How to Attract Pollinators

Follow these tips to create a pollinator paradise that'll have butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds headed to your garden.

Use a Colorful Mix of Flowers.

Different pollinators respond to different colors, so fill your yard with flowers in a rainbow of hues! In general, bees prefer blue, yellow, white, and purple, while hummingbirds zoom to red-toned blooms first. Butterflies favor red, blue, and purple tones. Planting flowers with a variety of heights and bloom shapes—some tall, some short, some wide, some narrow—also helps draw a diverse group of pollinators, too.

• Flowers that attract Butterflies: Scarlet Sage (Salvia coccinea), Mexican Sunflower, Yarrow, Liatris (aka Blazing Star), Butterfly Bush, Zinnias, Lantana, Coneflower, Milkweed, and Butterfly Weed
• Flowers that attract Hummingbirds: Penstemon (aka Beard Tongue), Honeysuckle, Red Hot Poker (aka Torch Lily), Salvia (all types), Hummingbird Mint (Agastache or Hyssop), Trumpet Honeysuckle, Trumpet Vine, Cardinal Vine (aka Cypress Vine)
• Flowers that attract Bees: Bee Balm, Purple Coneflower, Lavender, Sunflower, Borage, Goldenrod, Joe-Pye Weed

Keep in mind that most flowering plants attract a variety of pollinators. If you want butterflies, you're likely to get a few bees, too. We've got an even bigger list of pollinator plants further down, so be sure to check it out!

Plan a Garden that Blooms Year-Round.

Pollinators are always busy (except in winter), so make sure your garden welcomes them all year. You can use plants that bloom from spring to fall, or pick a variety of plants that bloom in different seasons to provide diverse food sources throughout the year. Of course, you can mix it up and plant both! As long as your pollinator friends have nectar and pollen for food, they'll keep coming back.

Include Native Plants.

Include at least a few native plants (native to your region of the U.S.) in your pollinator garden, as they may be less prone to pests and disease than non-native varieties. In addition to being better prepared to handle weather and soil conditions in your area, native plants are also better for attracting native bee species, who can be picky about their food. Check with your local extension office to learn about native plants for your area, or visit the Xerces Society for regional native plant lists. Your local garden center should have some great recommendations, too.

Try Trees and Shrubs.

Include trees and shrubs in your pollinator plans. A maple or crabapple tree in flower literally buzzes with activity during bloom time. Shrubs like viburnum, butterfly bush, spirea, and summersweet offer nectar-laden flowers that pollinators can't resist. Another advantage of trees and shrubs is that they offer pollinators a place to hide out and rest for a while or cool down on hot, sunny days.

Let Herbs Bloom.

Once you're done harvesting your favorite culinary herbs, allow them to burst into bloom. Pollinators will mob them! Bees are particularly fond of mint, oregano, basil, dill, fennel, and rosemary flowers, so why not indulge them? (Helpful hint: Get a jumpstart on your herb garden by planting young herbs from Bonnie Plants instead of growing from seeds.)

Create Drifts by Grouping Plants Together.

Many pollinators are nearsighted, so it's easier for them to find flowers when there's a large bunch. Arrange each of your plants in groups of 3 or 5 to mimic nature's planting style and provide a can't-miss target for pollinators. If you have space, you can also place plants of the same type in long, meandering rows.

Add Water Features to Your Garden.

Like any living creature, pollinators need water to survive. Include a shallow bird bath, fountain, or pond to give pollinators a place to sip. The key is to keep water sources shallow: pollinators might drown or avoid the water altogether if it's too deep. To keep water sources shallow or create landing pads for pollinators, use rocks or pebbles in your water feature.

Provide Shelter for Pollinators.

Pollinators need places to hide and raise their young, such as a hedge, a compost pile, dead tree branches, unmowed grass, or unmulched soil. Be sure to provide just such a retreat near your pollinator garden. You can also set up bee blocks by drilling various sized holes into preservative-free wood blocks.

