Attracting Pollinators
Here is a great list of pollinator plants from Pam Brunsfeld; retired UI Herbarium director, botanist, gardener, and pollinator plant expert!
POLLINATION, POLLINATORS & PLANTS
BUTTERFLIES
- *Echinacea purpurea – purple coneflower
- *Syringa vulgaris – lilac
- *Buddleja spp. – butterfly bush
BIRDS
- *Lonicera sempervirens – coral honeysuckle
- *Lonicera ciliosa – western or orange honeysuckle
- *Fuschia spp. – fuschia
WINTER AND EARLY SPRING
- *Galanthus nivalis – snowdrops
- *Eranthis hyemalis – winter aconit
- *Crocus spp. – crocus
- *Helleborus niger – Christmas rose
- Hydrophyllum capitatum – ballhead waterleaf
- Viola spp. (V. adunca and V. orbiculata) – violets
- Berberis spp. – Oregon grape
- Ribes spp. – currants
- Salix spp. – willows
- Geum triflorum – prairie smoke
- Amelanchier alnifolia – serviceberry, saskatoon
- Penstemon fruticosus – shrubby penstemon
SUMMER
- Philadelphus lewisii – mock orange
- *Nepeta faasenii – catmint
- *Lavendula spp. – lavender
- Penstemon spp. – penstemons, beardstongues
- Penstemon deustus – hot-rock penstemon
- Penstemon richardsonii – Richard’s penstemon
- Penstemon confertus – yellow-flowered penstemon
- Penstemon attenuatus – taper-leaved penstemon
- Penstemon palmeri – Palmer’s penstemon
- Penstemon venustus – showy penstemon
- Eriogonum heraceoides – parsnip-flowered buckwheat
- Eriogonum umbellatum – sulfur-flowered buckwheat
- Eriogonum caespitsoum – mat buckwheat
- Holodiscus discolor – ocean spray
- Asclepias speciosa – showy milkweed
- Gaillardia aristata – blanketflower
- Lupinus spp. (L. polyphyllus & L. sericeus) – lupines
AUTUMN
- Solidago spp. – goldenrods
- Symphyotrichum spp. (S. jessicae, S. spathulatum, *S. novae-angliae) – asters
*Indicates non-native species
SOURCES FOR NATIVE PLANTS:
Idaho Native Plant Society, White Pine Chapter Native Plant Sale: 1912 Building, 412 E. Third St. Moscow, Id. May 16, 9 am to noon
Plants of the Wild: In Tekoa, Washington, many natives are available either by visiting or via their online catalog. They will have plants grown from seed from Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm. You can avoid shipping by picking them up. Phone 509-284-2848
Cedar Mountain Perennials: Further away but if you are heading north past Athol you might check out their website. They sell some North Idaho natives. Phone 208-683-2387.
Pleasant Hill Farm: Near Troy, run by Pat and Doug Mason, quality native plants are available, primarily from seed from Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm. Their address is 1101 Anderson Rd, Troy, ID. Phone 208-877-1434. Call for an appointment.
Fiddler's Ridge Nursery: Run by Theresa and John Greiner, located in Potlatch and Moscow, sells some native plants grown by Pleasant Hill Farms and seed from Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm. Phone 208-683-2387.
Thorn Creek Native Seed Farm: Owned by Jacie and Wayne Jensen. Seed (packets and bulk) and seed mixes are available via their website as well as in some retail stores. Some of the retail stores will also be selling plants grown from their seed. Check out their website which has information not only on the products available but also plant characteristics and growing requirements.
USDA plant fact sheets. Look up by species. Gives a lot of information.
https://www.whitepineinps.org/
pambrunsfeld@gmail.com