19 Native Plants for Pollinators in Southwest Gardens
With pollinator populations in decline, gardens that help sustain them are more important than ever. If you're a gardener in the Southwest looking for native plants to add to your space, here are some great recommendations from beekeeper and gardener Melissa Strauss.
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Pollinators of many kinds are experiencing a population decline. As gardeners, we have the unique privilege of knowing that we can make real strides in helping to preserve these important garden helpers. One of the prevailing reasons for the loss of these important animals and insects is the loss of their natural habitats. From the Northeast to the Southwest, pollinator gardens are becoming increasingly important.
The loss of native food sources and host plants leaves many pollinators with limited breeding spaces. I hear from friends all the time how butterfly sightings are fewer and occur in a smaller window than ever before. At least a quarter of North American bumblebee species are currently under threat of extinction.
Preserving populations begins with restoring habitats where these creatures can reproduce. For many, that includes the addition of native nectar sources, as well as larval host plants. As a gardener in the Southwestern United States, here are some plants you can add to your garden to help support your local pollinators.
Colorado Blend Yarrow Seeds
This hardy, low-maintenance plant can be grown in just about any well-drained soil. Sturdy, straight stems with feathery, finely-cut leaves are topped with large, long-lasting flower clusters in shades of red, rose, pink, yellow, and white. They make wonderful cut flowers, and what’s left in the garden will attract beneficial insects.
Yellow Elder
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common name Yellow Elder |
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botanical name Tecoma stans |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 10’-25’ |
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hardiness zones 9-11 |
If you love to watch hummingbirds, you’ve simply got to plant yellow elder in your yard. I’ve seen a lot of plants that attract these tiny birds, but none quite as well as yellow elder. It’s resistant to most pests and diseases, semi-evergreen, and highly attractive to butterflies as well. It’s easy to grow from seeds and cuttings and requires little care.
Yellow elder, also called yellow bells, is a small tree or large shrub that produces large clusters of tubular yellow flowers. They hang toward the ground, which is where the common name yellow bells comes from. It’s such a wonderful plant that it earned an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Wild Bergamot
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common name Wild Bergamot |
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botanical name Monarda fistulosa |
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sun requirements Ful sun to partial shade |
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height 2’-4’ |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Wild bergamot is a great source of nectar for native bees and other pollinators. It’s also a host plant for several species of moth. A host plant is the larval food for a particular insect and where they typically lay their eggs. The loss of hosts leads to a significant decline in the species. This herb is a great one to add to your patch.
Wild bergamot thrives in most environments. It’s not picky about soil, and once established, it’s fairly drought tolerant. In addition to attracting beneficial insects, its oils repel several types of nuisance insects, including mosquitoes. It has aromatic foliage that makes a nice tea and pretty purple flowers.
Desert Globemallow
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common name Desert Globemallow |
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botanical name Sphaeralcea ambigua |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 3’-4’ |
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hardiness zones 6-9 |
Speaking of host plants, desert globemallow plays host to several butterfly species, including the West Coast Lady, Painted Lady, Gray Hairstreak, and many species of Skippers. It has few enemies in the world of pests and diseases and isn’t bothered by hot or dry weather.
This small shrub is an attractive landscape element that produces tons of flowers. The blooms are most often orange but can come in other colors, such as pink, white, or lavender. It’s great for water-wise gardens, and it is intolerant of wet winter. It blooms through three seasons and self-seeds, making up for its shorter lifespan.
Woods’ Rose
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common name Woods’ Rose |
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botanical name Rosa woodsii |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3’-6’ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
Planting Woods’ roses in your yard can help preserve bumblebee populations. Bumbles are my favorite pollinators (don’t tell my honeybees that), I love to see them poking around my flower beds. This wild rose is native to a large portion of North America, and it’s as pretty as it is useful. It also attracts butterflies, bats, and several other bee species.
The small shrubs form clusters of fragrant, pink flowers that can be up to four inches across. They’re great for preventing erosion and produce an abundance of hips every two years. Hips are a good food source for birds and other animals. They’re also full of vitamin C and make tasty jellies and desserts.
Fragrant Sand Verbena
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common name Fragrant Sand Verbena |
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botanical name Abronia fragrans |
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sun requirements Partial shade |
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height 1’-3’ |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
Butterflies and moths are the primary pollinators that visit fragrant sand verbena. These pretty blooms release their fragrance, which is quite strong, in the evening, so moths are particularly fond of it. The flowers are borne in terminal clusters. They are tubular, usually white, and have a scent similar to vanilla.
