Kari's Garden Plant List - plants to attract pollinators

Online Plant Catalogue - Bees, Butterflies and other pollinators

Article on plants to attract butterflies, bees and moths

Plants that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators into the garden
Key: [P] Perennial :[A] Annual or tender perennial :[B] biennial : [Bb] Bulb/Corm etc.: [Cl] Climber/Twiner : [H] Hardy :
[HH] Half-hardy : [Sh] Shrub : [T] Tree : ** Scented

Main plant list : Later flowering : Red themed : Scented : Bees & butterflies : Common plant names

Plant name	Description
Achillea [P] Yarrow 'Christel' - rich maroon 'Feuerland' - red/ gold 'Marmalade' - orangey gold 'Walther Funcke' - brick red	Long stems rise up from spreading ground hugging mats of finely ferny leaves. Achilleas are one of the staples of the wilder 'prairie' planting style but also good in more formal plantings. Height 36 inches+ [90cm] in flower Detail
Agastache nepetoides [P H]	'Giant Yellow Hyssop.' A US native of sunny wood edges and clearings. Needs moist but well draining soil to do well. Tall growing, up to 6 feet [1.6m] with spikes of off-white to yellow flowers. Perennial. Bee plant.
Allium [H Bb] tuberosum** Chinese Chives schoenoprasum	A tip-top 'onion' for the later summer-autumn border. Flattish umbels of white flowers go on for ages and attract bees and butterflies. The flowers are sweetly scented with an onion twist! Eventually builds up substantial clumps to 20 - 34 ins [50-80cms] in height in flower. Works well for both cottage and naturalistic styles. A white version of the garden chive. Decorative in a flowerbed. Attracts bees
Aquilegia [P H] 'Milk and Honey' 'Roman Bronze'**	Granny's Bonnets very much a 'cottage garden', plant well loved and reliable. Cream sweetly scented spurred flowers, Height in flower 24-30ins. [60cm] Intense yellowy/bronze foliage topped by deep violet flowers, 24ins [60cm]
Asclepias incarnata [P H] 'Ice Ballet' 'Soulmate'	Swamp Milkweed, native to the US from Canada to Florida. Prefers a moist soil, in the wild can be found on pond and stream margins. Flowers from mid summer into September. The white flowers are attractive to butterflies. Pinky flowers on this selection.
Astrantia [P H] 'Hadspen Blood' & 'Ruby Wedding'	These red 'Hattie's pincushions' are proving very popular, Maybe not haute gardenista any more but still causing a stir for both cottage gardeners and the wild prairie planters. Fairly adaptable as to soil and sun/shade.
Berkheya purpurea [P H]	A South African thistly thing, spikey foliage and lavender flowers all summer, likes it hot and dry [well drained in the winter]. 15 - 25 ins [40-60cm]
Buddleja [Sh/T H] davidii 'Border Beauty' davidii 'Nanho Blue'** loricata saligna	The 'Butterfly Bush' - more to come later in the growing season. A lovely rich violet-red Finer leaved and looser growing than other B.davidii cultivars, thinnish spikes of intense deep purple-blue. Another evergreen buddleja, with thick nubbly leaves, white underneath. Off white/cream flowers in summer, has proved to be pretty hardy so far in S.Somerset. 'False Olive' or 'Lelothwane'. Evergreen with white 'puffy' flowers. Apparently used to treat coughs and colds. The flowers attract bees and moths. Detail
Centaurea [P H] scabiosa kotschyana **	A native of our chalk uplands providing long lasting colour in July and August. Rayed and fringed variably amethyst-purple flowerheads. Can take fairly dry conditions in sun. European native, Lowish growing, very dark purple waxy 'thistly' heads and a noticable sweet scent. Moistish soil in sun.
Cerinthe major 'Purpurascens' [A]	Another plant that has had its day in the fashion limelight? Purple-blue hooded flowers and glaucous foliage. This family are commonly called Honeyworts as they are rich in nectar - the bees love them. Detail
Cirsium rivulare 'Atropurpureum' [P]	Has this one also had its five minutes of fame? I hope not. A big plant at Chelsea a couple of years ago in the Oudolf/Maynard garden. Deep purple thistly flowers, spiky mats of foliage, moistish soil in sun, good for bees. Will seed around if happy.
Cobaea scandens [Cl A]	The 'Cup-and-Saucer' vine from Mexico. Big fat flowers start white and then age to blue. Apparently pollinated by flies when white and bees when blue. Forms winged seed pods which are quite showy. A multipurpose vigorous annual.
Daucus carota [H B] Wild Carrot	Filigree fine foliage and white umbellifer flowerheads in later summer, for dryish places. A biennial which will flower in 2005. Detail
Digitalis [P H] parviflora grandiflora	Dense clustered spires of small purple- brown 'bells'. A native of Southern Europe makes about 2 - 3ft [60-90cm]. Fat yellow bells to about 2ft [60cm].
Dracocephalum grandiflorum [P H]	Dragonhead - in the labiate family which means it is a good bee plant. Grows 6 -12 ins [30cm] in height, large deep blue flowers in summer.
