Best Pollinator

Lavandula angustifolia, commonly called English lavender or true lavender, is an aromatic evergreen shrub native to parts of the Mediterranean region. It bears narrow gray-green leaves and spikes of purple flowers that attract bees and other pollinators, while established plants tolerate dry conditi...

Perovskia atriplicifolia, commonly called Russian sage, is a drought-tolerant deciduous shrub native to Central Asia, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite its common name, it is a member of the mint family and features aromatic, silvery-gray stems and foliage. The plant produces tall spikes o...

Wild bergamot beebalm is a flowering wildflower found across prairies and meadows. It belongs to the mint family and features fragrant leaves valued for traditional medicinal purposes by Native American communities. The plant’s purple blossoms are particularly attractive to pollinators like bees, pl...

Caryopteris x clandonensis, commonly known as bluebeard or blue mist shrub, is a hybrid resulting from a cross between Caryopteris incana and Caryopteris mongholica. The original hybrid was cultivated around 1930 by Arthur Simmonds at Clandon Park in Surrey, England. This deciduous shrub is valued b...

Bombus ignitus is an East Asian bumblebee notably utilized commercially in South Korea and Japan for the efficient greenhouse pollination of tomatoes and other agricultural crops.

Abelia × grandiflora is a hybrid evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub produced by crossing Abelia chinensis and Abelia uniflora, first raised in Italy around 1886 and prized for its arching branches and persistent pinkish calyces after flowering.

Bombus hypocrita is a bumblebee native to Japan, notable for its ecological role as a host for cuckoo bumblebees and its historical commercial use in regional crop pollination.

Bombus atratus is a South American bumblebee notable for its highly defensive behavior and its unique ability to maintain continuous, year-round colonies in tropical climates.

Caryopteris incana, commonly known as bluebeard, is a species of flowering plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae. Native to East Asia, it is a deciduous subshrub that naturally grows in dry, rocky environments. In landscaping, it is planted for its late-season blooming cycle, producing dense clusters...

Vitex agnus-castus, also called the chaste tree, is a deciduous shrub native to the Mediterranean region and parts of central Asia. It features aromatic, palm-shaped leaves and produces spikes of violet-blue flowers during the summer months. Historically, the plant was associated with legends of sup...

Bombus pauloensis is a widespread South American bumblebee notable for its striking geographic color variation and its vital importance as a primary pollinator of native flora.

The New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) is a robust herbaceous perennial native to moist meadows, prairies, and stream banks across eastern and central North America. Reaching heights of up to six feet, it is distinguished by its stout, hairy stems and dense clusters of vibrant purple r...

Megachile ligniseca is a large leafcutter bee native to Europe and Asia, notable for the females' habit of excavating nesting tunnels in rotting wood to rear their young.

Megachile versicolor is a widespread European leafcutter bee species recognized for its solitary behavior and its practice of cutting neat circular pieces of leaves for nesting.

Anthidium septemspinosum is a Palearctic wool carder bee known for collecting plant fibers to line its nests, with males exhibiting strong territorial behavior.

Hyssopus officinalis, hyssop, is a semi-evergreen aromatic subshrub native to southern Europe and western Asia, cultivated since antiquity as a culinary and medicinal herb and referenced in ancient Greek and Hebrew texts.

Megachile circumcincta is a solitary leafcutter bee found across the Palearctic region, first officially described by Kirby in 1802.

Andrena vicina is a solitary mining bee prevalent in North America, known for its early spring emergence and described by Smith in 1853.

Hibiscus syriacus, commonly called rose of Sharon, is a deciduous flowering shrub native to eastern Asia. It produces showy, five-petaled flowers from summer into early autumn in colors including white, pink, purple, and blue, often with a contrasting central eye. The species is the national flower...

Caryopteris x clandonensis, commonly called blue mist shrub or bluebeard, is a deciduous hybrid shrub grown for clusters of blue flowers that appear in late summer and early autumn. It originated in England in the 1930s from a cross involving Asian Caryopteris species. Its flowers attract bees, butt...

Anthophora terminalis is a North American digger bee recognized by the distinctive white bands on its abdomen, described by Cresson in 1869.

Melissodes communis is a North American long-horned bee recognized for foraging primarily on sunflowers and other asters during late summer.

Megachile xylocopoides is a large North American leafcutter bee notable for its striking resemblance to carpenter bees, described in 1878.

Osmia niveata is a solitary mason bee native to Europe, first described by Fabricius in 1804, and is recognized by its pale, white-haired thorax and pollinating capabilities.

Megachile analis is a Palearctic leafcutter bee distinguished by its use of resin and mud for nest building, first described by Nylander in 1848.

Osmia bucephala, the large-headed mason bee, is a European species recognized for its distinctive broad head and its preference for nesting in aerial cavities and dead wood.

Megachile montivaga is a North American leafcutter bee that builds nests in pre-existing cavities using leaf fragments, described by Cresson in 1878.

Megachile latimanus is a solitary leafcutter bee native to North America, noted for its broad mandibles and first described by Say in 1823.

Megachile parallela is a North American leafcutter bee noted for its parallel-sided body structure, originally described by Smith in 1853.