Pollinator Plants Toolkit

An early bloomer and a host plant for the black swallowtail butterfly. Plant Zizia aurea instead in drier soils.

White spires and whorled leaves give this plant an interesting, geometrical appearance.

This plant not only helps fill an important bloom gap in late spring, but will often rebloom throughout the summer.

While not particularly showy on its own, this plant can add color and fill gaps when intermingled with showier plants in a wet meadow planting.

A tall plant with deep purple blooms that allows it to stand out amongst other tall perennials.

An attractive groundcover for the shade garden with beautiful spring blooms and red fall foliage.

Frothy blooms and delicate foliage stand out in partly shaded, moist sites

A compact and particularly garden-worthy aster that blooms well into the fall.

One of our most beautiful asters with blue tinted foliage contrasting with copious purple blooms. Relished by rabbits and may need protection.

An iconic plant of our meadows and gardens.

A good choice for the shade garden, it blooms well into the fall.

A very hardy goldenrod that can handle extremely dry and salty conditions.

Its yellow spires are a magnet for bumblebees in the fall.

A very well-behaved goldenrod with a pleasant anise smell when the leaves are crushed.

This goldenrod is ideal for shady sites, providing fall color.

A short and fairly well-behaved goldenrod for dry sites.

A favorite of bumblebees, this plant also has a symbiotic relationship with ants who protect the plant in exchange for nectar. Can be substituted with Senna marilandica.

Arching stems add fall blooms to the shade garden.

A classic yet short-lived flower, scatter some seeds in your garden to fill in gaps or use it to provide second-year color in a seeded meadow.

A must have in every pollinator garden, it attracts phenomenal quantities of pollinators, is easy to grow, and blooms for months. There are a few other similar Pycnanthemums to choose from.

A magnet for pollinators like other Pycnanthemums, it lends a delicate and fine texture to the garden.

Whimsical, fuzzy spires flowers top this plant.

A perfect plant to add height and color to a wet, lightly shaded site.

Beautiful pink blooms delight with a scent that rivals many roses. There are many other native roses that can be substituted.

With it's white blooms, this plant is beautiful when planted in drifts and ideal for adding early blooms to a taller planting.

While it's blooms stay hidden beneath it's foliage, this plant still stands out with it's large, glossy, disected leaves. A good groundover for the shade.

Obedient plant is not very obedient being an agressive spreader. It is a beautiful plant in the right spot irregardless.

A very showy plant and pollinator magnet, many cultivars can be found for sale (although wild varieties of plants are always best.)

A fast-growing groundcover that stuns with purple-tinged leaves and prolific yellow blooms.

Beautiful flowers add a bright pop of color to the garden early in the season.

This New England native cactus will be sure to surprise passerby's. Handle with gloves to avoid contact with the small spines!

A very unique plant with pale pink bracts hiding the spotted and yellow flowers. It is also a pollinator magnet and readily self-seeds itself randomly around the garden.

A must have in the pollinator garden due to it's cheery pink flowers and ability to attract everything from bees to butterflies to hummigbirds. While susceptible to powdery mildew, the disease is purely cosmetic and the plant will grow new leaves.

Bright red flowers help this plant stand out in the garden and attract hummingbirds.

A rare plant, it's blooms are a delicate blend of blue, purple, and white and it's leaves the exclusive host plant of the karner blue, New Hampshire's state butterfly. Don't confuse this plant with the invasive Lupinus polyphyllus!

A stunning red, this plant is a must have for anyone who wishes to attract hummingbirds. The plant is short-lived but will reseed if there is moist, bare ground.

A beautiful blue, this plant will readily self-seed and is ideal intermingled with taller, moisture-loving perennials.

A rare flower and New England endemic, it prefers very dry and sunny sites and is loved by butterflies.

A regal bloom that can tolerate standing water. A symbol of Québec.

A compact fall bloomer ideal for dry and sunny sites.

This shrub becomes covered in fuzzy yellow blooms during the summer.

While not a true sunflower, this plant will delight with it's cheery yellow blooms.

Add a tropical touch to a wet spot with the enormous blooms of this native hibiscus.

This plant will not make you sneeze but will add a pop of yellow and attract pollinators.

A tough groundcover that can be used as a green mulch.

A cheery favorite of bumblebees and goldfinches, this plant is agressive and should be sited carefully. There are many similar, perennial, and native sunflowers that can be substituted.

A colorful and easy to grow spring flower of our forests.

This plant has more to it than tasty strawberries; the flowers provide important early-season nectar and it's quick growth and low-growing nature makes it a good alternative to mulch

A stately plant that attracts lots of bees and butterflies and serves as a focal point in the garden. There are a few other very similar species of joe-pye weed; Eutrochium purpureum is best for a shadier spot.

Small white flowers give this plant a delicate apperance in summer while bright reds and oranges allow it to stand out in the fall.

Planted en masse, this plant creates a stunning fall display for the shade.

Ideal for mixing with other tall perennials in a wet meadow.

A native daisy-like plant ideal for use as a groundcover and to attract butterflies.

Despite this plant's dull appearance, it adds a cloud-like texture to the garden when planted en masse. Attracts many pollinators.

Pair with goldenrods and other varieties of aster for a colorful fall display.

An agressive yet attractive plant for woodland settings.

This shrub has a delightful scent and is a pollinator magnet. The seeds are relished by birds during the winter.

Tall white spires glow like candles in the understorey.

An attractive plant for bumblebees, who force themselves into the closed flowers. Host plant for the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly

This small shrub is a favorite of pollinators and a host plant for spring and summer azure butterflies.

A host plant of the monarch butterfly, this unique and delicate looking milkweed will intermingle with other plants without taking over.

A host plant of the monarch butterfly and beloved by many other pollinators. Lovely vanilla-scented blooms. Spreads agressively so best for larger sites.

A host plant of the monarch butterfly and beloved by many other pollinators. One of our showiest and most garden-worthy native plants.

A host plant of the monarch butterfly and beloved by many other pollinators. Tolerant of not only swampy but more average conditions.

A host plant of the monarch butterfly, this milkweed thrives in the shade unlike its cousins.

A bright pop of color in the spring garden and an early source of nectar for hummingbirds.

A favorite host plant of the American lady butterfly, you are sure to get caterpillars if you plant pussytoes. A well-behaved groundcover for a very dry and sunny spot.

A favorite host plant of the American lady butterfly, you are sure to get caterpillars if you plant pearly everlasting. An ideal plant for a very dry and sunny spot.

Lavender colored spikes soar high and attract pollinators.

An agressive fall-blooming native plant that can be used to create a bright patch in the shade garden.

An elegant plant perfect for providing spring blooms. Don't let it's appearance fool you; this plant is agressive and should be carefully sited.