The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →For a pollinator garden, choose flowers that bloom in succession, then match each plant to your region, sunlight, drainage, and moisture. These seven candidates come from USDA NRCS’s Illinois planting guide—not a universal list or a ranking of nectar production. Check that each species suits your location before planting.
Seven plants, arranged by bloom period
The USDA NRCS guide groups plants as early, mid-season, or late bloomers across different garden designs. The selections below draw from multiple designs, so they are not all suited to the same site. Bloom periods are the guide’s categories; actual timing can vary with local conditions.
| Bloom period in the guide | Plant | Site fit in the Illinois guide |
|---|---|---|
| Early | Golden alexanders (Zizia aurea) | Typical-moisture and wet designs |
| Mid-season | Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | Dry and typical-moisture designs |
| Mid-season | Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) | Dry and typical-moisture designs |
| Mid-season | Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | Tall-border design |
| Late | Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) | Savanna design |
| Late | Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) | Dry, typical-moisture, and savanna designs |
| Late | New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | Tall-border design |
NRCS describes the guide’s native plants as providing high-value nectar and pollen, but it does not measure or compare nectar output for these seven species individually. Treat them as regional candidates, not a ranked list of the “best” nectar producers. USDA NRCS, Pollinator Gardens Design Guide
How to make the shortlist fit your garden
Start with local native status
A plant that is native or well suited in Illinois may not be the right choice elsewhere. Xerces recommends choosing native plants from your region. Confirm suitability with a local native-plant resource or nursery, and use the scientific name when shopping: common names can refer to different plants. Xerces Society, “Grow Pollinator-Friendly Flowers”; USDA NRCS guide
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Match sun, moisture, and drainage
Assess the planting area before choosing species. Xerces advises considering sunlight, wind, water, and soil. The Illinois guide distinguishes dry, well-drained sites; wet areas that retain water; typical-moisture sites that are neither soggy nor overly dry; and partly shaded savanna sites with moist but not soggy soil. Its design assignments in the table are a starting point for those conditions, not a substitute for checking local growing requirements. Xerces Society guidance; USDA NRCS guide
Spread flowering across the season
Providing flowers from spring through fall is a useful planning goal. Use the early, mid-season, and late categories to avoid relying on a single flush of bloom; check local flowering times when laying out the garden. USDA NRCS and Xerces both recommend maintaining flowers through the growing season. USDA NRCS and Xerces, Habitat Assessment Guide for Pollinators in Yards, Gardens, and Parks; Xerces Society guidance
What the bee study says about butterflyweed
A USDA NRCS summary of a southeastern U.S. study reports that butterflyweed, Indian blanket flower (Gaillardia pulchella), and blue vervain (Verbena hastata) together attracted 89% of the bee taxa recorded. The study tested 18 wildflower species, with data collected from May through November 2019. The 89% figure applies to those three plants together in that study—not to butterflyweed alone, not to all bees, and not to gardens everywhere. It does not establish a universal ranking for the seven plants here. The summary also reports that each bee taxon visited an average of four flower species and each plant species was visited by an average of six bee taxa. USDA NRCS, “Recent Report Reveals Native Bees’ Favorite Flowers”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Planting choices that support pollinators
- Prepare the site: Reduce competing vegetation before planting. The NRCS guide outlines options such as removing sod, smothering, or tilling, depending on site conditions.
- Plant in clusters: Group plants of the same species rather than scattering individual plants throughout the bed.
- Leave some bare soil: It can provide nesting space for ground-nesting native bees.
- Ask about pesticide treatment: Check with a nursery whether plants were treated with systemic insecticides. NRCS advises avoiding insecticides harmful to pollinators; the NRCS/Xerces checklist also cautions against new landscaping plants treated with neonicotinoids or related insecticides.
- Allow time to establish: Newly planted native plants may spend the first, and sometimes the second, growing season developing roots rather than flowering.
USDA NRCS guide; USDA NRCS and Xerces habitat guide
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