Celebrate National Pollinator Week: What to Grow in Your Garden

June 17th to 23rd is National Pollinator Week. Let’s make a buzz!  

First, the bad news. Habitat loss is a significant contributor to the massive decline of pollinators. If pollinators were wiped out, humanity and all the terrestrial ecosystems on Earth wouldn't survive. After all, more than 80 percent of the world's flowering plants require pollinators to reproduce. Plants produce oxygen, so life as we know it would be over.

Now for some good news. Planting pollinator-friendly gardens can help. Pollinators seek out plants that are rich in nectar and pollen. Many plants have certain traits, such as scent, flower color, and shapes, to lure pollinators.

Pollinator Plants to Grow in San Diego Landscapes

• Allium: Blooms stunning globe-shaped flowers with small star-shaped florets from spring to summer. Their flowers are an excellent source of sweet nectar for bees, including honeybees and bumble bees.

• Aster: Monarch butterflies feed on the nectar of daisy-like flowers, which bloom from summer to fall.
• Borage: This quick-growing herb blooms blue star-shaped flowers in summer. The flowers attract hummingbirds, honeybees, butterflies, beneficial wasps, and other bees.

• Cosmos: Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, and ground beetles are attracted to the large, open-faced flowers, which bloom from summer until frost.

• Egyptian Star Flower: In the summer, nectar-rich clusters of bright star-shaped flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

• Floss Flower: Fluffy, pompom-shaped flowers appear from late spring to frost, attracting pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and moths.

• Lantana: This shrub can produce tropical-looking flower clusters throughout most of the growing season. Lantana’s flowers can provide a continuous food source for butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and moths.

• Lavender: Aromatic flower spikes and leaves bloom from late spring to early fall. Their nectar-rich flowers attract bees and butterflies.

• Salvia: A wide range of pollinators are attracted to the colorful flowers that bloom from winter to fall. When in bloom, Salvia can bring butterflies, bumblebees, hummingbirds, honeybees, and native bees to your garden.

• Sunflower: Bright and cheery flowers bloom from summer to fall. Their brightly colored petals, scent, and easily accessible nectar lure a wide range of bees, such as native wild bees and honeybees.

• Sweet Alyssum: Fragrant flowers bloom from spring until frost, providing a continuous nectar source for many types of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

• Yarrow: Flat-topped flower clusters bloom in summer. These flower clusters produce an abundance of nectar and pollen. Bumblebees, honeybees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators love to feed on these flowers.

• Zinnia: When the attractive, brightly colored flowers bloom, you’ll find hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies enjoying their rich nectar. Bloom time is from summer to frost.

Experience Quality Service. The Difference...Is Growing

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