One of the best feelings for a gardener is watching pollinators float in to sample your flowers. Here are some of the best annuals for luring butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to your yard.
Petunia Surprise Moonlight Bay
The undisputed champion of annual plants, petunias come in a full rainbow of colors and are known for their tendency to spread and their profusion of trumpet-like flowers which are admired by pollinators and humans alike!
Lantana Bandana® Lemon Meringue Combination
The best thing about lantana (besides being flocked by pollinators) is that it’s never the same plant twice. It’s cupcake-like blooms present colors that multiply and become more complex as they mature. Pink, white, yellow and red may all make an appearance on the same plant – and even within the same bloom cluster!
Sweet Summer Combination
Heliotrope
This blue beauty really steals the show in whatever planters and windowboxes it finds itself in. Bees find its delicate light purple flower clusters irresistible and that delicious vanilla/cherry pie scent is like something out of a dream.
Salvia Grandstand™ Pink Red Lipstick
Salvia (Annual Sage)
A favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, annual salvia is a boon to pollinator-friendly gardens and a treat for any landscape needing some extra color without the extra maintenance. These beauties perform well in sunny landscapes and are so enchanting they should have a role every garden! (But that’s just our two cents.)
Lavender ‘Big Time Blue’
“But wait!” You might be saying “I though lavender was a perennial?” Well, you’re not wrong! Lavender is technically a perennial, but it doesn’t always make it through the winter, particularly in very cold environments. That makes it more of a tender perennial leaning toward annual. No matter how you categorize it, lavender is an excellent choice due to its intense fragrance and butterfly-attracting bloom wands.
If perennials are more your speed, come check out our best pollinator attracting plants!