Pollination is a vital step in plant reproduction, starting with the process of seed and fruit production. This cycle is crucial to many ecosystems that rely on animal pollinators. However, with native pollinator populations on the decline worldwide, it’s important to consider introducing friendly pollinators into our home and community gardens and landscapes. Keep reading for a list of native plants you can grow in East Tennessee to do your part in bringing back the bees.
Asters
The Asteraceae family is known for tall, colorful blooms. Plants such as daisies, marigolds, and sunflowers produce large quantities of high-fat pollen. Members of the aster family come in a variety of colors such as white, blue, yellow, and purple. While they primarily attract butterflies, there are many species of bees that focus on plants in this family.
Some beneficial asters to include in your perennial garden include:
- Hairy sunflower: Blooms from July to September and grows between 48-144 inches with yellow flowers that attract all pollinators.
- Western sunflower: Blooms from July to September, with a growth of 24-60 inches. This plant spreads quickly along the ground, producing tall blooms gathering the attention of native bees and butterflies.
- Rockcastle aster: Blooms from August-October, growing between 24-48 inches with clusters of white flowers for large numbers of all pollinators.
- Yellow crown beard: In full bloom September-October, tall yellow flowers averaging 60-144 inches tall, these abundant growing plants welcome all native pollinators.
Mints
Many common herbs such as sage, basil, and rosemary grow within the Lamiaceae family, along with plants like bee balm and catnip. These fragrant plants have flowers of varying sizes and shapes containing copious amounts of nectar enticing all sorts of pollinators. To welcome them to your garden, consider planting these herbs:
- Rich weed: This plant grows from August to October, at 36-60 inches. Their yellow flowers and tall leaves attract late-season bumblebees and native bees.
- Cumberland rosemary: In bloom from April to July with purple flowers and a growth of 12-18 inches that attract small, native bees.
- Smooth wood mint: Blooming from May to July and growing from 12-36 inches, these white flowers that are easy to manage will bring early-season bumblebees and native bees to your garden.
- Short-toothed mountain mint: With aggressive but manageable growth these white and purple flowers grow from June to September at 24-48 inches, this plant will have large quantities of native bees visiting frequently.
Legumes
While widely known for their fruit or pod, the Fabaceae family contains not only food crops like peas and beans but also shrubs and trees. Legume pollen is high in protein with an abundance of shapes and colors.
These popular legume plants will keep pollinators returning to your garden year-round.
- Hair bush: These clover-producing white flowers bloom from August to September and typically attract leaf-cutter bees.
- Dwarf indigo: As an easily managed purple shrub, dwarf indigo will grow 12-36 inches and attract small native bees.
Professional landscaping in Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport in Tennessee
If you want a lush garden full of friendly pollinating plants, contact the landscape design experts in Kingsport at Promier Landscapes today. With our team of professionals, you can enjoy the end result of your garden without all the hours of labor. Whether you’re already a seasoned gardener or looking to get started, contact the team at Promier Landscapes for all of your design needs. Give us a call at 423) 512-8618 today or schedule a consultation online.