Swallowtail Butterflies visiting bright orange Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

The Nectar Garden: The Importance of Planting a Haven for Pollinators

By David Salman, High Country Gardens Chief Horticulturist

Pollinators are the pulse of the planet. To say pollination is an important process would be an understatement. Pollinators such as native bees, bumblebees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, need flowers for pollen and nectar to survive. The flowers need them, to help accomplish the pollination process that so the plants can propagate themselves. A healthy pollinator population means the area of the Earth on which they live is also healthy.

A large number of the Earth’s edible plants create their fruit and seeds with the help of pollinators moving pollen from plant to plant. We humans, along with the rest of the world’s animals, depend on this essential food cycle for our survival.

Penstemon has nectar-rich blooms, attractive to bees and butterflies.

3 Pollinator Garden Essentials

As gardeners, we are involved in the pollination process even if we don’t think about it. And that’s because we love planting flowers! So when we plant an abundant garden or landscape and care for these plants in an organic environment, it provides for us humans too. This helps to complete the web of life.

To plan and plant a nectar garden for pollinators, we need to provide three basic elements:

Shelter – buildings and gardens provide places where insects and hummingbirds can live.
Water – a source of water is essential.
Food Source – the plants that feed themselves and their young.

Hot Lips Salvia has nectar-rich hot-pink/red flowers to attract butterflies.

Food For Pollinators At All Life Stages

The fun part for gardeners is, of course, planting the plants that provide for the pollinators. We do this with two groups of plants: the food plants for caterpillars (of moths and butterflies) and nectar sources for adult moths and butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Herbs provide an excellent source of leaves for caterpillars. Always plant extra so there is enough for you and the caterpillars. Don’t forget Milkweed (Asclepias) for Monarch caterpillars.
Flowering perennials, shrubs, and trees - provide nectar-rich flowers for adult moths and butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

Host plants are the plants that have co-evolved with certain species of insects and are essential for their survival. For example, Milkweed (Asclepias) is the host plant for Monarch Butterflies. Learn more about Monarchs & Milkweed.

Beebalm (Monarda) has tubular shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds.

Natural Nectar For Hummingbirds

I am an enthusiastic hummingbird gardener, so I’m always planting flowering plants to attract them. Want to see the magic of hummingbirds in your garden? Learn more in this helpful guide: Making Your Yard A Hummingbird Magnet.

Some of my favorite hummingbird plants:

Beardtongue (Penstemon) – a large diverse group of wildflowers especially for western gardens
Columbine (Aquilegia) – the best wildflowers to attract hummingbirds to your shady gardens!
Beebalm (Monarda) – dazzling flowers in shades of pink and red
Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) – beautiful flowers and aromatic oils in flowers and foliage
Hummingbird Trumpet (Zauschneria) – wonderful orange flowers
Sage (Salvia) - this includes our many native species and hybrids
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) - especially in the Mid-West and Eastern US

Shop Hummingbird Favorite Perennials

Natural Nectar For Butterflies, Moths & Bees

Want to see your garden buzzing with life? Learn more in our helpful guides: Providing Habitat for Bumblebees: Gardening with A Big Buzz and How To Plant A Butterfly Garden.

Some of my favorite plants for butterflies, moths, and all kinds of bees:

Ornamental Onions (Allium) – fabulous for bees
Beebalm (Monarda) - butterflies
Yarrow (Achillea) - butterflies
Lavender (Lavandula) - bees and butterflies
Oregano (Origanum) - bees and butterflies
Catmint (Nepeta) - bees and butterflies
European Sage (Salvia) – Salvia nemerosa are superb varieties
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) – especially attractive to bumblebees
Evening Primrose (Oenothera) - especially attractive to hawkmoth

Shop Pollinator-Friendly Perennials

Shop All Pollinator Plants

by David Salman

Hot Lips Salvia has nectar-rich hot-pink/red flowers to attract butterflies.

To say pollination is an important process would be an understatement. A large number of the Earth’s edible plants create their fruit and seeds with the help of pollinators moving pollen from plant to plant. And we humans, along with the rest of the world’s animals, depend on this essential food cycle for our survival.

Pollinators (such as native bees, bumblebees, honey bees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds) need flowers for pollen and nectar. And the flowers need them, to help accomplish the pollination process that sets the seeds and fruits so the plants can propagate themselves. A healthy pollinator population means the area of the Earth on which they live is also healthy. Pollinators are the pulse of the planet.

bee landing on penstemon — Penstemon has nectar-rich blooms, attractive to bees and butterflies.

To plan and plant a nectar garden for pollinators, we need to provide three basic elements:

Shelter – buildings and gardens provide places where insects and hummingbirds can live
Water – a source of water is essential.
Food Source – the plants that feed themselves and their young.

The fun part for gardeners is, of course, planting the plants that provide for the pollinators. We do this with two groups of plants; the food plants for caterpillars (moths and butterflies) and nectar sources for adult moths and butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

Herbs – provide an excellent source of leaves for caterpillars. Always plant extra so there is enough for you and the caterpillars. And don’t forget Milkweed (Asclepias) for Monarch caterpillars.

Flowering perennials, shrubs and trees - provide nectar-rich flowers for adult moths and butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.

I am an enthusiastic hummingbird gardener, so I’m always planting flowering plants to attract them.

