List of Important Nectar Plants to Attract Pollinators and Feed Butterflies

Most of the fruits, vegetables, and herbs we grow and eat need pollinators to visit them in order to produce a crop. You can help these beneficial insects by providing food for them right in your own backyard. They will thank you by visiting other plants you have in your garden and help pollinate them for you. Planting native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees on your property is a great way to start building a habitat for your native insects. The following list of nectar plants to attract pollinators explains a few different options that will attract beneficial insects to your garden.

Blazing Stars

Blazing Stars attract butterflies and hummingbirds, as well as bumblebees, honeybees, and other native bees. Monarchs are among the vast amount of butterfly species drawn to these plants. Perk: in the winter, birds will come and eat the seeds that are dropped. To find these at your local garden center, you’ll want to look for containers with plants labeled as “Liatris.”

Milkweed

Milkweed is the monarch mother plant! There are over 100 species native to North America and they come in tons of different colors and sizes. These plants prefer full sun and can be found in prairies, meadows, and wildflower fields. Certain smaller species can also thrive as container plants if you don’t have outdoor space to plant them in the ground.

If you’re searching for monarch caterpillars, these are the only plants you’ll find them on in the wild. However, sometimes finding monarch caterpillars is as easy as purchasing a young milkweed plant from the store. Look for plants labeled as “Asclepias” at your local garden center.

Boneset

Boneset is part of the aster family. These plants are typically found in meadows, woodland edges, or anywhere with moist and mild weather conditions. This North American perennial attracts butterflies, bees, moths, flies, and beetles. Look for plants with “Eupatorium” on the label when searching your local garden center.

Coneflower

Coneflowers are some of the most gorgeous wildflowers from the daisy family that bloom on thick stalks and attract tons of pollinators. Among the beneficial insects coneflowers attract are butterflies, hummingbirds, and honeybees. They bloom in the summer and fall, so you’ll have tons of late-season visitors in your garden where coneflowers are planted.

This sun-loving perennial grows in moist or dry prairie areas and woodlands. They are hardy, easy to manage, drought-tolerant, and bloom for a long period of time. They also make excellent container plants if you’re building a butterfly garden on a budget. Perk: coneflowers are beautiful cutting flowers. Look for plants labeled as “Echinacea” at your local garden center.

Phlox

You can use phlox as a filler or spiller in your containers, depending on which species you choose. They also work well grown over boulders or as ground cover and there are types that bloom in spring, summer, or fall. These showy little perennials attract butterflies, deter deer, and are drought-tolerant. They prefer well-draining soil and full sun. To find a phlox plant that works for you, begin looking at anything labeled as “Polemoniaceae” at your local garden center.

Among the favorites of this family is what is known as creeping phlox or moss phlox. This type grows to a height between three and five inches, but can spread between one and two feet. If you keep it under control, creeping phlox can be an excellent potted plant in smaller gardening areas. When looking for companion plants, violas make perfect partners. If this is the sort you need, pick up any plant labeled “Phlox subulata.”

Aster

The Aromatic Aster is native to northern and southern Illinois, as well as areas bordering the Mississippi and Illinois rivers. For this specific type, you’ll want to choose an aster labeled as “Symphyotrichum oblongifolium” at your local garden center.

Asters are magnets for pollinating insects like bees, butterflies, beetles, and moths. Perk: they’re also deer repellents. One of the University of Delaware’s entomologists, Dough Tallamy, published research in this book showing that asters are one of two wildflowers that support the most species of butterflies and moths (the other being goldenrods).

Goldenrod

Goldenrods are part of the aster family and are mostly found in meadows and prairies. These plants attract tons of pollinating insects later in the growing season and deer typically avoid them. Look for plants with “Solidago” on the label at your local garden center.

As mentioned above, Doug Tallamy, an entomologist from the University of Delaware, published research in this book listing goldenrods and asters as the wildflowers that support the most species of butterflies and moths.

Azalea

Swallowtail and Gray Comma butterflies are especially attracted to azaleas. These shrubs are easy to care for and have shallow roots, so they’ll do fine in containers. They require well-draining soil with organic matter and mulch on top. If you provide the right conditions, you don’t need to fertilize them frequently in order to keep them strong.

