Attracting Pollinators
Top Pollinator-Friendly Plants For Your Atlanta-Area Garden
Spring is the perfect time to revamp your garden and create a pollinator haven. Pollinators, such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, play an essential role in our ecosystem by helping plants reproduce. By adding pollinator-friendly plants to your garden, you create a beautiful landscape and support these vital creatures. In this blog post, we'll explore some of our favorite pollinator-attracting annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs. These varieties can typically be found at The Family Tree Garden Center at different points throughout the spring, summer, and fall seasons, so stop by regularly to see what we have in stock. Let's dive in!
Annual Flowers
Annuals are plants that complete their life cycle in one growing season, from seed to flower to seed again. They add a burst of color to your garden and are often easy to grow and maintain. Here are some fantastic annual options that will bring vibrancy to your garden and provide nectar and pollen to attract pollinators.
Zinnias (Zinnia spp.) - Zinnias are known for their vibrant, showy flowers that come in a wide range of colors, including red, orange, pink, purple, and white. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making them a perfect addition to a sunny garden spot. Zinnias are beloved by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) - Sunflowers are not only a favorite among gardeners but also among pollinators, especially bees. These towering plants produce large, cheerful flowers of various colors, such as yellow, orange, and red. They require full sun and well-draining soil to thrive.
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) - Marigolds are easy-to-grow annuals that produce bold, bright flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. They are known to attract butterflies and can also deter some common garden pests. Marigolds are low-maintenance and grow best in full sun with well-draining soil.
Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) - Cosmos are easy-to-grow annuals that produce delicate, daisy-like flowers in various colors, including white, pink, and red. They are a favorite among pollinators like bees, butterflies, and even birds, such as goldfinches. Cosmos thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, making them a great addition to any pollinator-friendly garden.
Perennial Flowers
Perennials are plants that live for two years or more, returning each spring, summer, or fall to provide color and texture to your garden. These plants are an excellent choice for building a long-lasting, pollinator-friendly garden, as they offer a reliable source of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds year after year. Here are some of our perennial top picks for your Georgia garden.
Coneflower (Echinacea spp.) - Coneflowers are versatile and hardy perennials, producing daisy-like flowers in shades of pink, purple, white, and yellow. They are drought-tolerant and grow well in full sun or partial shade. Coneflowers are a favorite among pollinators, attracting bees, butterflies, and even birds.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) - This sun-loving perennial is known for its golden-yellow flowers with a dark brown center. Black-eyed Susans are easy to grow and tolerate a variety of soil types. They are a favorite among bees and butterflies, giving your garden a burst of color.
Salvia (Salvia spp.) - Salvia is a diverse genus of plants with many varieties, well-suited for the Atlanta area. Their tubular flowers come in various colors, including blue, purple, red, and white. Salvias are beloved by hummingbirds and bees, growing well in full sun with well-draining soil.
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) - Milkweed (aka Butterfly Weed) is a must-have for any pollinator-friendly garden, as it is the only plant on which monarch butterfly caterpillars can feed. The fragrant flowers come in shades of pink, orange, and white, attracting bees and butterflies. Milkweed grows best in full sun and well-draining soil.
Flowering Shrubs
Flowering shrubs provide structure and interest to your garden while also serving as a vital food source and habitat for pollinators. These woody plants add height and visual appeal, creating a backdrop for your annuals and perennials. Consider adding some of these flowering shrubs to your garden to attract and support a variety of pollinators.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) - This fast-growing shrub is a magnet for butterflies and hummingbirds. Butterfly bushes produce long, fragrant flower spikes in purple, pink, white, and yellow colors. They thrive in full sun and well-draining soil and require minimal maintenance.
Azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) - are a classic Southern garden favorite known for their stunning spring blooms. They produce clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink, red, and purple. Azaleas attract pollinators like bees and butterflies and prefer partial shade with well-draining, acidic soil. Most traditional azaleas grown in the south are evergreens, and Encore azaleas are reblooming, so you and your pollinators can enjoy three seasons of blooms.
Abelia (Abelia x grandiflora) - Abelia is a versatile, low-maintenance shrub that produces fragrant, tubular flowers from spring to fall. The flowers come in shades of pink and white and attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Abelias grow well in full sun to partial shade and tolerate various soil types.
Viburnum (Viburnum spp.) - Viburnums are a diverse group of flowering shrubs with species well-suited to the Atlanta area. They produce clusters of fragrant, white, or pink flowers in the spring, followed by colorful berries that attract birds. Viburnums prefer full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil.
Visit The Family Tree Garden Center For More Suggestions
Adding pollinator-friendly plants to your Atlanta-area garden will create a beautiful and vibrant landscape and support the vital ecosystem services pollinators provide. By incorporating a mix of annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs, you can ensure a continuous supply of nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds throughout the growing season. Be sure to visit The Family Tree Garden Center in Snellville, Georgia, for more options and advice on planting and maintaining these plants in your garden. Happy gardening!
