Every spring we get excited to see our pollinators return. The buzzing of native bees, the flutter of butterflies, moths, hoverflies, and more all arriving in search of food.
Many folks stop in asking how they can support their native pollinators, and the answer is not only easy, but beautiful: plant your own pollinator corridor.
It doesn’t have to be big or high maintenance. The beauty of native plants is that they are often drought tolerant, hardy, and hard to kill once established. These easy, gorgeous additions to your yard can support pollinators like monarchs, hummingbirds, and bees all season long. The key is planting a mix of species that keeps something in bloom from early spring through fall, when migrating pollinators need fuel the most.
Here are a few of our favorites.
Monarchs Matter: Start with Milkweed
If you’re planting with monarchs in mind, milkweed is essential. It’s the only host plant for their caterpillars, which means no milkweed, no monarchs.
We carry a wide range, including Common, Butterfly, Swamp, Whorled, Poke, Spider, and Showy Milkweed. Each one grows in slightly different conditions and blooms at different times. Some prefer dry soils, others thrive in wetter areas, some tuck into woodland edges, perfect for supporting monarchs in every phase.
You may hear that certain milkweeds are “better” than others, but what matters most is diversity. Planting a mix gives monarchs more chances to find what they need when they need it and creates a longer window of support throughout the season.
And while milkweed is critical for their life cycle, adult monarchs rely on nectar from many other flowers along the way.
Early Season: The First Bloom
Early spring is when pollinators begin to emerge, often before the landscape has fully woken up. Having blooms ready at this time can make a real difference.
Plants like Dwarf Crested Iris, Jacob’s Ladder, Foamflower, Lyre-leaf Sage, and early-blooming Clovers help fill that gap. These natives offer some of the first nectar and pollen of the season, supporting native bees and other early pollinators while adding soft, fresh color to the garden.
Getting these early bloomers established means your space is ready and waiting when pollinators arrive.
Mid Season: Full Swing
As the season builds, your garden should feel alive.
This is when Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Heliopsis Bleeding Hearts, Liatris (Blazing Star), and many of our milkweeds are in full bloom. These plants thrive in sun, handle heat well, and keep pollinators moving through your space day after day. In wetter areas, plant Cardinal Flower for hummingbirds and swallow-tailed butterflies and dazzling red blossoms that continue well into September.
Joe Pye Weed is a mid to late summer powerhouse, producing tall, airy clusters of pink blooms that draw in butterflies, bees, and other pollinators when the garden is at its peak and carrys that energy right into early fall.
Late Season: Fuel for the Journey
Late summer into fall is one of the most crucial times to have blooms available, especially for migrating monarchs.
This is when Goldenrods and Asters really shine. We carry a wide range, including Grass-leaved, Zig-zag, Showy, and Carolina Goldenrods, along with stunning asters like New England, New York, Smooth Blue, Sky Blue, Big-leaved, and Drummond’s Asters.
These plants provide critical late-season nectar when much of the landscape is starting to fade. For many pollinators, this is the fuel that carries them through the end of their journey.
Variety Matters
A great pollinator patch works with what you have. Sunny, dry spaces can be filled with coneflowers, rudbeckia, liatris, and butterfly weed. Shady spots can be softened with foamflower and Jacob’s Ladder. Wet areas can become some of the most productive with Swamp Milkweed and Great Blue Lobelia (a hummingbird favorite).
By planting across various conditions, you’re creating layers of habitat that support a wide range of species while building a landscape that is resilient and low effort.
Start Planting
A pollinator corridor doesn’t just support wildlife, it creates a space that is full of movement, color, and life with very little ongoing effort. You can go big, or select one or two plants from each category to establish a small patch to help your local pollinators on their way.
Our native perennial collection is full of plants ready to do the work, if you're ready to get digging.
Shop now, and plant your pollinator patch today.