While a variety of plants can provide food and shelter for pollinators, native plants are best suited to protect and support pollinators in the area. Native plants and pollinators have evolved together to form unique relationships critical to the health of our local ecosystems. Many pollinators feed on specific native species, and some species of plants need certain species of insects or other animals to be pollinated by. Non-native plants may also not provide pollinators with enough nectar or pollen, or may be edible for a range of species.

As a bonus for gardeners, native plants are best adapted to the local climate and growing conditions, making it easier for the plants to thrive for you and the pollinators alike. As you begin to select plants for your native pollinator garden, you may want to keep in mind the flower colors and bloom times of each plant to attract and nourish a variety of pollinator species all year long.

Importance of Bloom Color Variation 

Having a variety of flower colors in your pollinator garden is not only beautiful, but also important in attracting and nourishing different species of native pollinators. Pollinators use different plant traits, such as shape, size, smell, and color, to locate sources of nectar and pollen. As pollinators move between plants collecting nectar, they also move pollen from one plant to the next, fertilizing that plant so it can produce seeds and eventually, new plants. Pollination is a critical part of a plant’s lifecycle. Without pollination, many species of native plants wouldn’t be able to reproduce. 

Flower, or bloom, color is one of the most important reasons that pollinators are attracted to certain plants. Flowers have visually evolved to be as attractive to pollinators as possible, typically through developing specific, and often bright, colors. Different pollinators, however, are attracted to different bloom colors, making it especially important to have a variety of bloom colors in your garden, yard, or habitat. For example, bees are often attracted to purple, violet, and blue flowers, while hummingbirds prefer red and pink blooms. Butterflies enjoy red, orange, yellow, and purple flowers, and moths like lighter-colored flowers, such as white and yellow, that open at night.  

If you’re currently providing a variety of bloom colors in your garden, yard, or habitat, you can complete our Bloom Color Variation form and receive a digital Bloom Color Variation Badge!

You can use the resources below to learn more about providing a variety of different bloom colors for native pollinators in your native pollinator garden: 

• Native Plants for New York State, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Putnam County: a list of pollinator-friendly native plants with bloom colors, specific to New York State 
• Which Flower Colors Best Attract Pollinators & Birds? University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: provides information on the color preferences of different pollinator species 
• Attracting Pollinators to Your Garden, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: includes practices to attract and nourish pollinators, including the importance of bloom color variation 
• Pollinator Color Guide, University of California Cooperative Extension: an easy reference guide for different pollinators’ bloom color preferences   

Importance of Multi-Season Blooms 

Alongside attracting pollinators through variation in bloom color, having a continuous sequence of blooms throughout the year can provide pollinators with food and nesting habitat across multiple seasons. Ideally, having 3-5 plants blooming at all times can provide sufficient resources for pollinators. The best way to provide continuous blooms is by planting a variety of different native plant species.  

Below are some tips, and recommended native plant species, for each season to help you get started: 

 Spring (March to May): Because many species of native pollinators nest or overwinter in the area until spring, having plants that bloom in early spring can help provide food after hibernation. You will also be providing food for pollinators that migrate back to the northern United States in the spring. Recommended species include: 

• Eastern bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana; blooms March to May) 
• Trumpet (coral) honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens; blooms March to June) 
• Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis; blooms April to June) 
• Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera; blooms April to May) 
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium; blooms April to September)

Summer (June to August): Summer is the most abundant month for blooms and the time when pollinator may reach their peak populations! The long days of summer also allow pollinators extra time to access nectar and spread pollen. Species that bloom during this season include: 

• Beebalm (Monarda spp.; blooms June to September) 
• Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum; blooms June to October) 
• Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea; blooms June to October) 
• Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans; blooms June to October) 
• White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima; blooms July to October) 
• Turtlehead (Chelone glabra; blooms July to October) 
• Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum; blooms July to October) 
• Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos; blooms July to September) 
• Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis; blooms July to August) 
• Virgin’s Bower (Clematis virginiana; blooms July to September)  

Autumn (September to November): Ensuring your garden continues to have blooms in the fall is important for pollinators preparing for hibernation or southern migrations. While the weather may start to turn at this time of year, the species below continue to bloom through the fall: 

• Coneflower (Rudbeckia spp.; blooms June to October)
• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.; blooms August to October) 
• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.; blooms September to November) 

While flowers may not bloom in the northeastern U.S. during the winter, many species of pollinators continue to live in the area year-round, including during the colder months. Visit our webpage on providing habitat for pollinators to learn how you can help provide pollinators with the resources they need to survive until spring. 

