Pollinator Garden

What is pollination?

Pollination is the means by which plants produce seeds. It occurs when pollen grains from a flower’s male parts (anthers) are transported to the female part (stigma) of the same species. Most plants cannot set seed without being pollinated. While wind and water can also move pollen, most plants depend on pollinators to transport pollen.

Plants produce scents and/or nectar to attract pollinators. As pollinators collect nectar from one flower, some of the pollen grains attach to their legs, abdomen, and/or other body parts. When the pollinator moves to the next flower, the pollen grains are likewise transported, some of which are then deposited in that flower.

Who are our pollinators?

Pollinators are more than bees, butterflies and birds. They are all of the animals that move pollen between flowers, including moths, wasps, flies, beetles, and some bats.

What Can you Do for Pollinators?

- Provide a wildflower-rich habitat in a sunny spot
- Use native plants which are often the best sources of nectar and pollen for native pollinators and can serve also as larval host plants

Choose a variety of colors and shapes to attract a range of pollinators
Choose plants with bloom times from early spring to late fall
Plant in clumps rather than singly
Combine annuals and perennials

- Create habitat for nesting, resting, egg-laying and larval food

Keep some fallen branches and brush in places in your garden
Provide small patches of bare ground

- Avoid pesticides and herbicides. Herbicides, while normally not directly lethal to insects, can reduce plant diversity and thus essential pollen and nectar for pollinators.
- Provide a water source. Butterflies often congregate on wet sand or mud to drink water and extract minerals from the damp puddles. Many people are familiar with birdbaths, but remember to give birds, as well as bees and other insects, a landing pad so that they can drink the water from the bath.

Overview

The Pollinator Garden is planted with an assortment of both native and non-native shrubs and perennials. Plants chosen are known to be nectar and pollen sources for diversity of pollinators.

Why are pollinators important?

Pollinators are almost as important as sunlight, soil and water to the reproductive success of more than 75% of the world’s flowering plants. They play a key role in our ecosystem and are an essential link in agriculture. They also provide nutrition in the form of seeds and fruits for many wild animals, both large and small.

Where can you find additional information?

WSU's Creating a Hummingbird Garden

WNPS Birds, Bees and Wildlife

WNPS Chart on Pacific Northwest Plants and the Birds that Use Them

NWF Attracting Butterflies

Butterfly Identification in Washington State

OSU Encouraging Beneficial Insects in Your Garden (PNW Pub 550)

OSU Pollinator Garden Designs

WSU Beneficial Insects, Spiders, and Other Mini-Creatures in Your Garden: Who They Are and How to Get Them to Stay (EM067E)

XERCES Pollinator Plants: Maritime Northwest Region

Native plant resources for the Pacific Northwest

XERCES Farming for Pollinators

USDA Pollinator Activity Book for Children

USDA Native Pollinators

North American Pollinator Protection Campaign What is Pollination and What is a Pollinator?

USDA Why is Pollination Important?

