native perennials to attract pollinators

Adding native flowering perennials can attract butterflies, bees, and birds to your yard, and add seasonal color! Native perennials have evolved to thrive in our soils and climate, and most are deer-resistant.

Plant in large drifts for the most visual impact. Select pairings of two perennial plants with similar blooming time and contrasting foliage color and texture, and contrasting flower color. A few species to consider include:

• Black-Eyed Susan / Rudbeckia - lots of showy yellow flowers during the summer. sun or partial shade

• Blue Salvia or Sage / Salvia nemerosa var.- May to June blue flowers, showy blue flowers, provides most visual impact when planted in large drifts. attracts bees. full sun.

• Astilbe (pinks, whites, lavender, red) - tolerates shade.

• Blue Aster varieties (image of Smooth Blue Aster above) - summer blooming, full sun.

• Peonies (pinks, white, red, lavender)- showy blossoms, sun.

• Larkspur/ Delphinium - beautiful blue spike flowers, full sun to partial shade.

• Beard Tongue Foxglove - white flowers, full sun to partial shade.

• Orange Butterflyweed - orange blooming, full sun.

Note that the deciduous shrub Butterfly Bush, while well-known to attract butterflies, is considered invasive so should be avoided.

Where to buy: Most local nurseries stock many native perennials. Native perennials can also be ordered on-line; for example sets of several pollinator perennials are available at https://www.gardenforwildlife.org/

It is common knowledge now that we depend on insects for our continued existence;

that, without key pollinators, the human population would collapse in less than a decade

- John Burnside