Welcoming pollinators is the best way to bring life to your landscaping. Bees, butterflies, and bumblebees fly over our yards in search of nectar and pollen. By choosing the right plants and providing them with the proper growing conditions, you transform your green space into a true gourmet stopover for these precious allies.
Here is our expert guide organized by blooming period, featuring care tips and star varieties to successfully grow these 9 biodiversity champions in your yard.
Blooming Period: Early Summer (June)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): A Taste of Provence
Lavender captivates with its relaxing scent and purple spikes that buzz with activity. It is an incredibly effective plant for attracting bees.
- Care: Full sun required. Poor, highly sandy or gravelly soil, perfectly drained. Lightly prune after flowering to maintain a neat, rounded shape.
- Popular Varieties: 'Munstead' (the most winter-hardy option), 'Hidcote' (deep blue-purple flowers, very clean compact habit).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 40 to 60 cm | Bloom time: June and July | Zone 5 (zone 4 with good snow cover) | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (essential oils act as a natural repellent).
Yarrow (Achillea): Colorful Hardiness
Yarrow produces large, flat umbrellas that offer the perfect landing pad for insects. It blooms generously for weeks.
- Care: Full sun. Dry, light, and well-drained soil. Remove faded flowers to stimulate a second wave of blooms late in the season.
- Popular Varieties: 'Moonshine' (bright sulfur-yellow flowers, beautiful silvery foliage), 'New Vintage Red' (vivid red flowers that hold their color well without fading).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 40 to 80 cm | Bloom time: June to September | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (the highly aromatic and hairy foliage discourages them).
Catmint (Nepeta): An Endless Sea of Blue
Catmint offers an exceptionally generous blue and purple bloom from June until frost. Pollinators love its small, nectar-rich flowers.
- Care: Full sun to part shade. Ordinary, even dry or rocky soil. Shear the plant back by half after the first main bloom in July to tidy up the foliage and trigger a massive new flush in August.
- Popular Varieties: 'Walker's Low' (the must-have, spreading generously into a sea of blue), 'Cat's Pajamas' (an early, dwarf version perfect for flower bed borders).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 30 to 60 cm | Bloom time: June to October | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (watch out for neighborhood cats though, as they love to roll in it!).
Perennial Salvia (Salvia nemorosa): Architectural Elegance
Perennial salvia sends up proud, colorful spikes that beautifully structure flower beds. It heavily attracts honeybees and native pollinators right from the start of summer.
- Care: Full sun. Well-drained, loose soil. Trim flower spikes as soon as they fade to encourage reblooming throughout the season.
- Popular Varieties: 'Caradonna' (dark, nearly black stems and deep violet flowers), 'May Night' (deep indigo blue, early and very reliable in Quebec).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 40 to 60 cm | Bloom time: June to August | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (the spicy scent of the foliage repels them).
Coreopsis (Coreopsis): A Ray of Sunshine in the Garden
Coreopsis brightens up any space with its radiant yellow flowers. This tireless perennial produces nectar in abundance and extends visual enjoyment until the first hard frost.
- Care: Full sun. Light, well-drained soil, accommodates poor and dry soils. Threadleaf varieties (verticillata) are virtually maintenance-free.
- Popular Varieties: Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' (creamy yellow flowers, fine lace-like foliage), 'Zagreb' (striking golden yellow, highly heat-tolerant).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 40 to 60 cm | Bloom time: June to September | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, squirrels (rabbits occasionally nibble on the tender young leaves in spring).
🌿 Want to add more color to your flower beds? Discover our selection of pollinator-friendly perennials on our online store.
Blooming Period: Mid-Summer (July)
Milkweed (Asclepias): Essential for Monarchs
Milkweed plays a crucial role in the survival of the monarch butterfly by feeding its caterpillars exclusively. Its fragrant, umbrella-like flower clusters are also a favorite treat for bees.
- Care: Full sun. Well-drained, poor or sandy soil. Perform a complete cleanup in the spring.
- Popular Varieties: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly milkweed, brilliant bright orange flowers), Asclepias incarnata 'Cinderella' (soft pink flowers, perfect for cooler soils).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 60 to 100 cm | Bloom time: July and August | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (the toxic, milky sap keeps them away).
Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): A Reliable Favorite
With its large, colorful daisy-like appearance and prominent central cone, the coneflower attracts butterflies in large numbers all summer long. Its high drought tolerance makes it a queen of the garden.
- Care: Full sun to part shade. Ordinary, loose, well-drained soil. Leave the dried seed heads in place in the fall to feed the birds through winter.
- Popular Varieties: 'Magnus' (the classic, ultra-robust purple-pink choice), 'PowWow Wild Berry' (more compact, intense magenta-pink), 'Cheyenne Spirit' (a festive mix of colors ranging from yellow to orange).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 60 to 90 cm | Bloom time: July to September | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, squirrels (hares and rabbits rarely touch mature plants, but watch out for young spring shoots).
Bee Balm (Monarda): The Hummingbird Buffet
Bee balm displays uniquely ruffled flowers that fascinate bumblebees and hummingbirds. Its aromatic foliage releases a refreshing scent at the slightest breeze.
- Care: Full sun to part shade. Soil rich in organic matter, moist but well-drained. Divide the plant every 3 years to maintain its vigor.
- Popular Varieties: The UPSCALE™ series from Proven Winners, including 'Pink Chenille' (large, intense deep pink flowers) and 'Lavender Tonic' (light lavender-mauve flowers, two varieties renowned for their excellent resistance to powdery mildew and their taller, more vigorous habit).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 70 to 90 cm | Bloom time: July and August | Zone 3 | Resistant to: White-tailed deer, hares, rabbits, squirrels (the strong minty scent turns them off).
Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata): The Season's Grand Finale
Garden phlox crowns the end of summer with its large, ultra-fragrant flower clusters. It attracts large, late-season butterflies.
- Care: Full sun to light part shade. Rich, loose, and consistently moist soil. Water at the base rather than on the foliage to prevent fungal diseases like powdery mildew.
- Popular Varieties: 'Laura' (vibrant purple flowers with a very bright white eye), 'Flame Purple' or 'Flame Pink' (from the popular Flame series, renowned for its compact habit and excellent natural tolerance to powdery mildew).
- Technical Specifications: Height: 50 to 80 cm | Bloom time: July to September | Zone 3 | Resistant to: Squirrels.
A word from your gardening expert: If hares or rabbits are a problem in your area, prioritize plants from our list that have highly aromatic or rough foliage, such as bee balm, salvia, or lavender. Small critters dislike strong flavors! Plant your perennials in groupings of three or five of the same variety to help pollinators spot them easily from above.
Come visit us in store to pick out your favorite varieties and create your very own ecological oasis!
