In honor of National Pollinator Week, I felt it was important to highlight some great plants that attract different types of pollinators to your yard and garden. 
For those that know me well, I am a bee-lover at heart, but I also get a little choked-up when I see other types pollinators visit my garden too. Therefore, it is important to plant a variety of plants that will attract different types of pollinators. So here it is, my top 10 suggestions of plants that attract bees and beyond:
- Firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii) – frequented by both bees and hummingbirds! See the USDA factsheet for growing information.
- Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) – a really beautiful waterwise plant and host obligate plant (milkweed species) for the monarch butterfly caterpillar. See the USDA factsheet for growing information.
- Parsley and dill – Host plants for black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. See the CSU factsheet for more information.
- Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) – A giant target for all things great in your garden!
- Cosmos – Incorporate them in your garden, get a lawn chair, and relax counting types of bees that visit their flowers.
- Sage – It tastes great, smells great, and is a magnet for many bees, including bumblebees!
- Bee balm (Monarda spp.) – great for bees, great for butterflies and pretty, overall, awesome plant!
- Gooseberryleaf Globemallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia) –quite possibly my favorite plant of all time and a long-blooming target for native bees galore! See the USDA factsheet for growing information.
Globemallow
- Rubber Rabbitbursh (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) – weedy in nature but possibly the best pollinator plant in existence – enough said!
Rubber Rabbitbrush
- Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) – Another one of those magical plants and it tends to bloom late in the growing season when pollinators need a good source of quality pollen and nectar.
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