Best Pollinator Attracting Shrubs and Trees

The arguments for having plants that attract lots of pollinators are solid. Many of these insects also either parasitize or feed (in some of their life stages) on insects which feed on plants, and thereby contribute greatly to a balanced eco-system.

My best pollinator attractors are: Abelia spp; Leptodermis oblonga; Callicarpa dichotoma; Caryopteris x clandonensis; Ampelopsis brevipedunculata; Symphorocarpus x chenaultii; witchhazels (for their time of year); Ilex opaca; Syringa spp.

Apart from these, herbaceous material that are alive with pollinators, especially right now and therefore easily remembered, are Solidago rugosa "Fireworks" and the tall Sedums.

What are species that you've noticed attract a lot of insect attention?

Scott

Conifers are all wind-pollinated. If I plant a lot, will it attract more wind?

Resin :-))

Every species of Agastache I've planted are loaded with insects. Lanatana is a magnet for butterflies and moths. My Salvia greggii and their hybrids(all evergreen shrubs here) are magnets for hummingbirds and many interesting moths. I noticed my Witch Hazels are loaded with all sorts of interesting flies and fly like insects in February and March on warm sunny days. Most all of my North American native Magnolias(grandiflora, virginiana, asheii, and pyramidata) all attract tons of the pollinating beetles, the crab spiders that seem to feed on the beetles, and later bees appearing drunk by eating the shed pollen(they arrive too late in the flower's development to do any pollinating). I haven't really noticed any insects on my Leptodermis or my Abelias...maybe I should pay more attention to them. Almost forgot, most of the fruit trees, like Apples, and Cherries are awash with bees when they bloom here.

Resin, now that would be a true wind farm. I did not know they were all wind pollinated (I wasn't sure about ginkgos but now I am). While doing a quick Google search on this I came across this article that you might find interesting if you haven't read it already.

http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/programs/arnoldia/6_22_primack.pdf

Bill

For drawing in very early season pollenators, pussy willow - S.discolor - is hard to beat.
Ornamental crabs really excel during the main orchard bloom season as attractants for potential pollenators.

. . . and for drawing late summer pollinators, try Aralia spinosa. You can hear the hum from 300' away! I counted about 10 species of bees and wasps on one flower cluster at one time, about two weeks ago.

Guy S.

Hi Bill - yep, knew about that one; the original article is available here:
http://www.edpsciences.org/articles/forest/pdf/2000/01/asf0103.pdf
(pdf file)

Interesting too that the closely related Cupressus atlantica (sometimes treated as conspecific) doesn't show the same male apomixis

Resin

My wet area duo takes top spot, with Asclepias incarnata and Clethra alnifolia. Unbeatable

This message was edited Sep 12, 2006 7:12 PM

Eupatorium maculatum, Rudbeckia laciniata and Hydrangea paniculata are drawing most of the pollinators right now in my yard.

And for even earlier pollen, try Salix chaenomeloides. Aralia elata is good too, in fact all the Aralias I would think, including the large growing herbaceous species like cordata. Euodia daniellii (Evodia), isn't the common name Bee tree(or something like that). I have an ironweed that grows 9 ft every year, does that qualify? And basswoods, love the honey, love the tea.

I'm sure some of you must have Aesculus parviflora, bottlebrush buckeye. That's the wow woody wonder, for every flying insect in June.

I'll ditto the following that are in my landscape, paramount as a pollinator's primer:

•Aralia spinosa
•Malus clones, especially the Fr. Fiala selections
•Tetradium daniellii (mentioned above as Euodia or Evodia)
•Tilia spp.
•Clethra alnifolia
•Rhus glabra (and probably the other Rhus too)
•Prunus spp., Amelanchier spp., Rubus spp. in the Rosaceae group
•Asclepias spp. (at least three of the common ones, with the dusky purple one being the champ) hold herbaceous honors

I'm sorry none of you posting have been able to enjoy the outstanding attractant capabilities of the Viburnum clan, since I see none listed. Spanning the seasons, there are viburnum blooms open from January to July (at least) on one species or another here. Always an all-you-can-pollinate buffet, tell your friends, open 24/7, for one low price (produce fruit!). I'd have to rate Viburnum dilatatum the highest, since I have it up around the porch and observe it most closely, with Viburnum dentatum second. Not so many bugs on the fragrant types (probably because they bloom during the coolest/rainiest period here in spring), but plenty on Viburnum cassinoides and Viburnum nudum, too.

I have almost gotten rid of it now, but when my English ivy was blooming 150 feet up a tree it looked like the tree trunk was moving. Hundreds of different kinds of bees this time of year. Also Angelica gigas.

aI tried growing Angelica gigas, but it struggled for a couple of years then gave up.

Viburnum, which Tilia are you growing. I love my Tilia tomentosa, especially in July when it isin bloom, it is growing 30 feet or so north of my bedroom, and I love the fragrance as do the bees. I planted a honeysuckle vine at its base, don't remember which one now and it is more than halfway up the nearly 40 or so foot high tilia.

In my woodland garden area I planted a Tilia petiolarius, 3 years ago, it was quite small and I didn't realize the darn bunnies would eat on it, so got off to a slow start, is just now growing like it should.

Donna

Tilia americana is the native basswood here in the Ohio River valley area.

Prunus caroliniana and Vaccinium - I stay away while they are flowering.

I will have to pay closer attention to the pollinating critters next season. I do have two Mason Bee logs???? up under shed roofs for those guys.

From now until hard freeze all kinds of bees, etc. will be hovering and paying close attention to the different Fall Asters around my yard. It is so interesting to watch all the insects.

Donna

I like to plant for pollinators and particularly like to plant for moths. These plants seem to attract many pollinators for me-

Lespedeza violacea
Salix nigra
Spiraea tomentosa
Fothergilla major
Euphorbia corollata
Sassafras albidum
Clethra alnifoliaItea virginica
Ceanothus americanus
Symphoricarpus albus
Viburnum prunifolium
Crataegus mollis
Sanguisorba canadensis
Amorpha fruticosa
Euonymus atropurpureus
Hamamelis virginiana
Rosa carolina
Hydrangea arborescens
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Philadelphus virginalis
Rhus aromatica

I have planted so many herbaceous perennials specifically to attract bees, moths, butterflies, and such that they would be hard to start listing out right about now.