How to attract pollinators to your garden

Did you know that in North America, one in every three bites of food is from pollination? Pollinator species play a critical role in our environment and are a joy to watch as they travel from flower to flower.

With thoughtful planning they can be attracted to your garden.

Which species are the best pollinators?

Bumblebees are prolific pollinators and are the species that most people think of. Almost everyone has a memory of a busy bumblebee laden with pollen travelling between plants in a garden.

Bees do much more than just produce honey. They are such busy pollinators because their larvae depend on pollen to feed. It’s their main food source. As adult bees travel between flowers, pollen collects on stiff hairs on their legs and is then deposited onto the next flower. Many plant species depend on this pollination to reproduce.

Hummingbirds are highly adapted pollinators that are incredible visitors to any garden. Did you know that hummingbirds drink up to two times their weight a day in nectar? They have an incredibly high metabolism fueled entirely by nectar from flowers.

They use their long beak and tongue to drink nectar from tube-shaped flowers. Pollen collects on their feathers as they drink and is then carried between plants as they continue to feed. Hummingbirds are not attracted by smell and rely on visual cues to find the vast quantities of nectar they need to survive. They are drawn to brightly colored flowers and are frequent visitors to specialized hummingbird feeders.

Butterflies are another beautiful pollinator that can be attracted to any garden. They are less prolific pollinators than bees and hummingbirds but they are pleasant additions to any garden. Butterflies float happily between plants and contribute to pollinating fruit trees, flowers, and many native plant species.

Other pollinator species include: moths, insects, beetles, and even bats.

Why are pollinators important for a garden?

Flowering plants require pollination to reproduce. Pollination is simply pollen from one flower being transferred to another. This is how seeds are fertilized and is what allows plants to reproduce.

Pollination can occur either by creatures moving pollen in between plants or by gusts of wind blowing the pollen around. Plants that rely on animals for pollination have the most vibrant colors and make great additions to any garden. The are typically brightly colored with strong scents to attract pollinators. These are very appealing to gardeners but even more appealing to pollinators that view them as a source of food.

Picture a garden filled with brightly colored, fresh smelling flowers. This is something every gardener would love to have in their garden and is even more attractive to pollinators who see it as an enticing all-you-can-eat buffet.

When a pollinating creature lands on the flower, pollen builds up on their bodies. That pollen is then transferred between plants as the pollinator travels in search of food. This cross-pollination produces stronger plants, seeds that are more viable, and potentially new varieties of plant species as different combinations are created.

Plants that rely on wind for pollination are typically duller in their color and unscented because they do not need to attract pollinators to land on them.