Using Common Weeds to Create a Flowering Lawn for Pollinators

Some of those weeds we try so hard to eradicate are excellent sources of nectar and pollen for our pollinators. Incorporating flowering plants into the lawn allows homeowners the ability to continue to make use of their entire lawn while providing support for our pollinators.

There are two ways you can approach adding some flowering plants to your lawn to aid pollinators, but before beginning, it is best to check with your municipality or community for any restrictions or local ordinances. One way is simply to allow some of the flowering weeds you have been working to eradicate to grow in your lawn or even a small area of your lawn. Several common weeds that may benefit our pollinators include henbit, purple dead nettle, dandelion, violet, clover, and ground ivy.

Often mistaken for one another, these two members of the mint family, henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) and purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum), are early spring bloomers. Both are considered winter annuals, germinating in the fall, overwintering as seedlings, then flowering and producing seed in the spring. They usually begin blooming in April and typically die as the weather warms in late spring to early summer. While they both have distinctive square stems, characteristic of plants in the mint family, their leaves differ. Henbit's leaves are rounded to heart-shaped with scalloped edges, growing opposite each other with the middle and upper leaves attached directly to the stems, having no petioles. Purple dead nettle leaves are triangular to heart-shaped, slightly longer than henbit’s leaves, with wavy to serrated edges, and are all attached by short petioles. Their upper leaves are often purplish in color. Both have two-lipped, tubular, purple flowers. Henbit's flowers are bluish purple while purple dead nettle's flowers are pinkish purple.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a non-native, perennial weed whose name means lion's tooth, most likely referring to its lance-shaped leaves that emerge in the spring, forming a low rosette. Their bright yellow blooms are composed of hundreds of individual ray-shaped flowers clustered together. While they are a pollen source, their pollen is not as nutritious as many other blooming plants, so they are not a high-quality food source for pollinators. Hummingbirds, however, may use their seeds in the construction of their nests.

Blooming around the same time as the dandelion, the common blue violet (Viola sororia), a North American native perennial, is an excellent pollinator plant. It is a host plant for at least 30 species of fritillary butterfly larvae as well as several species of mining bees, including Andrena violae. Other small butterflies, bees, and flies will also visit violets. They are stemless and have green, heart-shaped leaves that emerge directly from rhizomes. Their nodding, deep purple-to-white blooms have five unequal petals with slight hairs on the lower three.

While there are several species of clover, Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens) is typically what we find in our lawns. This non-native perennial is low-growing and tolerates partial shade. Globe-shaped white or pinkish-white flower heads, consisting of 40 to 100 florets, rise from the ends of 2 to 12-inch stems and bloom from June through October, with the peak in June. This perennial has a creeping habit with green leaves consisting of three egg-shaped leaflets joined in the center. Each leaflet typically has a white, V-shaped crescent at the center. Its pollen has a high protein content, and its nectar has a high sugar content, making it an excellent plant for a variety of pollinators. It is a host plant for clouded sulfur butterfly larvae, a nectar source for adult butterflies, and a variety of native bees and honeybees.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea), also called creeping Charlie, is another member of the mint family. This non-native perennial is stoloniferous, meaning it spreads by stolons or runners. The stems grow at the soil surface and it spreads laterally, creating a mat-like ground cover. As with other members of the mint family, its stems are square. Its heart-shaped, scalloped leaves have a mint scent when crushed. Blooming from spring through summer, the funnel-shaped, bluish-purple flowers provide a nectar source for sweat, bumble, and honeybees.

Some homeowners find some of these weeds too aggressive, so another way to incorporate flowering plants that benefit pollinators in your lawn is by planting a bee or pollinator lawn. These are typically made up of turf grasses, such as fine fescues and Kentucky bluegrass, blended with low-growing perennials that we may often consider weeds. These plants are low-growing, tolerant of foot traffic, flower at low heights, will rebloom after mowing, and may consist of Dutch white clover, self-heal, and creeping thyme.

Dutch white clover is a member of the pea or legume family and has the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil, minimizing the need for chemical fertilizers and providing another benefit to your lawn. Self-heal and creeping thyme are both members of the mint family. Self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), a native perennial, has 1- to 3-inch gray-green, oblong leaves and can tolerate partial shade. Small bluish to lavender flowers bloom atop flower spikes in dense, oblong clusters amid greenish or purple-tinged, bristly bracts. It will bloom from June through August and has been shown to be especially good at attracting native bees. It is a host plant for the clouded sulfur butterfly. Creeping thyme (Thymus praecox) is a non-native perennial. Growing on slightly woody, creeping, horizontal stems, its ¼-inch bluish-green leaves are egg-shaped, fuzzy, and have a spicy fragrance when crushed. Clusters of tiny, tubular, pinkish-purple flowers bloom from June to September, and while they do provide some pollen, they are primarily a nectar source for bees and butterflies. For more information, consult the University of Minnesota Bee Lab and Penn State Extension's article, The Buzz About Bee Lawns.

Incorporating flowering plants in our yards is an easy, low-maintenance, and inexpensive way to supply floral food resources to our pollinators. It allows homeowners to continue to use their lawns as before for recreation and family activities while supporting pollinators at the same time. A weed is simply a plant growing where it is not wanted, and by creating a bee-friendly lawn, plants you once thought of as weeds can now become lovely flowers!