with vegetables: Intersperse asters among your vegetable rows or plant them along the borders to lure pollinators throughout your garden.
- Consider height: Use taller aster varieties at the back of your garden beds to create a tiered effect that is not only visually pleasing but also provides easy access for pollinators.
15. Milk Week
Milkweed is a perennial plant with thick, milky sap and clusters of small, intricate flowers ranging in color from white to pink.
It offers rich nectar and serves as a vital host for butterfly larvae, particularly the monarch butterfly.
Milkweed is particularly known for attracting monarch butterflies, which rely on it exclusively for laying their eggs.
Moreover, the plant is a beacon for a variety of bees, including honeybees and bumblebees, as well as other insects like hummingbirds and beneficial wasps.
These pollinators are drawn to milkweed thanks to its plentiful nectar and vibrant blooms.
The main reason pollinators flock to milkweed is due to its ample supply of nectar, an essential food source.
Monarch butterflies are especially dependent on milkweed for another reason; their larvae can only feed on milkweed leaves.
The plant has evolved in a way that makes it the perfect nursery for monarch caterpillars by providing the necessary nutrients for them to grow and develop into adults.
Another thing to consider to plant this flower is Milkweed does contain toxins that can be harmful to pets, livestock and people. The milky sap for which it gets its name leaks out from the stem or leaves. This sap contains toxins called cardiac glycosides or cardenolides, which are toxic to animals if consumed in large quantities. But the good news is Milkweed does NOT taste good, animals usually do not eat milkweed unless good forage is scarce or under conditions where plants freeze, etc. – USDA
How to Increase Pollinator Numbers In Your Garden?
Increasing pollinator numbers in your garden is a beneficial practice that supports the health of your local ecosystem and ensures the pollination of many plants. Here are several strategies you can employ to attract and support a healthy population of pollinators:
Plant a Variety of Flowers & Herbs:
- Choose a diverse range of plants that flower at different times of the year to provide a continuous food source.
- Select native species as they are often more attractive to local pollinators.
- Include flowers of different shapes and sizes to cater to different types of pollinators.
Create Habitats:
- Leave some areas of your garden wild with piles of leaves, sticks, and undisturbed ground to provide nesting sites.
- Consider installing bee hotels or nesting boxes for solitary bees and other insects.
Avoid Pesticides:
Minimize or eliminate the use of pesticides in your garden, as they can be harmful to pollinators.
If you must use them, choose the least toxic options and apply them at times when pollinators are less active, such as at dusk.
Some other ways:
- Provide Water Sources: Set up a birdbath, a small pond, or even a shallow dish with stones for insects to land on, ensuring pollinators have access to water.
- Plant Host Plants for Caterpillars: Many butterflies and moths have specific plants their caterpillars feed on such as milk week; planting these will support their life cycle. For example, plant
- Maintain Blooming Trees and Shrubs: Trees and shrubs can provide a significant amount of nectar and pollen. Examples include willows, maples, and fruit trees.
- Allow Vegetables to Flower: If you’re growing vegetables, let some of them go to flower to provide additional resources for pollinators.
- Support Night Pollinators: Plant night-blooming flowers to attract nocturnal pollinators like moths.