Plant this next to your outdoor living space to enjoy its perfume in the evening. It prefers a bit of shade and dry, sandy soil. It’s great in rocky areas and is mostly pest—and disease-free. This, paired with exceptional drought tolerance, makes it a low-maintenance addition.
Yarrow
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common name Yarrow |
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botanical name Achillea millefolium |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 3’ |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Yarrow is a common garden plant native to North America that is important to many beneficial insect populations. It’s a great source of pollen and nectar for pollinators, and other insects like ladybugs and lacewings love it, too. These are both excellent for controlling nuisance pest populations!
Yarrow is a great all-purpose plant. It’s good for cutting and has attractive foliage and flowers. It’s drought and heat-tolerant, and deer and rabbits won’t bother with it. This is a great option for urban dwellers, as it’s tolerant of pollution.
White Giant Hyssop
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common name White Giant Hyssop |
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botanical name Agastache micrantha |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2’ |
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hardiness zones 5-10 |
White giant hyssop is a type of Agastache, which, in general, is exceptionally attractive to pollinators. They are attractive, long-blooming perennials in the mint family with aromatic foliage and attractive flower spikes that produce a great amount of nectar. They are also edible and make lovely dried flowers.
This plant prefers moist soil, but it’s not picky about soil composition. The small, tubular flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. The extra-long blooming season makes this a wonderful food source, as it blooms from spring to fall, bridging gaps left by other single-season bloomers.
Firecracker Penstemon
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common name Firecracker Penstemon |
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botanical name Penstemon eatonii |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1’-3’ |
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hardiness zones 4-8 |
Penstemons typically need little care, and in particular, they are drought-tolerant and efficient in their use of nutrients. There’s no need to fertilize, and once established, they don’t need much attention at all. Firecracker penstemon is a desert plant with spikes of bright red, tubular flowers that bloom throughout the summer months.
The color and shape of the flowers make these especially appealing to hummingbirds, but butterflies love them, too. They’re great for waterwise gardens, rock gardens, and poor or sandy soil in general.
Pearly Everlasting
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common name Pearly Everlasting |
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botanical name Anaphalis margaritacea |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2’-3’ |
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hardiness zones 3-8 |
I love the name of this one; pearly everlasting just sounds like a beauty, and it is. It’s so lovely that the Royal Horticultural Society gave it an Award of Garden Merit. This perennial is also a host plant for American Lady and Painted Lady butterflies. Even when it’s not in bloom, it is beneficial to these species of butterflies.
Pearly everlasting grows well in sandy and gravelly soil. It starts blooming in mid-summer and continues into the fall. It’s tolerant of poor soil and dry weather and is virtually disease-free. While it is native to much of the United States, it can be a bit aggressive under ideal conditions.
Yerba Mansa
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common name Yerba Mansa |
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botanical name Anemopsis californica |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 10”-20″ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
Yerba mansa depends on pollinators as much as they depend on it. It relies on bees and butterflies for cross-pollination, without which it can’t produce seeds. Fortunately, they are attracted to the aromatic flowers, which have a unique appearance as they lack traditional petals.
Unlike most other Southwestern natives, yerba mansa needs moisture in the soil for survival. In fact, it’s a great bog plant and can survive submersion of up to six inches of water. If you live near a body of water, this perennial will thrive in the immediate area.
Indian Hemp
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common name Indian Hemp |
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botanical name Apocynum cannabinum |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2’-6’ |
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hardiness zones 3-11 |
Indian hemp can be aggressive, so it’s not great for smaller spaces where it can outcompete other important plants. However, if you have space for it, it’s listed as being of ‘very high’ importance to pollinators, according to the USDA-NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). It is a valuable nectar plant, and the fragrant flowers attract bees, butterflies, wasps, and moths.
It’s great for weed suppression and grows well in partially shaded areas. It’s flexible in terms of soil and moisture level, thriving in both moist and dry soil types. It’s pest and disease-resistant, but be careful when cutting it. It contains a milky sap which can irritate the skin.
Golden Columbine
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common name Golden Columbine |
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botanical name Aquilegia chrysantha |
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sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
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height 3’-4’ |
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hardiness zones 3-9 |
Golden columbine is a great ornamental plant with pollinator benefits as well. The pretty yellow flowers have a decently long blooming season and handle partial shade situations well. It’s easy to grow and very pretty, with feathery foliage in addition to its golden blooms.
The blooming season lasts from late spring to late summer, and the primary pollinators are hawkmoths and butterflies. Their long tongues easily access the abundance of nectar in the long spurs. It likes balanced moisture but is drought-tolerant as long as it has some shade.
