Pollinator Info
Without the actions of pollinators, agricultural economies, our food supply, and surrounding landscapes would collapse. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce.
Pollinating animals travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies in a vital interaction that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants – the very plants that bring us countless fruits, vegetables, and nuts, ½ of the world’s oils, fibers and raw materials. They also prevent soil erosion and increase carbon sequestration This nearly invisible ecosystem service is a precious resource that requires attention and support and in disturbing evidence found around the globe, is increasingly in jeopardy.
Pollinator populations are changing. Many pollinator populations are in decline and this decline is attributed most severely to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats. Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations. In some cases there isn’t enough data to gauge a response, and this is even more worrisome.
How can I help the pollinators?
One of the easiest ways to help the pollinators is to choose plants that are beneficial for them. Below is a list of all of the different trees, shrubs and perennials that benefit pollinators.
Perennials & Grasses
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Bloom time | Plant type |
| Little Bluestem | Schizachyrium scoparium | Fall | Grass |
| Prairie Dropseed | Sporobolus heterolepsis | Fall | Grass |
| Switch Grass | Panicum virgatum | Fall | Grass |
| Golden Alexander | Zizia Aurea | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Wild Cranesbill | Geranium maculatum | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Common Spiderwort | Tradescantia ohiensis | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Lungwort | Pulmonaria | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Virginia Bluebells | Mertensia virginica | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| False Indigo | Baptisia australis | Spring (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Pale Purple Coneflower | Echinacea pallida | Spring (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Foxglove Beardtongue | Penstemon digitalis | Spring (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Catmint | Nepeta | Spring (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Purple Prairie Clover | Dalea purpurea | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| White Wild Indigo | Baptisia alba | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| False Sunflower | Heliopsis | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Milkweed | Asclepias | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Bee Balm | Monarda | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Black Eyed Susan | Rudbeckia | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Coreopsis | Coreopsis | Summer (Early/Mid) | Perennial |
| Allium | Allium | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Hyssop | Agastache | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Ironweed | Vernonia | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Blazing Star (Rough or Marsh) | Liatris | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Cardinal Flower | Lobelia | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Russian Sage | Perovskia | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Joe Pye Weed | Eupatorium | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Mountain mint | Pycnanthemum virginianum | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Culver’s Root | Veronicastrum virginicum | Summer (Mid/Late) | Perennial |
| Aster | Symphyotrichum | Fall | Perennial |
| Sedum | Sedum | Fall | Perennial |
| Goldenrod | Solidago | Fall | Perennial |
| Turtlehead | Chelone | Fall | Perennial |
| Salvia- | Salvia | Spring (Mid/Late) | Perennial/Annual |
| Pennsylvania Sedge | Carex pensylvanica | Sedge |
Trees & Shrubs
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Bloom time | Plant type |
| Vernal Witchhazel | Hamamelis vernalis | Spring (Early/Mid) | Large Shrub |
| Oakleaf Hydrangea | Hydrangea quercifolia | Summer | Large Shrub/Small Tree |
| Ninebark | Physocarpus | Spring (Mid/Late) | Shrub |
| Button Bush | Cephelanthus occientalis | Summer (Mid/Late) | Shrub |
| Butterfly Bush | Buddleia | Summer (Mid/Late) | Shrub |
| Chokeberry | Aronia | Spring (Mid/Late) | Shrub |
| Cornelian Cherry Dogwood | Cornus mas | Spring (Early/Mid) | Tree |
| Seven-Son Flower | Heptacodium miconioides | Fall | Tree |
| Serviceberry | Amelanchier | Spring | Tree |
| Linden | Tilia americana | Spring (Late) | Tree |
| Tuliptree | Liriodendron tulipiera | Summer (Early) | Tree |
