Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees love this long-blooming perennial—and you will too

Plus, it blooms across many zones.

Key Takeaways

• Butterfly milkweed stands out as a top pollinator magnet thanks to its vivid blooms, long blooming season, and role as a host plant for key butterfly species.
• Mixing native plants like clustered mountain mint, asters, and red hot poker ensures a steady buffet for pollinators from spring through fall.
• Choosing regionally appropriate, nectar-rich plants not only boosts garden biodiversity but also supports pollinators through critical stages like migration and overwintering.

When a pollinator zooms into your yard, it feels like you’ve won the nature lottery. From tiny honey bees to whirring hummingbirds to fluttering butterflies, these little creatures bring on the whimsy and are a sign you’re doing something right in your garden to attract them in the first place. That said, certain native plants serve as Vegas-style “Welcome!” signs to pollinators, encouraging them to pay you a visit. 

Mary Phillips, head of native plant habitat at the National Wildlife Federation, says that pollinators are most attracted to showy, colorful, and fragrant blooming flowers. And if the flower has a bowl-shaped silhouette or groupings of flowers, even better. There are lots of native plants to attract local pollinators to your garden, but we’re showcasing the best of the best. (You know, for a guaranteed drop-by.)

The Best Native Plant to Attract Pollinators 

Ultimately, different pollinators are attracted to different flowers, and every region has its own selection to choose from. However, if we’re talking about a more universal native plant to attract pollinators, butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) has to be one of the best. 

“Butterfly milkweed has showy clusters of vibrant red to orange, tubular blooms attract a wide variety of pollinators, including butterflies, moths, native bees, beetles, and hummingbirds,” Phillips explains. She adds, “It’s also a larval host plant for the monarch and queen butterflies, tussock moth, and red milkweed beetle.” 

As a bonus, butterfly milkweed blooms across a wide range of climates (zones 3 through 9) and has an extended blooming season that lasts from June through September. This keeps the buzzy insects happy and thriving well beyond the summer months. 

Other Native Plants That Attract Pollinators  

Since different pollinators love different things, your best approach is to plant a diverse mix of regionally native flowering plants that bloom at different times throughout the growing season. Here are some additional options to scatter in your garden. 

Clustered Mountain Mint (Pycananthemum muticum)

Another top contender for “best of the best” native plant for pollinators is the clustered mountain mint (Pycananthemum muticum). “For three months during the summer, this three-foot-tall perennial is covered in very attractive white bracts, and above the bracts are dome-shaped flower heads that are covered in an abundance of very tiny, lavender-pink, nectar-rich, tubular flowers,” notes Andrew Bunting, vice president of horticulture at Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. 

Asters (Symphyotrichum)

Asters offer essential nectar and pollen in late summer and fall, supporting migrating pollinators and helping bees build up reserves for overwintering when other food sources are scarce, Phillips says. There are also a variety to choose from, including the New England aster, New York aster, Smooth aster, and Calico aster

Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)

Another go-to choice for a pollinator-friendly planting is Kniphofia, more commonly known as Red Hot Poker. “The flowers range in color from pale yellow through to orange and fiery red depending on the species, cultivar, and variety,” says Kelly Dyer, horticultural lead and ‘plant doctor’ at Patch Plants. “It’s a late summer flowering perennial plant that likes full sun and is drought-tolerant, so perfect for dry-garden planting and climate change resilience.” 

Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

The common sunflower is perhaps one of the most fun native plants to grow yourself. “Sunflower heads are filled with hundreds of tiny florets that provide an abundant source of nectar and pollen throughout the summer into early fall,” Phillips tells us. “It’s also a larval host plant for various butterfly and moth species, including the silvery checkerspot.” It blooms mid-summer to early fall with blooms lasting two to four weeks. Stagger your plantings to enjoy blooms throughout the season.

Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale)

This early flowering annual is a favorite for bumblebees, Dyer says. It’s pollen-heavy and has large, open flowers that allow this larger insect to easily feast. It also helps that it’s a gorgeous flower with a unique silhouette. Dyer says you can plant it alone, though it’s also often found in wildflower seed mixes, which contain an assortment of pollinator-friendly plants. This colorful flower typically blooms from late spring to early summer.