Native Shrubs for Pollinators

Planting a pollinator-friendly garden has been made easy these days. Look on any of the top gardening websites, including Extension, to find plant lists. The actual pollinator plants are readily available at local and regional garden centers, plus through online vendors. Many obstacles that once existed have been removed.

Native plants are always highly recommended to plan a beneficial pollinator habitat; most are perennials. Native and non-native/non-invasive annuals are suggested as nectar and pollen sources as they have long-lasting blooms throughout summer. Nowadays, many of us have read the research by Dr. Doug Tallamy and his colleagues touting the host benefits of certain tree species, i.e., oaks, cherries, and willows. Often, these trees may already be present in the landscape around your home or you have found ways to incorporate them. To have a successful pollinator habitat, a variety of plant types, structures, and sizes are needed, as well as varying bloom times.

Shrubs are often overlooked in the planning stages or on recommended plant lists for pollinator-friendly gardens. However, their value is beginning to be recognized more consistently as they offer much to pollinators. The Pennsylvania Pollinator Friendly Garden certification includes a great list of both trees and shrubs to include in your design. And The Pollinator Victory Garden by Kim Eierman provides reasons why one should plant more shrubs for pollinators. A single shrub of good size can provide more flowers, i.e., nectar and/or pollen, than a single perennial plant. Some flowering shrub species bloom earlier than perennials and annuals to provide a necessary food source for the native bees. Many native shrubs are larval hosts for butterflies and moths. Shrubs can be added along edges of the landscape or included directly in the garden area. There are pollinator-friendly shrubs for most light and soil conditions that are found in the home garden.

Below is a short list of native shrubs that work well in most Pennsylvania gardens. These species provide a bevy of habitat functions to bee (native and honey), butterflies and moths, wasps, flies, and beetles, as well as to other wildlife.

Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis

Buttonbush is a favorite of pollinators. One of its common names is "honey ball," which speaks volumes to its role as a pollinator-friendly plant. The pincushion-like flowers, a valuable nectar and pollen source for myriad species, bloom throughout the summer. Native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and more have been documented on the multi-stemmed 6- to 12-foot shrubs. It is an important food source for adult titan sphinx and hydrangea sphinx moths. Buttonbush prefers light shade to shade and wet feet. If you have moist areas or even areas that pool water in your garden, plant your buttonbush there and it will thrive. In addition to its benefit to pollinators, buttonbush produce red fruit, which contain clusters of nutlets, and are a significant food source for over 50 species of waterfowl and songbirds.

Pussy Willow, Salix discolor

Pussy willow is a late winter/early spring bloomer and provides both nectar and pollen to pollinators. Note that the species Salix is among the top three species listed by Dr. Doug Tallamy to host butterfly and moth caterpillars. S. discolor is the earliest bloomer of the native willows. The silver-gray, fuzzy catkins are a delight for gardeners and pollinators alike, as they send the message that spring is truly on its way. The catkins become an essential food source for early emerging pollinators such as queen bumblebees. Pussy willow is the host plant for viceroy and mourning cloak butterflies. The multi-stemmed shrub, which can reach heights of 20 feet, supports many other butterflies, bees, gnats, syrphid flies, birds, small mammals, and more. Site pussy willow in a sunny, but moist area. The shrub has vigorous growth and needs a good pruning every few years to maintain a good habit and encourage new growth.

Winterberry, Ilex verticillata

Winterberry is a deciduous holly that has inconspicuous green flowers in late spring/early summer. Despite the indistinct flowers, they are a nectar source for butterflies, honey bees, and other small pollinators. Winterberry plays host to the Henry's elfin butterfly. Naturally found along the edge of woods, the 6- to 10-foot tall clumping shrub can do well in shade to full sun. In order to experience the full effect of winterberry, i.e., the berries, a female plant and a male plant are needed. Winterberries are dioecious plants, where a plant with male parts is needed to pollinate a plant with female parts for fruit production. The University of Connecticut Plant Database has a list of cultivars and varieties that are currently available for the home gardener. If you garden for pollinators, expect other wildlife to benefit from your garden, too. The berries of winterberry are of high nutritional value to many species of songbirds, including cedar waxwings, grosbeaks, and orioles.

Summer Sweet, Clethra alnifolia

Summer Sweet and Sweet Pepperbush are common names that indicate that Clethra alnifolia has a sweetness that attracts pollinators. White or pink flower spikes, 3 to 6 inches long, produce high-quality nectar and pollen from mid-summer to late summer. The shrub supports a variety of pollinators from bees to butterflies to hummingbirds. Summer sweet has a clumping habit reaching 6 feet tall, though it can reach heights of 12 feet if conditions are optimal. Site summer sweet in a moist, acidic soil in full sun to partial shade. Flowers bud on new growth, therefore a good pruning every year or two years keeps the shrub invigorated. Summer sweet is relatively pest- and disease-free, except when drier conditions weaken the plant.