10 Pollinator Plants  – Bring Bees To Your Garden

Spring is in the air and in the ground. The soil is warm enough for planting but before you rush out to buy hybrid flowers from the big box stores, think about what kinds of plants will most benefit your local pollinators while still providing beautiful borders and lush gardens to meet your own aesthetic needs. With a little care and attention, your yard can be a season-long garden party for bees who will pay you back for your support by pollinating your blueberry bushes and fruit trees, not to mention providing a vital ecological foundation as a keystone species that all life on this planet relies on.

Native North American bee populations are on the decline due to pesticide exposure, loss of habitat, forage scarcity and other ecological and environmental factors. If you’re looking to give pollinators a helping hand, there’s no time like the present. Many gardeners have heard the call and are eagerly stepping up by planting pollinator gardens which provide forage, nesting habitat and nectar for bees and other pollinators.

Did you know that North America is home to over 4,000 distinct species of native bees which vary in size, nesting habits and foraging needs? There are certain bee species which can only pollinate one kind of flower or plants from only one family. Due to the diversity of species, it’s important to plant a variety of flowers to provide options for pollinators with different specializations.

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