Full sun can burn the leaves, so plant them in partial shade. Be careful not to shade them too much, though, because they will grow weak and produce fewer blooms if they don’t receive enough light. When grown in the proper conditions, flowers cover the entire shrub when in bloom. If you have the space, azaleas actually look best when they’re planted by themselves. Look for plants labeled as “Rhododendron” at your local garden center.

You can also check out this blog post to find out about a ton of other spring-blooming flowers.

Tickseed

Tickseed is a part of the aster family, but its blooms are similar to those of the daisy family. These flowers require full sun and well-draining soil. They don’t need fertilizer during growth and only need to be watered occasionally. You should deadhead spent blooms to encourage the production of more flowers. To find these at your local garden center, you’ll want to look for containers with plants labeled as “Coreopsis.”

Bee Balm

Bee balm is a perennial flower from the mint family. It attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. The pretty blooms come in pink, red, purple, or white and its leaves are quite fragrant. This plant requires full sun and good air circulation. Add mulch around the stems to preserve moisture and control weeds. You can also deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms to pop up later in summer. To find these at your local garden center, you’ll want to look for containers with plants labeled as “Monarda.”

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are the queens of summer plants. They attract bees, butterflies, moths, and birds. Perk: sunflowers will actually draw aphids away from your other plants. One of the other beneficial insects that sunflowers attract are ladybugs. Ladybugs kill aphids, so it’s a one-stop-shop! They’re also heat-tolerant, pest-resistant, and they produce edible seeds. You should definitely try your best to protect your sunflowers, though, because deer really love them.

This goes without saying, but plant these bad boys in full sun where they’ll receive six to eight hours of direct sunlight per day. They need nutrient-rich, loose, well-draining soil to really thrive. These flowers are also heliotropic plants, so they will turn their flowers throughout the day to follow the sun across the sky. You can usually tell a sunflower just by looking at it, but you’ll know for sure if the label on the plant you’re holding reads “Helianthus.”

Alliums

Onions, chives, scallions, shallots, and leeks are all edible species of alliums. Ornamental alliums, on the other hand, come in many different heights to suit your garden’s aesthetic, but can grow extremely tall. These plants are very hardy and deer resistant. They prefer well-draining soil and full sun, but can tolerate partial shade.

Bees and butterflies are especially attracted to chives because of the bursts of flowers they produce on the top of each stem when they’re allowed to grow to their fullest potential. In fact, you should definitely consider planting chives with your cucumber plants. Not only does this save space if you have your cucumbers growing up a trellis, but chives also repel cucumber beetles. If all goes to plan, pollinator insects will be drawn to your chives, make their way to the flowers on your cucumber plant, and help pollinate to produce fruit.

Black-Eyed-Susan

Black-Eyed-Susans are wildflowers that attract bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles. In the winter, the seeds that fall from the flower become food for birds. These flowers prefer full sun (but will grow in partial sun) and reach heights between one and three feet tall. They’ll pretty much grow in any soil as long as it’s fertile, but don’t typically like being planted in containers with other plants. If you’re using containers, plan to give them a pot all to themselves so they don’t suffocate their companions. Look for plants labeled as “Rudbeckia” at your local garden center.

Zinnia

Zinnias attract tons of pollinator insects, are deer resistant, and do well in containers with companion plants or by themselves. These annual flowers require well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter. They like to be in full sun and will bloom from mid to late summer. If you choose to grow them from seed, sow directly into your garden bed because they don’t necessarily like to be transplanted.

Marigold

Marigolds are from the sunflower family and can grow anywhere from six inches to four feet tall, depending on the variety. Not only do marigolds attract beneficial insects like ladybugs, but they repel the bad bugs. They prefer full sun and thrive in any type of soil. Perk: these long lasting beauties bloom from June until frost, so you’ll have color in your garden all season long. Plants for sale at garden centers are typically labeled simply as “marigold,” but search for the scientific name “Tagetes” if you’re in doubt.