Most plants with flowers will naturally attract pollinators of some kind here and there. However, if you truly want to support the health of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and the like, some plants do a better job of this than others.
The type of bloom a plant has will affect how many pollinators are attracted. In general, flowers with a single petal display and yellow eye, such as Hibiscus or certain rose types, are very eye-catching to pollinators. Red flowers and blooms with a trumpet shape are the best at luring in hummingbirds. And, of course, butterflies simply cannot resist Butterfly Bush blooms, which are called panicles. This bloom shape is also found on Oakleaf Hydrangeas, which are pollinator friendly too!
Below are five easy-to-grow, flowering shrubs that will help increase the pollinator activity in your garden this season. For even more inspiration, view all our pollinator-friendly plants here.
Peach Perfection® Abelia
This shrub displays attractive, tri-color foliage and white flowers on stunning, red stems. New growth emerges bright orange, eventually turning to yellow and green as it matures, and this foliage holds up well in sun and heat. Peach Perfection® maintains a compact, rounded habit of about three feet and does not throw unruly whips that require trimming.
Brick House® Rose
The single petal display of this rose is very eye-catching to bees. Brick House® roses are available in red, hot pink, and bright orange, and all three varieties rebloom throughout the season with a lot of flower power on each flush. If you’re familiar Knock Out® roses or Drift® roses, the Brick House® series has comparable disease resistance. The size is in between a large shrub and low groundcover, maturing at around three feet.
CranRazz™ Butterfly Bush
Extremely free-flowering, this plant blooms from spring through mid-fall. Its panicles are cranberry red with a yellow eye in each flower and grow an amazing eight inches long – it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds in droves! Mature at around five feet, CranRazz™ is a beautiful focal point for the garden or landscape.
Peach Drift® Rose
Similar to Brick House® roses, Drift® roses have a bloom shape that attracts and supports bees. Peach Drift® has a bit more fragrance than some of the roses in the series, which helps draw in pollinators. It is also a prolific bloomer with excellent disease resistance and remains covered in multicolor flowers all season. At just under two-feet tall, this rose makes a gorgeous drift along a garden border.
Empire® Ice Dragon™ Spiraea
Ice Dragon™ displays attractive foliage on a compact plant. New growth emerges a deep burgundy against blue-green, older foliage for a striking contrast. Pink flowers start blooming in late spring and sporadically rebloom throughout the season. This is a low-maintenance flowering shrub that matures at a versatile four-feet tall and is cold hardy to Zone 4.
