There is no universal list of six plants that is best for every pollinator garden. The right choices depend on your ecoregion, sunlight, soil moisture and available water. For a useful starting point, this guide explains how to choose plants and gives six examples from a Rhode Island planting guide—not a nationwide prescription.
What are the best plants for a pollinator garden?
Choose plants that are native or otherwise regionally appropriate, fit the garden’s growing conditions, and provide flowers at different times from spring through fall. Climate, soil, elevation and water availability all affect which plants will thrive. Pollinator Partnership offers ecoregional planting guides to help narrow the choices; use the guide for your area and confirm selections with a local native-plant nursery.
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Seed Needs Milkweed Seeds Variety Pack of 5 Perennial Flowers for Monarchs | $8.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The six examples below come from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s 2024 Rhode Island Pollinator Gardens Design Guide. They illustrate how choices change with moisture and bloom season; they should not be treated as a recommended six-plant mix for other regions.
Six Rhode Island examples, matched to conditions
| Plant | Moisture and season in the guide | Garden role |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) | Dry or typical-moisture site; midseason | Flowering plant; milkweeds also provide host food for some butterfly caterpillars |
| Eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) | Dry site; midseason | Flowering plant |
| Showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) | Dry or typical-moisture site; late season | Flowering plant |
| Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) | Typical-moisture site; midseason | Flowering plant |
| Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) | Wet site; midseason | Flowering plant and host food for some butterfly caterpillars |
| New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) | Wet site; late season | Flowering plant |
These entries are examples, not a complete garden plan: select plants for the moisture conditions actually present, and check the guide for additional options and any cautions. Some goldenrods can reseed readily; removing spent flowers before they set seed can help limit spread where that is a concern. The Rhode Island guide also lists different options for typical and wet sites. Colorado gardeners, for example, should consult Colorado State University Extension’s regional pollinator-habitat plant list, which includes locally suitable choices across early, mid and late season.
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- Pollinator Attraction: Milkweed flowers are known for attracting a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. They produce a sweet nectar that is particularly enticing to monarch butterflies, which lay their eggs exclusively on milkweed plants.
- 5 Packets: This collection includes Showy Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias speciosa), Pink Swamp Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias incarnata), White Swamp Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias incarnata), Orange Butterfly Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias tuberosa) & Common Milkweed Seeds (Asclepias syriaca.)
- Ecological Importance: Milkweed is crucial for the survival of monarch butterflies, providing not only nectar but also foliage for caterpillars to feed on. The presence of milkweed in an ecosystem supports biodiversity and is vital for the monarch's life cycle.
- Quality: All Milkweed seeds packaged by Seed Needs are intended for the current and the following growing seasons. All seeds are stored in a temperature controlled facility that is free of significant amounts of moisture.
- Quantity: Seed Needs offers generous quantities. You can share with friends and family, or you can save the extra seeds until the following season, if properly stored.
Which flowers attract bees and butterflies?
Flowering plants can supply nectar and pollen to visiting pollinators, but a garden works better when it offers blooms through more than one part of the growing season. Plan for something to flower in spring, summer and fall rather than relying on a short burst of color. Grouping several plants of the same species together, where space allows, can make flowers easier for foraging insects to find.
“Attracts butterflies” does not necessarily mean “feeds butterfly caterpillars.” Adult butterflies visit nectar flowers, while caterpillars eat particular host plants, and many have a limited range of acceptable hosts. Minnesota Extension’s butterfly-garden guidance distinguishes nectar plants from caterpillar food plants. If you want to support butterflies through their life cycle, identify which butterfly species occur locally and choose their host plants as well as nectar flowers. Milkweeds are a familiar host example for monarchs, but they are not a universal host plant for all butterflies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should I plant in a sunny, dry garden?
Start by checking your local ecoregional guide and matching its plant recommendations to your site’s sun and moisture. In the Rhode Island guide, butterfly milkweed and eastern purple coneflower are midseason examples for dry conditions, while showy goldenrod is a late-season example. Those recommendations are specific to that regional plan; they do not establish that the same plants will suit every sunny, dry garden.
For a different location, use the regional list first, then verify that each species is appropriate for the site and available water. Shop by scientific name as well as common name, since common names can refer to different plants.
How should I plant and care for a pollinator garden?
Plant for continuous bloom and foraging
- Choose a mix that provides flowers from spring through fall.
- Plant in groups or swaths of the same species when practical.
- Leave some patches of bare soil; many native bees nest in the ground.
Ask about pesticide treatment
Avoid broad-spectrum pesticide spraying around the garden. Ask the nursery whether plants were treated with systemic insecticides, and use scientific names when discussing or buying plants. Pesticides can harm more than adult pollinators: Minnesota Extension notes that oils and soaps can kill caterpillars when sprayed directly, and Bt can harm caterpillars feeding on treated plants. See its pesticide guidance for pollinator gardens.
Expect an establishment period
Spring planting gives plants time to grow and potentially bloom before winter, but it can require more watering and weeding. Fall planting may offer cooler conditions, less weed pressure and steadier moisture. Newly planted native plants may spend their first, and sometimes second, growing season establishing roots before flowering heavily. Leave some stems and seed pods over winter to provide habitat.
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