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Top Ten Pollinator Plants on the Berea Urban Farm

We grow these and other flowers as part of our Pollinator Pathway and throughout the farm as we work to improve habitat for pollinators. We grow seedlings of pollinator plants in our greenhouse each spring and provide them to Berea households and organizations such as the Madison County Conservation District.

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Zinnia

(Zinnia elegans)

Attracts: Bees and butterflies, esp. monarchs

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Life cycle: Annual

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Height: 24-30”

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Spacing: 9-12”

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Light: Full sun

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Blooms: June-Oct

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Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

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Life cycle: Perennial

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Height: 2-3’

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Spacing: 18-24”

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Light: Full sun

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Blooms: June-Oct

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Yarrow

(Achillea millefollium)

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, other insects

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Life cycle: Perennial

 

Height: 2-3'

 

Spacing: 1-2'

 

Light: Full sun

 

Blooms: June-Oct

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Borage

(Borago officinalis)

Attracts: Bumblebees and honeybees

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Life cycle: Annual; readily self-sows

 

Height: 18”-30”

 

Spacing: 12”

 

Light: Full sun

 

Blooms: June-Oct.

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Marigolds –Red Gem and Tangerine Gem

(Tagetes spp.)

Attracts: Bees, butterflies, other beneficial insects

 

Life cycle: Annual

 

Height:10-12"

 

Spacing: 12”

 

Light: Full sun

 

Blooms: May-Oct

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Sunflower

(Multiple varieties)

Attracts: butterflies, bees, other insects

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Life cycle: Annual


Height and spacing: Depends on variety

 

Note: Choose varieties that produce pollen and nectar

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Light: Sun

 

Blooms: June-Sept

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Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

Attracts: Butterflies, hummingbirds (host plant to Monarchs)

 

Life cycle: Annual

 

Height: 2-4'

 

Spacing: 1’

 

Light: Full-part sun

 

Blooms: June-Aug

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Anise hyssop

(Agastache foeniculum or anethiodora)

Attracts: bees, butterflies, hummingbirds

 

Life cycle: Perennial

 

Height: 24-36”

 

Spacing: 6-12” plant spacing; 24-36” row

spacing

 

Light: Sun

 

Blooms: June-Sept

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Bee balm

(Monarda didyma)

Also called Sweet Bergamot

 

Attracts: bees and hummingbirds

 

Life cycle: Perennial

 

Height: 28 – 45”

 

Spacing: 18-24”

 

Light: Sun to part shade

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Blooms: July-Sept

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Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)

Attracts:  bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, ants, flies and beetles

 

Life cycle: Perennial

 

Height: 3’

 

Spacing: 12-18"

 

Light: Full-part sun

 

Blooms: June-Sept

For more information on pollinator plants for Berea households:

 

 

Green Garden Buzz: Fuss free organic gardening for you and the bees

http://www.greengardenbuzz.com/

 

Grow Appalachia: Flowers for Pollinators

https://growappalachia.berea.edu/2016/05/05/flowers-for-pollinators/

 

Xerxes Society: Southeast Region Pollinator Plants

https://www.xerces.org/sites/default/files/2018-05/17-053_03_XercesSoc_PollinatorPlants_Southeast-Region_web-3page.pdf

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