How can we attract a variety of pollinators to our gardens? Plant diversely. Each type of pollinator has unique needs that certain plants provide. Kim Eierman, author of The Pollinator Victory Garden, shows us which traits to look for in our plant selections to encourage greater biodiversity.
Bees get a lot of well-earned attention, but there are many other pollinators you can learn about here.
Why Your Garden Needs a Diverse Selection of Plants for Pollinators
by Kim Eierman
Founder, EcoBeneficial LLC
Author of The Pollinator Victory Garden:
Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening
Contents
The Plant-Pollinator Relationship
If you aren’t seeing a wide variety of different pollinators in your landscape, it’s likely time to ramp up your plant diversity.
Flowering plants have developed a number of traits to attract specific pollinators.
Not all pollinators are attracted to, or can utilize, the same type of flowers.
Overall plant features such as flowering time, density of flowers, number of flowers, flower height, and spatial pattern of flowers can influence which pollinators will use a given plant.
A pollinator’s body size, strength and tongue length also determine which plants can be accessed by which pollinators.
Long-tongued bees and hummingbirds are adapted to plants with long, tubular flowers while shorter-tongued pollinators, like hover flies and European honey bees, require plants with more open flower structures.
Related: How to Grow a Pollinator-Friendly Front Garden Without Freaking Out Your Neighbors
Pollinator Syndromes
An individual flower’s color, shape, structure, size, fragrance, and availability of nectar and/or pollen also help determine what type of pollinator will visit.
The combined groups of traits that predict the type of pollinator that will be attracted are known as “pollinator syndromes.”
Flower Traits That Make Up Pollinator Syndromes
- Color
- Shape
- Fragrance/odor
- Presence or absence of nectar guides
- Nectar availability
- Pollen availability
Exceptions do occur, but these pollination syndromes generally hold true.
The more flower traits you include in your garden, the wider the array of pollinators you will attract.
Keep in mind that the more flower traits you include in your garden, the wider the array of pollinators you will attract.
Related: 20 Spring-Flowering Bulbs That Feed Pollinators
Pollinator Syndromes (Flower Traits) by Pollinator Type
If you want your garden to attract wide-array of pollinators, I highly recommend getting the book. It is filled with native plant suggestions for continuous blooms from spring to fall to keep the pollinators coming. ~Melissa
1Bee-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: bright white, yellow, blue, violet, purple, and ultraviolet
Structure: varied
Aroma: mild, fragrant
Nectar guides: present
Nectar: usually present
Pollen: often sticky and scented
Examples:
- Helianthus spp. (sunflowers)
- Monarda spp. (bee balms, bergamots)
- Symphyotrichum spp. (asters)
Also see: What Do You Know About Bees?
2Butterfly-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: usually bright; often red, orange, yellow, and purple
Structure: often with wide landing pad
Aroma: slight
Nectar: lots of nectar, deep within
Nectar guides: usually present
Pollen: limited
Examples:
- Echinacea spp. (coneflowers)
- Liatris spp. (blazing stars)
- Vernonia spp. (ironweeds)
Also see: 60 Butterfly Larval Host Plants
3Moth-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: often pale, white or pink, dull red, and purple
Structure: clusters, landing platforms
Aroma: strong and sweet at night
Nectar: lots of dilute nectar, deep within
Nectar guides: none
Pollen: limited
Examples:
- Oneothera spp. (evening primroses)
- Phlox spp. (phloxes)
- Salvia spp (sages)
Also see:
How Light Pollution Affect Moths and Other Animals
Why Moths Are Important in Nature and Gardens
4Bird-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: scarlet, red, orange, and white
Structure: large, funnel-shaped
Aroma: none
Nectar: lots of nectar, deep within
Nectar guides: none
Pollen: some
Examples for Hummingbirds:
- Aesculus pavia (scarlet buckeye)
- Lonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle)
- Penstemon spp. (beardtongues)
Related: Do You Know Hummingbirds? Take the Quiz and Find Out
5Bat-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: often white or pale, green, and purple
Structure: usually open at night
Aroma: highly fragrant, fruity or fermenting
Nectar: lots of dilute nectar
Nectar guides: none
Pollen: lots
Examples:
- Agave
- Columnar cacti
- 300 species of fruit including bananas, mangoes, and guavas
6Beetle-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: often dull white and green
Structure: often bowl shaped
Aroma: strong, fruity or fetid
Nectar: usually present
Nectar guides: none
Pollen: lots
Examples:
- Magnolia spp. (magnolias)
- Nymphaea spp. (water lilies)
- Spiraea spp. (spiraeas, meadowsweets)
7Fly-Pollinated Flowers
Colors: often dark brown, purple, or pale
Structure: often funnel shaped or complex
Aroma: putrid, rotting flesh smell
Nectar: usually absent
Nectar guides: none
Pollen: some
Examples:
- Apocynum spp. (dogbanes)
- Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-pulpit)
- Trillium erectum (red trillium)
Pollinator syndromes are key, but don’t forget about the other aspects of your garden that are so important to pollinators including:
- a continuous succession of bloom throughout the growing season
- pesticide-free habitat
- native plants that native pollinators have evolved with and may depend upon
Learn more in my new book: The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening.
Resources
Buy the Book
by Kim Eierman
Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening; Attract and Support Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, Bats, and Other Pollinators
Read More
Want Lots of Pollinators? Grow a Diverse Selection of Plants
Pollination
Some animals like bees rely on nectar and/or pollen as a food source. While this is not always a straightforward exchange, as they flit from flower to flower, any pollen carried on their bodies may in turn fertilize flowers.
What food types are nectar and pollen?
- Nectar contains carbohydrates (energy) and minerals.
- Pollen provides protein and fatty acids along with vitamins and minerals.
This explains more about different flower types and reproduction.
Thank you, Kim!
Now it’s time to look over our gardens and determine which pollinator plants we need to add.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt â™›
PS: Here are some garden bloopers to watch out for if you are an eco-beneficial gardener.