Echinacea [P H] paradoxa purpurea 'Rubinstern'	The quintessential prairie daisy, sun, not too dry a soil. A yellow flowered echinacea from Arkansas and Texas. Big bold daisy flowers. [Few only] A good strong clear purple and a well proportioned flower.
Euphorbia mellifera [Sh H/HH] **	Not the 'normal' sort of Euphorbia.Waxy red, honey scented 'flowers' in late Spring. Not totally hardy. Detail
Foeniculum vulgare [P] 'Purpureum'**	Purple Fennel, in time the purple-bronze feathery foliage makes a stately airy presence 6 - 7 feet tall. Lovely when the yellow seed heads contrast with the foliage in the red border.
Galactites tomentosa [A]	A thistley thing from the Mediterranean area. Silver and green foliage, amethyst flowerheads. Might be good for bees.
Helenium [P H] Sneezeweed	Heleniums are a classic 'daisy' for the late summer border and prairie style plantings. In tones of reds, golds, yellows, browns and bronzes [or combinations thereof!] They seem to go in and out of fashion. I have found that they sometimes take a while to bulk up in the rather dry and exposed position I grow them, after that they are off! I may also have some 'Indianer Sommer' and 'Waldtraut'
Helianthus [A] Sunflower	Velvet Queen multiheaded in rich reds Italian White multiheaded cool off-white
Hyssopus officinalis [P H]	The most gorgeous deep blue flowers and a wonderful bee plant.
Knautia arvensis [P H]	Field Scabious, soft lilac flowers, good for later colour, dry conditions and attracting bees and butterflies.
Kniphofia Red Hot Poker 'Nancy's Red' 'Alcazar'	One of the reddest 'red hot pokers', this is a refined lady not the thumping big red and yellow type. Willing and increases well. Taller growing and more robust in growth with glowing orange heads
Lavandula stoechas [Sh H/HH]**	The Stick-a-Dove lavender, two purple bunny ears and lovely scented foliage.
Lobelia tupa [Sh H/HH]	Chunky red lobelia [nothing like the more familiar L.erinus of pot and basket fame]. Felted leaves topped in July by thick spikes of red tubular flowers. Hardy to around -10°C.
Leonurus cardiaca [P H]	Motherwort, grown for centuries for female complaints. Flowering in August, whorls of white or pinkish purple flowers [typical of the labiate family]. Pungent foliage. One for the wilder areas.
Monarda [P H]** Bergamot 'Adam' 'Mahogany' 'Snow Queen'	'Bee Balm' or Bergamot, originally from the US, the pleasantly scented foliage is an added bonus especially when weeding. Moist soil in sun. Cherry red. Maroon with coloured bracts. White
Nepeta [P H]** parnassica 'Six Hills Giant'	A big one, over 4ft [1.5m], purply flowers and aromatic foliage. So well known, large growing, sprawling, misty blueish flowers for months. Classic underplanting for roses. Watch out for cats in spring!
Nicotiana sylvestris [A B]**	From the woods of Argentina, tall growing, sticky hairy pungent leaves and sprays of downward facing white flowers. Scented especially towards evening when the white flowers shine out in lowering light.
Reseda odorata [A]** Mignonette	Not much to look at, but the yellow/green flower tufts give off a strong pleasant scent. In addition to growing in the summer border, can be grown in pots to enjoy through the winter months. Plant it somewhere that you sit in the garden.
Salvia uliginosa [P H/HH]**	Long waving stems topped with short heads of the skyest blue flowers. Height 6 feet [180cm] or more! Detail
Scabiosa atropurpurea 'Chile Black' [P H/HH]	When in flower a definite 'I want it'. Deep black cushiony heads. Generally hardy, prefers sun and good drainage.
Seseli libanotis [P H] Moon Carrot	A white native umbellifer, lime, dry grassy habitat, rare in Britain.
Solidago x solidaster luteus 'Lemore' [P H]	Very sweet pale lemon flowered 'Golden Rod' up to 3ft [1m] later summer. Good for bees.
Tropaeolum [A/P HH] Nasturtium majus 'Black Velvet' 'Empress of India' 'King Theodore'	Another favourite. I allow the trailing types to self-seed providing a riot of oranges in late summer until the first frosts. Almost black flowers is the promise - non trailing At its best deep red flowers over dark foliage - non trailing From the 1890's almost maroon flowers and dark foliage - non trailing
Verbena bonariensis [P H/HH] **	Stately rigid stems making 6 feet or more, topped by corymbs of small purple flowers. Flowers for ages from July onwards. Honey scented, attractive to bees and butterflies. Can overwinter outside, depends how harsh the weather gets. Will normally self seed around.
Vernonia gigantea [P H]	'Ironweed' from the US, another bee and butterfly attracter. Dark violet-blue flowers on plants that could make up to 5ft. Flowering late summer to autumn.
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Main plant and price list : Later flowering : Red themed : Scented : Bees & butterflies : Common plant names

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