To give your pollinators shelter during winter, let the stems from your perennial plants stay in place through the winter. In the spring, cut any remaining stems back to about 2 to 3 inches tall, then clip the stems you removed into small pieces and drop them into the bed to compost.

Pick a Sunny Spot with Little Wind.

Because many flowering plants need up to six hours of sunlight every day, a sunny spot is necessary to provide the best environment for your pollinator garden. It's also good to find a place that's sheltered from strong winds. Our flying pollinators prefer areas with little wind so they can buzz and flit at their leisure without getting blown away.

Now that you have the basics down, it's time to figure out what to plant! You have plenty of options—many plants and flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds and more to your garden. Remember to do a little research to find out which of these pollinator plants are native to your area. If you need help planning your garden, check out our guide with detailed Pollinator Garden Plans.

While you can start a whole new garden just for pollinators, we know that not every grower is ready for a total overhaul of their garden. Just work some of these plants into existing planting beds, a raised bed garden, an herb garden, a vegetable garden, or containers. Some of these pollinator plants fit almost anywhere! Rest assured, too, that these plants are all easy to find, even if you haven't heard some of the names before.

Here's some of our favorite suggestions to help you attract pollinators to your garden:

Annual Flowers: Calendula, Cardinal Vine, Cleome, Four o’clock, Lantana (perennial in zones 8-10), Marigold, Mexican Sunflower, Morning Glory, Nasturtium, Pansy, Pentas, Petunia, Sage (all types), Sunflower, Sweet alyssum, Verbena, Viola, Violet, Zinnia

Perennial Flowers: Allium (all types), Aster, Bee Balm, Bleeding Heart, Catmint, Coneflower (all types), Coral Bells, Creeping phlox, Cross vine, Daisy, Dame’s Rocket, False indigo, Garden Phlox, Goldenrod, Helianthus, Hummingbird mint (Agastache or Hyssop), Joe-Pye Weed, Liastris (Blazing Star), Lupine, Milkweed, Passionflower Vine, Penstemon, Red Hot Poker (aka Torch Lily), Rudbeckia (aka Black-Eyed Susan), Russian sage, Sedum (all types), Trumpet Honeysuckle, Trumpet Vine, Yarrow

Herbs: Basil, Borage, Dill, Fennel, Lavender, Mint, Oregano, Pineapple Sage, Rosemary, Thyme

Shrubs: Beautyberry, Blueberry, Butterfly bush, Buttonbush, Caryoteris, Chokeberry, Elderberry, Holly, Raspberry, Rhododendron, Rose of Sharon, Spicebush, Summersweet, Viburnum (all types), Weigela

Trees: Chinese Chestnut, Crabapple, Flowering Cherry, Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Linden, Locust, Maple, Pear, Plum

When creating a pollinator garden, it's best to go organic. While non-organic soils can help your plants thrive, organic soils take things a step further by improving your soil and feeding beneficial microbes with rich, organic matter. Visit here for more on organic gardening, or get started with these basics:

Use an Organic Soil. To give the plants in your pollinator garden a solid start, use quality organic soil. Load up raised beds and in-ground gardens with Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil, or fill pots with Miracle-Gro Organic™ Outdoor Potting Mix.

Feed Plants Regularly. To replenish nutrients in the soil and keep your plants happy, use Miracle-Gro Organic™ All Purpose Plant Food, our granular plant food, or Miracle-Gro Organic™ Plant Food, our liquid plant food. When using any plant food, remember to read and follow all label directions.

Use Pesticides Wisely. Rely on predator insects like ladybugs and wasps for pest control if you can. If you must use a pesticide, use these guidelines:

• Look for organic or OMRI Listed pesticides.
• Use pest control when bees aren't active (such as in early evening).
• Don't spray plants when they're in bloom.
• Don't use control products near waterways, ponds, lakes, rivers, etc.
• Follow all of the directions on the product label.

Ready to get started on your pollinator garden? Check out the resources and products we mentioned above. The only thing left is to go outside and get planting!