We would daresay that most people do not know that June is National Pollinator Month or that there is even such a thing as National Pollinator Month! Some pollinator plants attract bees, some attract butterflies, some attract hummingbirds and some attract all three! There are pollinators that you may not even realize provide an important role in our environment.
We know that there are lots of pollinator friendly summer flowers to choose from such as Salivas, Petunias, Dahlias, Sunflowers, Borage (a companion planting herb that is GREAT in the garden), Calendula, Guara, Lantana, Alyssum, Verbena, Lobelia, Bidens, & Mandevilla.
If you want plant that return year to year you can plant perennials such as Coneflowers, Butterfly Bush, Milkweed, perennial Salvia such as the May Night variety, Honeysuckle vines, Delphinium, tall garden Phlox, Foxglove, Monarda Bee Balm, Daylily, Russian Sage, & Catmint.
You can also plant a wide variety of trees & shrubs such as Lilacs, Roses, Crabapple, fruit trees, Serviceberry, Red Maples, & Chokeberry (read more on native plants here).
There are even pollinator friendly seed mixes that you can sprinkle over a larger area to create a small haven bonus, some also make beautiful cut flowers!
- Try planting native plants (read more on native plants here). Natives are better adapted to our climate and pollinators are better adapted to them!
- Plant a wide variety of summer flowers & perennials to provide consistent flowers from early Spring through Fall. Different pollinators are attracted to different types of flowers so try planting different colors and bloom shapes to attract a mixture of pollinators.
- Plant Borage, Fennel, or Butterfly Weed to provide not only a food source but also a home for butterflies.
- Add a bee habitat to your home garden or landscape
- Limit pesticide use
Please let us know if you have any neat pollinator tips for us! Without the vital components – our ecological system would collapse. Thank a pollinator for the food on your table today!
We think this article from Monrovia about creating some pollinator areas is a fabulous resource, too.