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10 Best Plants For Your Pollinator Garden
By LUCY CLARK
Milkweed
Asclepias, or milkweed, is literally nicknamed butterfly weed due to how attracted butterflies are to it. It can come in a variety of shades and species and is also a favorite among other pollinators like bees and hummingbirds.
Coneflower
Another attractive flower great for pollinator gardens is the coneflower (echinacea), according to Gardener's Path. The flower comes in various colors, including purple, pink, red, orange, white, yellow, and green, and mainly attracts bees and butterflies.
Marigold
The golden yellow marigold, belonging to the tagetes genus, is a great flower to add to your pollinator garden, recommends Homestead and Chill. Marigolds are most commonly grown as annuals, but they can be grown as perennials in USDA hardiness zones 10 and up.
Lavender
The fragrant purple lavender is a great addition to your pollinator garden, as the plant has both pollen and nectar, which makes it particularly attractive to bees. As a bonus, it tends to bloom in a gap in the summer when bees don't have a lot of plants to pollinate from or feed on.
Cow parsnip
Gardener's Path recommends the cloud-shaped, white cow parsnip (Heracleum maximum) for pollinator gardens. The plant is actually a member of the carrot family, growing best in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9 and preferring moist and shady growing conditions.