​Matching Plants to Pollinators

By Angela Attia, Master Gardener Volunteer

Many of us know that Monarch caterpillars need milkweed, but what about gardening for other pollinators? We can garden for beauty AND create specific habitat for other pollinators whose unique food and habitat sources are dwindling. We just might make a difference for that species in our area.

What does all wildlife need? Food (nectar, fruit, leaves, seeds), water, shelter, and places to raise their young. Some pollinators are adaptable generalists while some have extremely specific needs. Usually, adults need nectar and pollen while the immature forms of some pollinators, like caterpillars, feed on leaves. Sometimes they can be the same plant for adults and larvae, like for the Monarch butterfly, but this is not always the case.

What are some examples? Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), along with other plants in the parsley family, is a host plant for the Black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar (Papilio polyxenes). But the adult butterflies feed on phlox, milkweed, cosmos and many other flowering plants. The Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) larval host plant is, of course, the Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) but also sassafras (Sassafras albidum). What about bees? The Spring Beauty Miner bee (Andrena erigeniae) just needs the nectar and pollen of Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica) to make it through the season. Another native, the Mining bee (Andrena violae), feeds on native violets (Great spangled fritillary butterfly larvae need them, too, so don’t kill those when they pop up!).

If you aren’t interested in getting extremely specific in your plant choices, the best way to cover your bases is to make sure you have a variety of native flowers: compact, bell-shaped, tubular, and ideally continuous blooms all season long. Also make sure to include understory shrubs and trees that feed a variety of species and provide protection and shelter. Avoid too many non-native, and especially invasive, species of plants as they compete with local flora which are habitat sources.

Personally, I love to see hummingbirds and I don’t want to use a feeder, so I tend to lean more heavily on tubular flowers. I also look for flowers that bloom early like wild geranium or cranesbill (Geranium maculatum) which provide food for native bees emerging in early spring. But we all need to remember to plant enough of each variety of plant; a single plant or two won’t be enough to provide for the specific species we might be trying to support.

It is fun to garden for specific ecology, planting for what we want to see more of in the world. Also, when we increase the number of pollinators in our area, we benefit not just from the sight of bees buzzing and butterflies flying but also an increase in things like food production and other eco-system services. Win, win.

Further readings:

Selecting Plants for Pollinators (Pollinator Partnership)

https://pollinator.org/PDFs/Guides/EasternBroadleaf.Oceanic.TOCinteractive.May.2024.rx20.pdf

Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects (Xerces Society)

https://xerces.org/sites/default/files/publications/22-026_01_NPPBI%E2%80%94Northeast_web.pdf

Native Plants and Pollinators

https://albany.cce.cornell.edu/gardening/native-plants-pollinators

"Pollinators of Native Plants” by Heather Holm

https://www.pollinationpress.com/store/p5/pollinatorsofnativeplants.html