Which Plants Helped Pollinators In My Garden?

Which Bug is This?

The lovely critter featured in the above photo is just one of the many pollinators that my
garden provided nourishment for over the summer. Is it a bee? No, it's actually another
kind of pollinator called a flower fly (hover fly). It has bigger eyes and shorter antennae
(or feelers) than a bee - I learned to spot the difference this summer. Since some flower
fly larvae consume aphids, flower flies are honoured guests in my garden.

Which Plant is This?

The flower pictured above is Echinacea, or coneflower. My garden's bees and flies
liked this plant. Not all plants were as popular with the pollinators, though. I'll tell you
what worked ... and what didn't.

Food Sources for Pollinators in My Garden

When certain plants in my garden bloomed, the pollinators (bees, butterflies, flies, 

hummingbirds and even beetles) feasted on nectar and pollen provided by the flowers. 

Here's are three lists of some plants that enticed pollinators:

Herbs

• oregano 
• sage
• lavender
• mint
• basil
• chives

Canadian plants

• prairie onion / Allium stellatum
• alpine columbine
• blanket flower / Gaillardia
• Echinacea
• Sedum spathulifolium
• gayfeather / Liatris spicata
• tickseed / Coreopsis
• Aster
• Penstemon

Garden ornamentals

• Heliotrope
• Alyssum Frosty Knight
• pincushion flower / Scabiosa Butterfly Blue
• hardy fuschia
• Veronica spicata First Love
• hyssop / Agastache Blue Fortune
• silver feather / Centaurea
• sea holly / Eryngium Blue Hobbit

So now you have an idea of what worked, but unfortunately, some plants failed to

feed my garden's critters. Read on to see what didn't work . . .

Enticing Plants that Didn't Feed Pollinators

Some of my devious garden plants advertised themselves to pollinators with striking 

blooms, but those attractive blooms failed to deliver nectar and pollen to any pollinators 

that came by for a closer look. Here's a list of some plants that didn't feed pollinators: 

• Pelargoniums, and certain hybridized Geraniums
• Petunias
• Gerbera daisies
• Double dahlias
• Delphiniums 
• Snapdragons
• Impatiens
• Miniature roses
• Pansies

Of course, you may find the odd exception in your garden, but I'm sure that my 

observations about what doesn't attract pollinators holds true in most situations. 

Next Steps

The summer was a bit of a turning point for me. After I became more aware of 

pollinators, I found that it was impossible for me to garden without taking 

their needs into account. 

So what did I do? Throw out my favourite double dahlia ('shudder')? Check back 

on Monday to find out . . .