Boost Your Garden’s Productivity with Pollinator Plants

Boost your edible garden’s productivity by growing pollinator plants in and near your garden and containers.

Many of our fruit trees and vegetables depend on bees and other pollinators to produce fruit.  Declining populations of pollinators such as native and honeybees have an impact on the quality and abundance of our garden harvests.

Plan for a season of blooms in a variety of colors and flower shapes. A long season of diverse blossoms attracts and feeds a variety of pollinators to support your garden.

Plant more herbs and allow some to flower. You’ll find many covered in bees happily gathering nectar as they flit from these to your fruits and vegetables. Add single flowered zinnias, marigolds and dahlias preferred by butterflies and bees.

Grow native plants nearby.  Research shows these attract and support the greatest number of pollinators. 

A bit more information: Squashes, cucumbers, pumpkins, eggplant, okra, watermelons, muskmelons, and apples are a few plants that depend upon insects for pollination. If pollination doesn’t occur, no fruit will develop. If pollination is incomplete, the fruit may be misshaped or undersized. Visit All-America Selections for a list of winning plants that help attract and support pollinators.

Tags

butterflies pumpkin herbs eggplant cucumber all-america-selections bees apple zinnia dahlia melon african-marigold french-marigold summer-squash winter-squash okra watermelon

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