If you’re currently providing a variety of bloom colors in your garden, yard, or habitat, you can complete our Multi-Season form and receive a digital Bloom Color Variation Badge!

You can also use the resources below to learn more about the bloom times of pollinator-friendly native plants you can plant in your garden, including information on the type of plant and growing conditions, so you can make sure you have something blooming for pollinators at any time during the year:

• Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects: Great Lakes, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: a list of pollinator-friendly native plants, specific to the Great Lakes region
• Native Plants for New York State, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Putnam County: a list of pollinator-friendly native plants, specific to New York State
• Bloom Chart, New York State Native Plants: Cornell Cooperative Extension, Putnam County: a supplemental list of the bloom times of pollinator-friendly native plants, specific to New York State
• Native Plant Options, Northeast Region, National Park Service: a brief, two-page card with options for native plants to include in your garden, including bloom times throughout the year
• Selecting Plants for Pollinators, Pollinator Partnership: an in-depth guide to pollinator-friendly native plants, specific to the Northeast ecoregion, including information on bloom times, type of soil and sun best suited for each plant, and types of pollinators each plant attracts

Protecting Native Plants

Native plants can attract and nourish native pollinators all year round. However, native plants also face risks from competing and invasive plant and animal species, which can reduce native plants’ ability to provide pollinators with food and nesting habitat.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a native animal frequently seen across New York State. Though popular with hunters and wildlife watchers, white-tailed deer may also significantly shape local landscapes and natural habitats through their feeding habits, also referred to as deer browsing. Deer damage has increased in recent years due to rising deer populations, alongside population shifts into suburban and rural areas.

Below are some ways to protect native plants in your garden, yard, or habitat from deer damage:

• Select deer-resistant plants: While no plant is completely “deer-resistant,” especially when deer populations are high or when little food is available, some plants are more palatable to deer compared to others. Plants native to New York that are less often damaged by deer include:
  • Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnta)
  • Dogwoods (Cornus sp.)
  • Cinquefoils (Potentilla sp.)
  • Viburnum (Viburnum sp.)
• Protect native plants with fencing: Fencing is one of the most effective ways to prevent deer populations from damaging native plants. For maximum effectiveness, fencing should be eight feet high, though shorter fences can work well if supplemented by other measures, or if protecting small areas. While fences are one of the more expensive ways to protect native plants, there are a variety of ways to mitigate the cost of fencing. For example, “micro-enclosures,” or smaller fenced areas, have proven effective in reducing deer browsing by creating a psychological barrier for deer species, which often avoid areas that restrict quick entries and exits. Similarly, fences threaded at angles can create confusing visuals for deer. Complete guides for creating deer fencing, including instructions and alternatives, can be found in the links below.
• Protect native plants with tree tubes: Tree tubes may also be used to protect native plants from deer browsing. The protective measure is particularly helpful to protect younger plants or seedlings, and have been shown to significantly increase both plant survival and growth rates! You can also create your own tree tubes using chicken wire or hardware cloth.

Invasive pests, including insects and diseases, may also place native plants at risk. Invasive pests are introduced species that can cause harm to local ecosystems by out-competing native plants, degrading habitats, and threatening biodiversity. Monitoring for or removing invasive pests is one of the best ways to prevent direct harm to native plants. The links below provide information on how to identify potential invasive pests in your habitat.

Lastly, it’s important to monitor for or remove invasive plant species in your garden, yard, or habitat, some of which may fill gaps in ecosystems that have experienced native plant population decline because of invasive pests. Like invasive pests, invasive plant species are not native to the local area. As a result, non-native plant species may compete with plants in your habitat or surrounding areas for sunlight, nutrients, and space.

If you’re currently protecting native plants in your garden, yard, or habitat, you can complete our Native Plant Protection form and receive a digital Native Plant Protection Badge!

Below are links to protect native plants in your garden, yard, or habitat:

• Deer-Resistant Native Plants, New York State, Town of Pound Ridge: a list of deer-resistant plants native to New York State, with ideal growing conditions
• How to Manage Deer Damage on Trees and Other Plants, University of Minnesota Extension: in-depth guide on how to identify and prevent deer damage in your growing habitats
• Reducing Deer Browse Damage, United States Department of Agriculture: detailed resource on numerous methods to prevent deer damage, including cost estimates