How to attract native pollinators?

Native plants with specific associations with pollinators will probably perform best if matched to the types of soil and climates in your area. If you are in an arid region, for example, desert marigold supports digger bees, whereas swamp milkweed in wetter areas supports monarchs. These plants have co-evolved with local pollinators and offer the exact ratios of nectar and bloom times that pollinators need.

Grouping goldenrod in clusters of five or more is highly effective, and bees can forage rapidly and efficiently when they are in a relatively dense patch of plants. A client with a milkweed patch that is 6 feet by 8 feet produced 23 monarch chrysalises the summer before last. Spacing plants 18 inches apart achieves some balance around airflow and access for pollinators.

Leave patches of bare soil near your groundsel bushes for the mining bees. I use small rocks to market so my family doesn't accidentally step on them. Overwintered stems of your coneflower plants are habitats for leafcutter bees, emerging when temperatures are above 50°F (10°C) in the spring.

Evening primrose emits a perfume in the evening, drawing forth sphinx moths. Plant these near patios to experience their nightly activity. Bear in mind that outdoor lighting is detrimental; it confuses the moths. Yucca blooms in moonlit gardens can become your private theatre to narrate the flora and fauna's nightly pollination story.

Read the full article: Top Native Pollinator Plants for a Healthy Ecosystem