Yes, it IS national pollinators week, as declared by the U.S. Senate, so Nuts for Natives is jumping on the bandwagon! I guess that should be the bee wagon. Coneflowers (Echinacea purpurea) and orange butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) are pretty well known pollinator friendly natives. Add these three Chesapeake native perennials and you will really amp it up.
The first is mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum). This sage green perennial has subtle flowers and the easy growing, dense stems create a minty green palette that contrasts with truer green colors in the garden. In the central part of the watershed, mountain mint begins to bloom in late June and keeps blooming through summer. Leave the stems up through winter and they provide interesting architecture. Although ours grow in full sun, the Missouri Botanical Garden notes these also grow in part shade.
Blue hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) is the second pollinator magnet. This perennial with lavender colored flowers also begins blooming in late June and thrives through summer and into fall. Bees love it and it is easy to grow. This one also grows in full sun or part shade.
The third pollinator plant is swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), a name that is not doing the plant any favors! In reality, this upright growing perennial is very similar to orange butterfly weed. These white and rose milkweeds need full sun and either moist or average soils.
Tips for creating pollinator gardens from the Maryland Extension Service.
