Open Daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
$20 adults, $15 children
Open Daily, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
$20 adults, $15 children
Nectar plants will be the source of nutrients and energy for the adult pollinators visiting your garden. These plants will attract all types of pollinators: hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, beetles, wasps, flies, and bees, such as the mason bee and bumblebee. These pollinators will be attracted to many qualities, such as flowers with strong scents, bright colors, and nectar.
This list is tailored for the Upper Midwest, click here to find out about how to participate in other parts of the county.
Gardens need at least one host plant and one nectar plant from our list to be registered as a Plant.Grow.Fly. garden.
Want your garden to be 100% native? Look for the * to indicate which plants are native to the upper Midwest
Bee Balm (Monarda)*
$$. Perennial. Blooms midsummer-fall. Grows 1-4 ft tall with a 2 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, and borders. Deer resistant.
Blazing Stars (Liatris)*
$$. Perennial. Bloom throughout summer. Grow 2-5 ft tall with a 1-2 ft spread. Used in containers, borders, and beds.
Coneflowers (Echinacea)*
$$. Perennial. Bloom summer-fall. Grow 2-4 ft tall with a 1-2 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, and borders.
Cosmos (Cosmos)
$. Annual. Bloom summer-fall. Grow 2-5 ft tall with a 1-2 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, and borders
Goldenrod (Solidago)*
$$. Perennial. Blooms summer-fall. Grows 2 inches to 6 ft tall with an 8 inch to 3 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, borders, and slopes. Deer resistant.
Ironweed (Vernonia)*
$$. Perennial. Blooms summer-fall. Grows 2- 8 ft tall with a 2-3 ft spread depending on the variety. Used in containers, beds, and borders.
Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium)*
$$. Perennial. Blooms late summer. Grows 2-6 ft tall with a 2-4 ft spread. Used in
containers, beds, borders, and ground cover. Deer resistant.
Lantana (Lantana)
$. Annual. Blooms summer-fall. Grows 4 ft tall with a 4 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, borders, slopes, and ground cover. Deer resistant. Toxic to dogs and cats when ingested.
Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa)
$$$. Perennial. Blooms late spring-early summer. Grows 4-8 ft tall with a 4-6 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, and borders. Deer resistant.
Zinnias (Zinnia)
$. Annual. Bloom throughout summer. Grow 1-4 ft tall with a 1 ft spread. Used in containers, beds, and borders. Deer resistant.
Eastern Redbud Tree
Blooms early spring. Mature height 25’ with a spread of 25’. An understory tree suitable under power lines.
Serviceberry Tree
Blooms early spring. Mature height 15-25’ with a spread of 15-25’. An understory tree suitable under power lines. Great fall color. Tree can be single or multi-stem.
plantgrowfly@blankparkzoo.org
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Photos courtesy of Nathan Brockman