Planning a Multi-Pollinator Landscape
- Plant a wide variety of nectar plants with different colors, forms, and as wide of a bloom time as available.
- Plant pollen plants, as wide a bloom time as possible, for honey bees and native bees.
- Plant larval host plants for butterfly larvae.
- Plant shelter plantings such as tall grasses, mixed hedgerows, shade and flowering trees, and conifers.
- Incorporate native host, pollen, and nectar plants to encourage diverse pollinator populations.
- Provide an available and safe water source – shallow and easy to emerge for bees; moving water for hummingbirds; and wet dirt and sand for butterflies.
- Do not ‘manicure’ your landscape – many pollinators need access to mud patches, dead twig, duff, and leaf mold, etc., for shelter and nesting materials.
Tips for Pollinator Garden Success
- Choose heirloom varieties – a simple flower design allows easy access to quality nectar and pollen.
- Cut back your plants for repeat bloom throughout the season.
- Let herbs and vegetables bolt – valuable nectar and pollen are found in the flowers.
- Plant in drifts – honey bees exhibit flower constancy and like to forage among a single type of flower.
- Provide blooms throughout the season for a constant supply of high quality bee forage.
- Strive for organic, pesticide free gardening practices – never spray pesticides when bees are foraging.
Major Butterfly Larval Plants
Trees
- Oak
- Maple
- Willow
- Cottonwood
- Cherry
- Locust
- Pine
- Fir
- Douglas Fir
- Birch
- Ash
Shrubs
- Willow
- Ceanothus
- Currant
- Gooseberry
- Honeysuckle
- Potentilla
- Blueberry
- Huckleberry
Herbaceous Plants
- Milkweed/Butterfly Weed
- Violets
- Blanketflower
- Pearly Everlasting
- Snapdragon
- Sedum
- Buckwheat
- Roemers Fescue
- Paintbrush
- Penstemon
- Mallows and Checkermallow
- Hollyhocks
- Lupine
- Clover
- Vetch
- Bleeding Heart
- The entire Mustard and Parsley families
Plants for Pollinators
The following list is a compilation of our favorite plants for pollinators in the Willamette Valley, organized by season of most benefit. Some plants are beneficial for nectar, pollen, or both.
(B) Bulb, (A) Annual, (P) Perennial, (S) Shrub, (T) Tree
*Also great for beneficial insects such as hoverflies, lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps, etc.
Winter
Alnus spp. – alder (T)
Anemone spp. – anemone (P)
Corylus americana – hazelnut (S)
Corylus avellana – filbert (T)
Crocus spp. – Crocus (B)
Eranthis hyemalis – winter aconite (B)
Erica spp. – heather (P)
Galanthus spp. – snowdrop (B)
Hamamelis vernalis – witch hazel (S)
Helleborus spp. – hellebore (P)
Helleborus foetidus – hellebore (P)
Iberis spp. – candytuft (P)
Mahonia x media – winter mahonia (S)
Oemleria cerasiformis – Indian plum (S)*
Pieris japonica – Andromeda (S)
Primula spp. – primrose (A/P)
Salix spp. – early willows (S)
Sarcococca hookeriana – sweet box (S)
Spring
Acer spp. – maple (T)
Allium spp. – onions, chives (B)
Angelica archangelica – angelica (P)
Berberis spp. – Oregon grape (S)
Ceanothus spp. – California lilac (S)*
Cercis canadensis – redbud (T)
Chaenomeles japonica – flowering quince (S)
Cheiranthus allioni – siberian wallflower (P)*
Cotoneaster spp. – cotoneaster (S)
Crataegus spp. – hawthorne (T)
Daboecia spp. – heath/heather (S)
Elaeagnus multiflora – elaeagnus (S)
Erysimum spp. – Wallflower (P)
Eschsholtzia californica – California poppy (A)
Fragaria spp. – strawberry (P)
Fraxinus latifolia – ash (T)
Galium odoratum – sweet woodruff (P)
Hyacinth spp. – hyacinth (B)
Ilex spp. – holly (T/S)
Ligustrum – privet (S)
Liriodendron spp. – tulip tree (T)
Lobularia maritima – alyssum (A)*
Mahonia aquifolium – mahonia (S)
Malus floribunda – crab apple (T)