Antelope Horns Milkweed
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common name Antelope Horns Milkweed |
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botanical name Asclepias asperula |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1’-2’ |
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hardiness zones 7-9 |
Milkweed is the one plant that every pollinator garden needs at least one species of. Fortunately, there are more than 60 species native to North America, so it’s not difficult to find one for your region. In the Southwest, antelope horn, also called spider milkweed, is a great option.
Milkweeds are the sole larval food of the Monarch butterfly. The Monarch population has seen an astronomical decline in recent years, and this plant is vital to their survival. Avoid planting the orange tropical milkweed that is so popular at nurseries. These can carry a parasite that kills the butterflies if the plant doesn’t die back in winter.
Narrowleaf Milkweed
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common name Narrowleaf Milkweed |
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botanical name Asclepias fascicularis |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1’-3’ |
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hardiness zones 6-10 |
Narrowleaf is another species of milkweed native to the Southwestern United States and a great choice for the pollinator garden. It has clusters of pretty pink and white blossoms and pine-needle-like leaves on tall, slender stems.
As a group, milkweeds are sturdy plants that adapt to most environments. There are few pests and diseases that bother them. They are toxic to humans and animals, though, so don’t let curious pets and animals get hold of them.
Heath Aster
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common name Heath Aster |
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botanical name Aster ericoides |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1’-3’ |
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hardiness zones 3-10 |
Asters tend to be good pollinator plants all around, and heath aster is a lovely Southwestern native. This bushy plant has fine foliage and resembles chamomile with laces of tiny, white, daisy-like blossoms. The flowers can nearly obscure the foliage when present.
Heath aster has a long blooming period, from late spring to early fall. It’s easy to grow, low-maintenance, and a great source of pollen and nectar to bees, butterflies, moths, flies, and beetles. It’s also a host for the Pearl Crescent Butterfly.
Desert Marigold
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common name Desert Marigold |
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botanical name Baileya multiradiata |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1’-2’ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
Sweet desert marigolds are a wonderful little plant that works great in waterwise, desert, and xeriscape gardens. Small shrubby plants they have soft, gray-green foliage and delicate stems that support bright yellow flowers. They bloom from spring to fall in flushes that last several weeks.
In their native environment, you’ll find these in open spaces where they get plenty of light. They handle drought well and don’t mind poor and sandy soil. In warm climates, they are evergreen, so they provide year-round interest.
Chocolate Daisy
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common name Chocolate Daisy |
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botanical name Berlandiera lyrata |
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sun requirements Full sun |
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height 1’-2’ |
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hardiness zones 4-10 |
Chocolate daisy is a small, showy perennial with flowers that live up to its name. They look like small, yellow daisies, and they smell like chocolate! These incredible bloomers start in the spring and continue through the fall in colder climates. In warm climates, they can bloom year-round.
The flowers are cheery and decorative, and with their delicious scent, you’ll want to plant them everywhere. They also contain a great deal of nectar, so they are attractive to butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. They are flexible about their environment; they will stand up better in dry conditions and bloom less. In wet conditions, they will bloom better but can become floppy.
Smooth Beggartick
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common name Smooth Beggartick |
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botanical name Bidens laevis |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 1’-6’ |
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hardiness zones 8-10 |
Smooth beggartick is a type of Bidens, which are notoriously popular with pollinators, especially bumblebees. Others love it, too. Butterflies, beetles, flies, and smaller native bees will also visit this excellent nectar source. It has a long blooming season, from mid-summer through fall, providing a good late-season nectar source.
This is a great plant for areas with wet or boggy soil. If you have a spot with poor drainage, smooth beggartick will be quite happy there. Place it in a space that doesn’t get much traffic. The seeds are needlelike and stick to anything that brushes against them.
Scarlet Bouvardia
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common name Scarlet Bouvardia |
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botanical name Bouvardia ternifolia |
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sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
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height 2’-4’ |
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hardiness zones 7-10 |
If you want to make the pollinators happy, and have your garden looking gorgeous at the same time, scarlet bouvardia is perfection. This small shrub is stunning, with bright green foliage and an abundance of bright red flowers that bloom from spring to fall. The flower clusters are large and heavy, causing the stems to arch toward the ground.
For such a pretty plant, this one is exceptionally easy to care for and tolerant of heat and humidity. It’s drought tolerant but looks best with regular watering. The bright blooms are nectar-rich and attract hummingbirds and butterflies in droves.
