May has finally arrived on Fishers Island, hopefully bringing warmer temperatures and less cold wind blowing in from the water. Leaves are beginning to appear on trees and the magnolias are in bloom. Soon the shads and crabapples will follow, joining the tulips and daffodils already in our gardens. It is always a joyous time of the year and the start of the growing season.
I always like sprucing up my flower beds with a few new plants in empty spaces. This year, I want to pay special attention to adding perennials that are known to encourage pollinators in the garden. Birds, Bees, Bats, Butterflies, Moths, and Beetles are our primary pollinators. They have been in decline all over due to the overuse of herbicides, pesticides, invasive non-native plants, diseases, loss of habitat, and extreme weather.
There are so many wonderful plants that encourage these pollinators that it seems a shame not to consider them when purchasing replacement plants or creating a new garden. Almost all flowering plants are inviting to pollinators, but there are a number that are especially good in attracting them listed below.
Perennials Inviting to Pollinators
Asters
Bee Balm – Monardia
Black Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia
Blazing Star – Liatris spp
Butterfly Weed – Asciepiastuberosa
Cornflower – Centaurea cyanus
False Indigo – Baptisia australis
Geranium – Cranesbill
Golden Rod – Solidago spp
Lilies – Lilium
Milkweed – Asciepias syriaca
Phlox – Phlox spp
Purple Cornflower – Echinacea purpurea
Salvia
Trees & Shrubs Inviting to Pollinators
Blueberry – Vaccinium spp
Dwarf Sumac – Rhus Capallinum
Eastern Redbud – Circus canadensis
Elderberry – Sambucus spp
Maple – Acer spp
Serviceberry – Amelanchier spp
Sourwood – Oxydendrum arboretum
Wild Rose – Rusa spp
Willow – Salix spp
These are only a few suggestions, most nurseries will be helpful to you if you want to become serious about this effort. A garden full of different shapes and colors will attract a variety of pollinators, so be creative and have fun with this very worthwhile gardening project!
