What Annuals Bring in Pollinators

Here at the Curious Gardens, we like our native plants, but we also enjoy lots of brightly colored annuals as well. Annuals bring so much seasonal color and pollen and nectar sources for all sorts of bees, butterflies, and pollinators.

A lot of annuals can easily be started from seed, while others can be purchased in 6-packs or 4” containers and transplanted directly onto the ground or containers. The following are some of our favorites here in our gardens.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers bring a bright and happy atmosphere to every garden. Plant lots of colors and sizes and these should be direct seeded in the ground. Try not to plant the pollenless varieties as they don’t provide the pollen that bees and other pollinators love.

Zinnias   

Zinnias provide a stunning array of hot colors, and some fun bi-colored varieties. Direct seed these or transplant in full sun.

Cosmos

Cosmos are easy to grow from seed, loved by bees, butterflies, and hoverflies

Alyssum

No garden should be without it! Sweet honey scented blooms are a huge attractant for so many pollinators and beneficial insects.

Salvia

The salvia coccinea variety is so easy to grow from seed. They bloom for 6-8 months of the year and are another pollinator-loved variety.

Native Wildflowers

Native wildflowers are an amazing annual! You can buy these in fun mixes provide lots of interesting varieties. Disperse the seeds in your garden beds in the fall. These are all easy to grow, lots of color, and enjoyed by the little pollinators in your gardens.