LEARN • POLLINATOR GARDENING

Pollinator Gardening

Plant with purpose and help support the pollinators that keep our landscapes thriving.

Create a Garden That Gives Back

You don’t need a large yard to create valuable habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. By choosing native plants, providing flowers throughout the growing season and reducing pesticide use, even a small garden can become an important source of food and shelter.

Whether you’re planting a new garden or simply adding a few pollinator-friendly plants to your existing landscape, every flower helps.

Close-up of pink coneflowers with bees collecting nectar in a garden.

Start With a Few Simple Steps

Line drawing of a tree with a wide canopy and a sturdy trunk

ADD TREES & SHRUBS

Pollinator gardens aren't limited to flowers. Native trees and shrubs provide nectar and pollen while also offering shelter and serving as host plants for caterpillars and other insects.

Pesticides can harm beneficial insects along with the pests they are intended to control. Whenever possible, choose pollinator-friendly alternatives and use pesticides sparingly.

REDUCE PESTICIDES

A simple line drawing of a flower with five petals, a central circle, two leaves, and a stem.

Keep something blooming from early spring through late fall. A succession of flowers provides pollinators with a more dependable food source throughout the growing season.

PLANT FOR THREE SEASONS

Simplified drawing of two yellow leaves connected at the stem

Native plants are especially valuable because they have evolved alongside our local pollinators. They provide the nectar, pollen and habitat that bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects need to thrive.

PLANT NATIVE

A yellow drop of liquid with ripples around it on a white background.

A shallow source of clean water can benefit bees, butterflies and other wildlife. If you don't have a natural water source nearby, consider adding a birdbath or other shallow water feature.

PROVIDE WATER

Keep Your Garden Blooming

Provide flowers throughout the growing season.

Spring photo of purple iris flowers with green foliage in the background.

Close-up image of colorful flowers, including yellow Black-Eyed Susans and pink Purple Coneflowers, with green leaves in the background and a "Summer" banner at the top.

Close-up of colorful fall flowers including purple asters, yellow goldenrod, and blue lobelia in a garden setting.

Think Beyond Flowers

NATIVE SHRUBS

Consider adding native shrubs such as Buttonbush, Ninebark, Sweet Pepperbush, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Arrowwood Viburnum and Red Osier Dogwood.

Shrubs can provide nectar, pollen, shelter and nesting habitat while adding structure to your landscape.

NATIVE TREES

Trees can be some of the most valuable plants in a pollinator-friendly landscape. Consider species such as:

Oak • Black Gum • American Linden • Flowering Dogwood • Eastern Redbud • Serviceberry • Red Maple • Tulip Poplar • Black Willow • American Holly

Many native trees provide pollen or nectar and also serve as host plants for the larvae of butterflies and moths.

Garden tip about planting different bloom times for continuous color and supporting pollinators.

A Pollinator Garden Can Start Anywhere

A garden path made of cobblestones surrounded by pink, purple, and green flowering plants.

You don't have to redesign your entire yard. Start with one garden bed, replace a small patch of lawn, add a native shrub or tree, or simply introduce a few more native flowering plants.

Over time, those small choices can create a landscape that is beautiful for you—and much more welcoming to pollinators.

Black and white photo of a dog lying on a blanket.

Want to Learn More?

Explore these resources for more information about native plants and creating pollinator-friendly landscapes:

Xerces Society →

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pollinator Resources →

DNREC Pollinator Resources →

Bringing Nature Home — Douglas W. Tallamy →

Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States — Tony Dove and Claudia Woolridge →