Muscari armeniacum – muscari (B)
Papaver orientale – oriental poppy (P)
Philadelphus coronarius – mock orange(S)
Physocarpus capitatus – ninebark (T)
Prunus spp. – cherry, plum, laurel (T)
Pyrus spp. – pear (T)
Pyracantha coccinea – firethorn (S)
Ribes sanguineum – flowering currant (S)
Rhamnus purshiana – cascara, chittum (S)
Robinia pseudoacacia – black locust(T)
Salvia splendens – salvia (A)
Scabiosa caucasica – pincushion flower (P)
Scilla siberica – siberian squill (B)
Sorbus spp. – mountain ash (T)
Vaccinium spp. – blueberry, huckleberry (P)
Vitis spp. – grape (P)
Wisteria spp. – wisteria (S)
Summer
Abelia x grandiflora – abelia (S)
Achillea millefolium – yarrow (P)*
Agastache foeniculum – anise hyssop (P)*
Alcea rosa – hollyhock (P)
Allium spp. – onions (A)
Alstroemeria spp. – Lily of the Incas (P)
Anaphalis margaritacea – pearly everlasting (P)
Anethum graveolens – dill (A)*
Anthriscus cerefolium – chervil (A)*
Asclepias spp. – milkweed (P)*
Borago officinalis – borage (A)*
Brassica spp. – brassica crops (A)*
Callicarpa dichotoma – beautyberry (P)
Campanula spp. – campanula (P)
Caryopteris x clandonensis – bluebeard
‘Dark Knight’ (S)
Catalpa spp. – catalpa (T)
Centaurea spp. – bachelor button, cornflower
Chrysanthemum x superbum – shasta daisy (P)*
Cladrastis lutea – yellow wood (T)
Clethra spp. – summer sweet (S)
Coriandrum sativum – cilantro (A)*
Crataegus phaenopyrum – hawthorn (P)
Cucurbita spp. – squash (A)*
Echinacea purpurea – echinacea (P)
Erica spp. – heath/heather (S)
Erynginum planum – eryngium (P)
Helianthus annus – sunflower (P)
Hyssop spp. – hyssop (P)
Lavandula spp. – lavender (P)*
Lonicera spp. – honeysuckle (S)
Melissa officianalis – lemon balm (P)*
Mentha spp. – mints (P)
Monarda spp. – bee balm, bergamot (P)
Nepeta spp. – catmint, catnip (P)*
Nepeta mussinii – catmint (P)
Nyssa sylvatica – tupelo (T)
Ocimum basilicum – basil (A)
Origanum vulgare – oregano (P)
Oxydendrum arboreum – sour-wood (S)
Penstemon spp. – penstemon (P)
Perovskia abrotanoides – russian sage (P)*
Phacelia tanacetifolia – phacelia (A)
Pimpinella anisum – anise (A)*
Rosa spp. – single roses (P)
Rosmarinus officinalis – rosemary (P)
Rubus spp. – blackberry (P)
Rudbeckia spp. – coneflower (P)*
Salvia spp. – salvia (P)
Salvia sclarea – clary sage (P)
Sophora japonica – japanese pagoda tree (T)
Spirea spp. – spirea (S)
Symphoricarpos albus – snowberry (S)
Symphytum spp. – comfrey (P)*
Tagetes tenuifolia – marigold, signet (A)
Tanacetum parthenium – feverfew (P)*
Tilia spp. – linden, basswood (T)
Thymus spp. – thyme (P)
Veronica spp. – speedwell (P)
Viburnum spp. – viburnum (S)
Zinnia elegans – zinnia (A)
Autumn
Abelia spp. – abelia (S)
Aster spp. – aster (P)
Chrysanthemum spp. – chrysanthemum (P)
Crocus spp. – fall crocus (B)
Cosmos bipinnatus – cosmos (P)
Osmanthus spp. – osmanthus (S)
Salvia spp. – fall salvias (P)
Sedum spp. – stonecrop ‘Autumn Joy’ (P)
Solidago spp. – goldenrod (P)*
Teucrium chamaedrys – germander (S)
Tropaeolum majus – nasturtium (A)*
Lawns and Cover Crops
Bellis perennis – lawn daisy (P)*
Fagopyrum esceulentum – buckwheat
Melilotus officinalis – yellow sweet clover (P)*
Phacelia tanacetifolia – phacelia (A)
Prunella vulgaris – heal-all (P)*
Trifolium incarnatum – crimson clover (P)*
Trifolium repens – Dutch white clover (P)*
Vicia villosa – hairy vetch (P)*
Download this information as a printable PDF, HERE.
Planting for Pollinators – Class Recording
Featuring Darren Morgan – Class discussion will focus on who our local pollinators are, and why they are important. We will discuss the food and habitat needs of these pollinators, and how to landscape to encourage and develop pollinator populations.