Want to know the secret to getting tons of hummingbirds and bees in your garden? It’s actually pretty simple!
These 6 flowers have worked wonders in my yard, and I’m sharing all my tips so you can create your own backyard nature show too!
7 Top Native Flowers for Pollinators
1. Black-Eyed Susan
You know what makes my heart skip a beat every summer? The sight of these gorgeous yellow flowers brightening up my cottage garden!
Native to pretty much everywhere in North America, these sunny blooms are absolute superstars when it comes to attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.
What I love most is how easy-going they are – they don’t mind drought, they spread themselves around (free plants!), and they’re happy in almost any kind of soil. Just give them neutral soil and a sunny spot, and they’ll reward you with endless blooms!
2. Joe Pye Weed
Despite its humble name, this beauty has become the star of my late-summer garden with its lovely pink-purple flower clusters.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve caught myself day-dreaming while watching butterflies flock to its sweet nectar from midsummer right through fall.
The secret to keeping these happy? I give them regular deep watering and a nice layer of mulch to keep their feet moist. They’re surprisingly tough in the heat if you keep the soil from drying out completely.
3. Trumpet Honeysuckle
This charming vine has completely transformed my garden fences and arbors into living walls of beauty.
The small trumpet-shaped flowers aren’t just pretty – they’re like natural hummingbird feeders! And let me tell you, the birds absolutely love them.
What makes this plant extra special is how it keeps on giving – the flowers feed hummingbirds and bees, the berries feed other birds, and various butterflies and moths use it as a nursery for their babies. Plus, deer leave it alone – a huge win in my book!
4. Spotted Bee Balm
If you’re looking for a low-maintenance showstopper, this is it! My spotted bee balm puts on a spectacular show that seems to last forever, thanks to its colorful bracts.
While it only sticks around for about three years, it seeds itself so enthusiastically that I always have new plants popping up.
The best part? It’s like Grand Central Station for bees, wasps, and all sorts of beneficial insects. And those deer that love to munch on my other plants? They completely ignore this one!
5. Maximilian Sunflower
Talk about making a statement! These towering beauties add such dramatic flair to my late summer garden.
They’re real lifesavers for our pollinator friends, blooming just when most other flowers are winding down for the season.
Just one tip from my experience – while they’re pretty easy-going about soil, they really don’t like having wet feet. Avoid planting them in heavy clay soil that stays soggy.
6. Purple Prairie Clover
These whimsical purple pom-pom flowers are the unexpected heroes of my garden.
Not only do they attract bees and butterflies like crazy, but they’re also improving my soil by fixing nitrogen – it’s like having a natural fertilizer factory!
What really surprised me was how well they grow in heavy clay soil. When other plants struggle, these troopers just keep on blooming through the driest days of summer.