Pollinator Garden Planner
Bees and butterflies need forage from the first warm days to frost, not one big June bloom and then nothing. Pick from these widely native plants and watch your bloom calendar fill, so there is always something flowering, and see exactly where the gaps are.
Choose your plants
Plant for the whole season
A pollinator garden lives or dies on its calendar. Early-spring bloomers like pussy willow and serviceberry feed queen bumblebees the moment they wake; midsummer's coneflowers and bee balm carry the peak; and the late goldenrods and asters fuel monarchs and the bees stocking up for winter, the most overlooked and most important stretch of all. Aim for at least three kinds of plant blooming at any time, plant in clumps so they are easy to find, and leave the stems standing over winter for the insects that shelter in them.
Plant list curated from USDA PLANTS (public domain) and Xerces Society pollinator guidance. Confirm a plant is native and non-invasive in your area with your local extension office or native plant society before planting. Bloom months are typical and run later the farther north you are.