USFWS Plant a Pollinator Garden

NPS Pollinators and Climate Change

Pollinator Garden Plant List

#	Botanical Name	Cultivar	Common Name	Native	Pollinators	Bloom Time
1	Achillea millefolium		common yarrow	*	bees, beetles	summer-fall
2	Alchemilla mollis		lady's mantle		bees	summer
3	Aquilegia canadensis	'Pink Lanterns'	columbine		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	spring-early summer
4	Clematis x cartmanii	'Avalanche'	avalanche clematis		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	spring
5	Clematis integrifolia	'Roguchi'	solitary virgin's bower		hummingbirds, butterflies	late summer-fall
6	Clematis	'Daisy garden'	purple clematis		butterflies, hummingbirds	summer
7	Euphorbia griffithii	'Fireglow'	fireglow spurge		bees	summer
8	Hylotelephium	'Autumn Joy'	autumn joy sedum		bees, flies	late summer-fall
9	Lavendula angustifolia		English lavender		bees, butterflies	summer
10	Meconopsis cambrica		yellow Welsh poppy		bees	late spring-fall
11	Narcissus pseudonarcissus		daffodil		bees	early spring
12	Schizostylis coccinea		crimson flag lily		bees, butterflies	late summer-winter
13	Sedum kamtschaticum		orange stonecrop		bees	summer
14	Spiraea japonica	'Walbuma'	magic carpet spirea		butterflies	late spring- summer
15	Tulipa		tulip		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	spring
16	Vaccinium ovatum		evergreen huckleberry	*	hummingbirds, butterflies	spring
17	Verbascum	'Sugar Plum'	mullein		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	spring-summer
1	Achillea millefolium		common yarrow	*	bees, beetles	summer-fall
2	Allium giganteum		giant allium		bees, butterflies	late spring-summer
3	Allium spaerocephalon	'Drumsticks'	drumstick allium		hummingbirds, bees	late spring-summer
4	Anemone nemorosa		wood anemone		bees, hover flies	early spring
5	Aquilegia canadensis	'Pink Lanterns'	columbine		hummingbirds, butterflies, bees	spring-early summer
6	Aquilegia vulgaris		columbine		hummingbirds, butterflies	late spring-early summer
7	Arbutus unedo compacta		dwarf strawberry tree		hummingbirds	fall-winter
8	Asclepias tuberosa		butterfly weed		butterflies, hummingbirds	early summer-fall
9	Borago officinalis		borage	*	bees, syrphid flies	summer
10	Calendula officinalis		calendula, pot marigold		butterflies, bees, hover flies, beetles	spring-fall
11	Campenula rotundifolia		harebell	*	bees	summer-fall
12	Cosmos bipinnatus	'Apricot Lemon'	cosmos		bees, butterflies	summer-fall
13	Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora	'George Davidson'	montbretia		hummingbirds, butterflies	late summer-fall
14	Crocosmia x curtonus	'Lucifer'	montbretia		hummingbirds	summer
15	Digitalis purpurea		common foxglove		bees, hummingbirds	spring-early summer
16	Echinops bannaticus	'Blue Glow'	blue globe thistle		bees, butterflies, hover flies	summer
17	Fuchsia magellanica var. gracilis	'Aurea'	golden leaved hardy fuchsia		hummingbirds, bees	summer-fall
18	Geranium x Rozanne		geranium Rozanne		bees	late spring-fall
19	Geum hybrid	'Fireball'	giant avens		bees, butterflies, beneficial insects	spring-fall
20	Helleborus orientalis		lenten rose		bees, flies, hummingbirds	winter-early spring
21	Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus		yellow daylily		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, flies	summer
22	Heuchera micrantha	'Palace Purple'	coral bells		hummingbirds, bees	late spring-early summer
23	Hylotelephium	'Autumn Joy'	autumn joy sedum		bees, flies	late summer-fall
24	Kniphofia uvaria		yellow-orange torch lily		hummingbirds, beetles	summer
25	Lavandula angustifolia		English lavender		bees, butterflies	summer
26	Lobularia maritima		sweet alyssum	*	bees, butterflies, hummingbirds	spring-late fall
27	Meconopsis cambrica		yellow Welsh poppy		bees	late spring-fall
28	Milium effusum	'Aureum'	golden wood millet grass			spring
29	Moluccella laevis		bells of Ireland		bees	summer
30	Monarda didyma	'Jacob Cline'	bee balm		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	mid-summer
31	Narcissus pseudonarcissus		daffodil	*	bees	early spring
32	Penstemon x glaxinoides	'Garnet'	garnet penstemon		bees, butterflies, hummingbirds	summer
33	Polemonium caeruleum		Jacob's ladder, Greek valerian		bees	spring-early summer
34	Polygonatum		Solomon's seal		bees	spring
35	Potentilla fruiticosa	'Pink Princess'	potentilla	*	bees	late spring-fall
36	Primula	'Sweetheart'	pink primrose		bees	spring
37	Primula	'Corporal Baxter'	double red primrose		bees	spring
38	Rudbeckia fulgida		coneflower		beneficial insects	summer-fall
39	Salvia microphylla		hot lips		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	late spring-fall
40	Schizostylis coccinea		crimson flag lily		bees, butterflies	late summer-winter
41	Sedum album		white stonecrop		bees	summer
42	Sedum spathulifolium		broadleaf stonecrop	*	bees, butterflies	spring-summer
43	Solidago rugosa		goldenrod		bees, butterflies	late summer-fall
44	Spirea japonica	'Walbuma'	magic carpet spirea		butterflies	late spring-summer
45	Tulipa		tulip		hummingbirds, bees, butterflies	spring