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The Best Plants for Attracting Pollinators in Zone 8 and Beyond
20
items Want to turn your garden into a pollinator paradise? These bee-, butterfly-, and hummingbird-friendly plants thrive in USDA Zone 8 and beyond. From colorful perennials like coneflowers and bee balm to nectar-rich herbs like thyme and lavender, this l...
Sections
3
Annuals
Perennials
Both or Biennials
Annuals
Plants that only grow for one season.
🌿 Type: Annual (but self-seeds readily) 📍 USDA Zones: Grown annually in all zones 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Honeybees, bumblebees 💡 Why It’s Great: Borage is an edible herb with star-shaped blue flowers that are beloved by bees. It replenishes nec...
Borage (Borago officinalis)
🌿 Type: Annual 📍 USDA Zones: Grown annually in all zones 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Butterflies, bees 💡 Why It’s Great: A butterfly favorite, zinnias come in nearly every color and thrive in hot, sunny gardens. Plant from seed directly after the la...
Zinnias (Zinnia elegans)
🌿 Type: Annual 📍 USDA Zones: Grown annually in all zones 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies, beetles 💡 Why It’s Great: These tall, iconic blooms are pollinator powerhouses. Bees love the large central disk, and the seed heads feed birds a...
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)
🌿 Type: Annual 📍 USDA Zones: All zones (as an annual) 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Butterflies, bees 💡 Why It’s Great: Tall, airy stems and bright blooms make cosmos a fluttering butterfly favorite. It thrives in heat, needs little care, and reseeds ...
Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Perennials
Plants that grow all year or come back at the start of the next season.
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 4–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds 💡 Why It’s Great: A showy native wildflower with vivid red, pink, or purple blooms. Bee balm thrives in moist, well-drained soils and blooms from mid to ...
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 3–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: Drought-tolerant and easy to grow, coneflowers bloom from early summer into fall. Their daisy-like appearance and large central cone are loved by but...
Seed Needs Purple Echinacea Coneflower Seeds
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 5–9 (English lavender); 8–11 (Spanish and French types) 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: A fragrant herb with silvery foliage and purple spikes, lavender thrives in full sun and well-dra...
Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
🌿 Type: Perennial in Zone 8+; annual in colder zones 📍 USDA Zones: 8–11 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Butterflies, hummingbirds 💡 Why It’s Great: Produces vibrant multicolored flowers that bloom nonstop through the summer. In Zone 8, it may overwinter...
Lantana (Lantana camara)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 3–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies, parasitic wasps 💡 Why It’s Great: A tough, drought-tolerant native plant with flat-topped flower clusters that serve as excellent landing platforms for pollinators. I...
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 4–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees 💡 Why It’s Great: Similar in appearance to lavender, catmint produces a profusion of soft purple flowers. It's highly aromatic, deer-resistant, and drought-tolerant.
Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 5–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, particularly native and solitary species 💡 Why It’s Great: This fragrant culinary herb blooms with tiny purple flowers in early summer. It's perfect for garden borders or rock gar...
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 5–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Butterflies, hummingbirds, bees 💡 Why It’s Great: Long panicles of nectar-rich flowers bloom throughout summer. It’s invasive in some regions, so consider sterile or native alternatives...
Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 4–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds 💡 Why It’s Great: Loved by bees for its nectar-rich purple flower spikes, anise hyssop also emits a pleasant, licorice-like scent. It’s easy to grow, dee...
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
🌿 Type: Perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 3–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies, beneficial wasps 💡 Why It’s Great: A fall-blooming powerhouse, goldenrod provides crucial nectar when many other flowers have faded. Despite its allergy-related reput...
Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Both or Biennials
Plants that can be annuals or perennials, depending on the subspecies and zone, and plants that grow for 2 years. See the notes for each plant.
🌿 Type: Perennial (some species are annual) 📍 USDA Zones: 3–9 (varies by species) 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Monarch butterflies, bees 💡 Why It’s Great: This essential host plant for monarch caterpillars also provides nectar to a wide range of nati...
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
🌿 Type: Short-lived perennial or biennial (grown as annual in some climates) 📍 USDA Zones: 3–9 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: These sunny yellow flowers add cheer and reliability to pollinator gardens. They bloom fro...
Seed Needs Black Eyed Susan Seeds 120,000+
🌿 Type: Perennial or annual depending on variety 📍 USDA Zones: 5–10 (depending on species) 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: From ornamental salvias to edible types like sage (Salvia officinalis), this pla...
Salvia (Salvia spp.)
🌿 Type: Perennial or annual 📍 USDA Zones: 4–9 (for perennials) 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: Also called tickseed, coreopsis features bright, daisy-like flowers that bloom profusely. Native perennial varieties like ...
Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.)
🌿 Type: Perennial (short-lived; often grown as annual) 📍 USDA Zones: 3–10 🐝 Pollinators Attracted: Bees, butterflies 💡 Why It’s Great: With vibrant, fiery red and yellow petals, blanket flowers thrive in hot, sunny climates and poor soils. They b...
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)
🌿 Type: Biennial or short-lived perennial 📍 USDA Zones: 4–9 🐛 Pollinators Attracted: Swallowtail butterflies, bees, hoverflies 💡 Why It’s Great: With lacy foliage and umbrella-like yellow blooms, fennel is a favorite of swallowtail butterfly cate...
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)