Best Plants for a Pollinator Strip
A pollinator strip is a narrow planting of flowering plants designed to provide pollen and nectar across the growing season. It can be a 3-foot border along a fence, a strip between a lawn and a property line, or a buffer strip adjacent to a vegetable garden. The key is sequential bloom -- not just.
—- title: "Best Plants for a Pollinator Strip" slug: best-plants-for-pollinator-strip hub: plants category: "Plant Lists" description: "The best plants for a pollinator strip: native species with documented bee, butterfly, and beneficial insect value. Bloom sequence, zones, and planting notes." date: 2026-06-10 updated: 2026-06-10 author: "Thomas A." reading_time: 8 —-
A pollinator strip is a narrow planting of flowering plants designed to provide pollen and nectar across the growing season. It can be a 3-foot border along a fence, a strip between a lawn and a property line, or a buffer strip adjacent to a vegetable garden. The key is sequential bloom — not just peak-summer flowers, but something blooming from April through October.
Per the Xerces Society, an effective pollinator planting requires: (1) at least three plant species blooming simultaneously at any given time during the season, (2) bloom from early spring through late fall, and (3) plants of sufficient mass (not just single specimens) for pollinators to efficiently forage.
I grow black-eyed Susan, coneflower, and catmint in my back border. All three are in the pollinator strip category. The catmint in particular is heavily visited by bumblebees from the first bloom day in May.
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Early Bloomers (April–May)
Aquilegia canadensis (Eastern Columbine)
Zones 3–8 | Bloom: April–May | Full sun to part shade
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, eastern columbine is one of the first perennials to bloom, providing early nectar for emerging queen bumblebees and ruby-throated hummingbirds. It self-seeds freely in the garden — allow it to colonize naturally. Tolerates dry shade.
Phlox divaricata (Woodland Phlox)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: April–May | Part shade
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, woodland phlox produces fragrant lavender flowers attractive to early solitary bees and butterflies. Spreads slowly by stolons to form a mat. Works in the shadier end of a pollinator strip under tree canopy.
Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low' (Catmint)
Zones 4–8 | Bloom: May–June, rebloom August | Full sun
I grow catmint in my main border and it is the most heavily visited plant in my yard from the day it opens. Per Missouri Botanical Garden, catmint is exceptionally attractive to bumblebees, small native bees, and honeybees. Not a native plant, but an outstanding pollinator resource.
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Peak Summer Bloomers (June–August)
Monarda fistulosa (Wild Bergamot)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: July–August | Full sun to light shade
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, wild bergamot is a native plant with documented value for native bees, particularly bumble bees and specialist bees in the Anthophora family. Lavender-pink flowers. Spreads by rhizome, forming large clumps. More disease-resistant than M. didyma in most garden conditions.
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: June–September | Full sun
Per Penn State Extension, purple coneflower is one of the highest-value native perennials for pollinators, supporting a wide range of bee species, butterflies, and the specialist bee Ptilothrix bombiformis. The dark central disk is the primary foraging site. Self-sows freely. Per Xerces Society, coneflower is among their recommended plants for supporting declining bee populations.
Rudbeckia fulgida (Black-Eyed Susan)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: July–September | Full sun
Per Penn State Extension and Xerces Society, black-eyed Susan is a high-value native pollinator plant with wide adaptability. The yellow flowers with dark central disk are attractive to a broad range of generalist bees and butterflies.
Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: June–August | Full sun
Per Xerces Society, milkweed species including butterfly weed are the only larval host plants for Monarch butterflies. A. tuberosa prefers dry, well-drained soils and tolerates drought. Vivid orange flowers attract a very wide range of pollinators. Slow to emerge in spring — mark the planting to avoid accidental disturbance.
Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove Beardtongue)
Zones 2–8 | Bloom: May–June | Full sun to part shade
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, foxglove beardtongue is a native with white flowers that are especially attractive to bumblebees. Tolerates clay soil and drought. Self-sows readily. 'Husker Red' (burgundy foliage) is the most commonly cultivated form.
Agastache foeniculum (Anise Hyssop)
Zones 4–8 | Bloom: July–September | Full sun
Per Xerces Society, anise hyssop is among their top-ranked plants for supporting bumblebees. The lavender flower spikes bloom for 6–8 weeks. The plants self-sow and fill gaps naturally. Also recommended by Penn State for pollinator gardens.
Heliopsis helianthoides (Oxeye Sunflower)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: June–September | Full sun
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, oxeye sunflower blooms for 8–10 weeks with yellow flowers that attract a wide range of native bees and butterflies. Native to central and eastern North America. More compact than the annual sunflower at 3–4 feet.
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Late Bloomers (August–October)
Symphyotrichum spp. (Native Asters — formerly Aster)
Zones 4–8 | Bloom: September–October | Full sun to part shade
Per Xerces Society, native asters are among the most important late-season pollinator plants in the northeastern US. They bloom when most other native plants have finished and provide critical late food for queen bumblebees preparing for winter. S. novae-angliae (New England aster, 3–5 feet, zones 4–8) and S. oblongifolius (aromatic aster, 2 feet, zones 4–8) are excellent selections.
Solidago spp. (Goldenrod)
Zones 3–8 | Bloom: August–October | Full sun
Per Penn State Extension and Xerces Society, goldenrod is the single most important fall native plant for pollinators in the eastern US. It is often wrongly blamed for hayfever (it is pollinated by insects, not wind — ragweed is the hayfever culprit). S. rugosa 'Fireworks' (4 feet), S. sphacelata 'Golden Fleece' (18 inches, compact) are good compact selections for borders.
Verbena hastata (Blue Vervain)
Zones 3–9 | Bloom: July–September | Full sun
Per Missouri Botanical Garden, blue vervain produces blue-purple candelabra flowers that are highly attractive to sweat bees and small native bees. Tolerates both wet and average soils. Native to eastern North America.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How large does a pollinator strip need to be? Per the Xerces Society, even very small plantings (3 × 10 feet) provide meaningful foraging habitat if they contain diverse species and bloom sequentially. Larger plantings (50+ square feet) provide enough consistent food to support resident native bee populations rather than just providing incidental foraging.
Should I use cultivars or straight species in pollinator plantings? Per Xerces Society, double-flowered cultivars of native plants often have reduced or absent nectar and pollen — the extra petals replace the reproductive structures. Use single-flowered cultivars or straight species for maximum pollinator value. Some cultivars with altered foliage color (like 'Magnus' coneflower) retain full pollinator value per Xerces.
When should I deadhead pollinator strip plants? Per Penn State Extension, avoid deadheading pollinator strip plants in fall. Allow seed heads to form and persist through winter — seeds feed birds, and the hollow stems of some species (Joe-Pye weed, cup plant) provide overwintering sites for native bees. Cut the planting back in late March before new growth emerges.
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Sources
- Xerces Society — Plants for Pollinators
- Penn State Extension — Attracting Native Bees
- Missouri Botanical Garden — Plant Finder
- NC State Extension — Native Plants for Pollinators