Some of my favorite hummingbird plants in this category include:

Beardtongue (Penstemon) – a large diverse group of wildflowers especially for western gardens
Columbine (Aquilegia) – the best wildflowers to attract hummingbirds to your shady gardens!
Beebalm (Mondarda) – dazzling flowers in shades of pink and red
Hummingbird Mint (Agastache) – beautiful flowers and aromatic oils in flowers and foliage
Hummingbird Trumpet (Zauschneria) – wonderful orange flowers
Sage (Salvia) - this includes our many native species and hybrids
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) - especially in the Mid-West and Eastern US

Exclusive. Swallowtail is unique with large, long-spurred flowers with bright-yellow center petals and softer yellow outer petals, held over attractive blue-green foliage. Late sprin...
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Swallowtail® Columbine Swallowtail ® Columbine Aquilegia species
As low as $13.99 Sale $12.59
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Exclusive. Swallowtail is unique with large, long-spurred flowers with bright-yellow center petals and softer yellow outer petals, held over attractive blue-green foliage. Late spring blooming, the flowers have amazing 4 inch long spurs flowing backward from the face of the flower. A High Country Gardens introduction.
Heuchera sanguinea ‚Firefly‚ (Coral Bells) is a bright red flowered selection of this western native wildflower. Blooming begins in late spring with numerous flowering sp...
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Firefly Coral Bells Firefly Coral Bells Heuchera sanguinea Firefly
$10.99
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Heuchera sanguinea 'Firefly' (Coral Bells) is a bright red flowered selection of this western native wildflower. Blooming begins in late spring with numerous flowering spikes held above attractive scalloped green leaves. A great early season hummingbird plant.
Enjoy watching hummingbirds flit from flower to flower all summer long when you grow our Hummingbird Attracting Collection For The West. This collection features five perennial varie...
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Hummingbird Attracting Collection For The West Hummingbird Attracting Collection For The West
As low as $58.99 Sale $58.99
Per Collection of 5

Enjoy watching hummingbirds flit from flower to flower all summer long when you grow our Hummingbird Attracting Collection For The West. This collection features five perennial varieties adapted to the dry, sunny growing conditions of Western gardens. Their boldly colorful blooms provide abundant natural nectar to fuel the flight of hummingbirds, as well as bees and butterflies, in your summer garden. Collection of 5 or 15 plants.
Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree) is a rare perennial from the southern mountains of New Mexico and Arizona. It blooms all summer with spires of small red, white-lipped fl...
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Redbirds In A Tree (Scrophularia) Redbirds In A Tree Scrophularia macrantha
As low as $14.49
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Scrophularia macrantha (Red Birds in a Tree) is a rare perennial from the southern mountains of New Mexico and Arizona. It blooms all summer with spires of small red, white-lipped flowers that resemble a flock of red birds perched on a tree branch.

Some of my favorite plants for butterflies, moths and all kinds of bees, I recommend:

Ornamental Onions (Allium) – bees!!! Fall-planted bulbs are some of the best for bees.
Beebalm (Monarda) - butterflies
Yarrow (Achillea) - butterflies
Lavender (Lavandula) – bees and butterflies
Oregano (Origanum) - bees and butterflies
Catmints (Nepeta) - bees and butterflies
European Sage (Salvia) – Salvia nemerosa and superb varieties
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea) – especially attractive to bumblebees
Evening Primrose (Oenothera) - especially attractive to hawkmoth

Asclepias syriaca ‚Common Milkweed‚ is a gorgeous plant that produces purple/pink flower clusters that wildflower gardeners love and spreads quickly. This native perennia...
Learn More

Common Milkweed Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca
As low as $13.99 Sale $12.59
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Asclepias syriaca 'Common Milkweed' is a gorgeous plant that produces purple/pink flower clusters that wildflower gardeners love and spreads quickly. This native perennial is a primary food source for the Monarch butterfly providing large leaves for caterpillars and big pink globe-like flowers that provide nectar for the adult butterflies. Planting it will help to support Monarch populations. Perennial.
Asclepias incarnata ‚Rose‚ (Swamp Milkweed) is a showy pink blooming Asclepias species that is a food plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars and a nectar source for ad...
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Rose Swamp Milkweed Rose Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata
As low as $13.99 Sale $12.59
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Asclepias incarnata 'Rose' (Swamp Milkweed) is a showy pink blooming Asclepias species that is a food plant for Monarch butterfly caterpillars and a nectar source for adult butterflies. Also known as Swamp Milkweed, it grows best in moist or wet soils.
Sedum telephium ‚Autumn Fire‚ (Stonecrop) is an improved form of Sedum ‚Autumn Joy‚ that is larger growing, has larger flower heads and is longer blooming. Th...
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Autumn Fire Sedum Autumn Fire Sedum Sedum 'Autumn Fire'
As low as $11.99 Sale $10.79
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Sedum telephium 'Autumn Fire' (Stonecrop) is an improved form of Sedum 'Autumn Joy' that is larger growing, has larger flower heads and is longer blooming. The flat heads of rose-pink flowers appear in late summer. Leave the faded flowers on the plant for added winter interest.
Calamintha nepeta glandulosa ‘White Cloud’ (Nepeta) fills the late spring garden with clouds of delicate, nectar-rich, white flowers. Flowering until frost bites, ‘...
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White Cloud Calamintha White Cloud Calamintha Calamintha nepeta glandulosa 'White Cloud'
As low as $13.49 Sale $10.79
Per Plant - 5" Deep Pot

Calamintha nepeta glandulosa ‘White Cloud’ (Nepeta) fills the late spring garden with clouds of delicate, nectar-rich, white flowers. Flowering until frost bites, ‘White Cloud’ is a reliable bloomer with lovely fragrant foliage reminiscent of oregano. It will attract pollinators, and bees love it. Plant ‘White Cloud’ along beds where you can enjoy its beauty and fragrance as you walk by. Over time, it will also spread gently to form a groundcover.