Pollinator-Friendly Native Plant Lists

(Photo: Xerces Society / Jennifer Hopwood)

We've prepared the following lists of recommended native plants that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders.

These lists are not intended to be exhaustive, but reflect a "best-of" approach identifying plants known from various trials and research efforts to provide a number of benefits to a diversity of pollinators, are regionally appropriate, and highly adaptable to a range of growing conditions.

For more plant suggestions, see all Plant Lists in our Publications Library, or check out our books 100 Plants to Feed the Bees and Gardening for Butterflies. Use our Pollinator Conservation Resource Center for everything from plant lists to habitat establishment guides.

Pollinator Plant Lists

Filter by State

Pollinator Plants: Albuquerque and Santa Fe Region

Pollinator Plants: California

Pollinator Plants: Florida

Pollinator Plants: Great Lakes Region

Pollinator Plants: Maritime Northwest Region

Pollinator Plants: Mid-Atlantic Region

Pollinator Plants: Midwest Region

Pollinator Plants: Northeast Region

Pollinator Plants: Northern Plains

Pollinator Plants: Southeast Region

Pollinator Plants: Southern Plains Region

Additional Resources

Some additional resources and directories we find useful:

United States

Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

Find national and region-specific resources including plant lists, conservation guides, seed mixes, native plant nursery and seed producers, and more in our searchable library.

USDA PLANTS Database - The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center Native Plant Database - This useful database allows you to filter results based upon a number of parameters such as bloom time, light requirements, soil preference and more to find just the right native plant for your needs.

North American Native Plant Societies - a comprehensive list of native plant societies by state or province. Native plant societies can be helpful in finding local nurseries specializing in native plants and for providing suggestions and information about the plants that are native where you live.

Canada

David Suzuki Foundation

Canadian Wildlife Federation

Britain

Royal Horticultural Society

British Beekeepers Association

BBC

BugLife

Switzerland (and France)

Pronatura, Basel, Switzerland. A leaflet about creating a bee-friendly garden (in French).

Mexico

University of Rochester, Minckley Lab

Singapore

Plants in Tropical Cities, by Bee et al. This guide includes photos of 2,800 tropical plants (mostly ornamentals), with a list of those attractive to butterflies and to birds at the back.

Australia

Native Bees on Wildflowers in Western Australia, by Terry F. Houston (June 2000). Perth, WA: Western Australian Museum. p. 41. ISBN 0-646-39816-4

New Zealand

Trees for Bees. Plant lists for gardens and farms.

Kenya (East Africa)

Our Friends The Pollinators: A Handbook of Pollinator Diversity and Conservation in East Africa

Pollinator Conservation Seed Mixes

Our partners in the native seed industry are offering specially designed, Xerces-approved wildflower seed mixes.

Seed Mixes

Pollinator-Friendly Parks

To support the work being done by park managers across the country, the Xerces Society has recently released Pollinator-Friendly Parks: Enhancing Our Communities by Supporting Native Pollinators in Our Parks and Other Public Spaces.