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Verbena (Glandularia x hybrida Enduro™ White Blush) has beautiful, delicately colored, pastel lavender and white blossoms. Hardy in zones 9a-10b, it blooms from spring to fall. It enjoys full sun and dislikes wet feet. It works well as either a very attractive ground cover or trailing in a hanging basket. The two-toned delicate color makes it one of my favorite verbenas.

Homestead Verbena (Glandularia canadensis 'Homestead Purple') is a reliable, season-long bloomer in my zone 7a garden. It is attractive to pollinators and a source of nectar. It enjoys sun and needs very well-drained soil. Formerly known as Verbena canadensis, it has now been reclassified as a separate genus from Verbena. Creates a beautiful ground cover or works well in hanging baskets.

Verbena (Glandularia canadensis 'Homestead Carpet Red') produces short-stemmed, delicate-petaled clusters of full red blossoms against a green foliage mat. It is attractive to butterflies and is a source of nectar. Often grown as an annual, it is hardy to zone 7b, enjoys sunny spots, and does well with summer heat. Works well as a ground cover or in window boxes.

Gladiolus x gandavensis 'Traderhorn' produces heavy flower stalks that typically need staking. Without staking, the leaves and stalks of this plant are likely to flop and become very unattractive. This plant is easily grown from bulbs and enjoys full sun. It is hardy in zones 7a-10b. Corms may be dug up for overwintering in colder climates.

Spotted or Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum 'Espresso') is native to the northeastern United States. It has special value to native and bumble bees, particularly mining bees. Small carpenter, sweat, mason, mining, bumble, and cuckoo bees are attracted to this plant.

Geranium maculatum also reportedly attracts beneficial insects such as syrphid flies and fruitworm beetles. Its seeds are eaten by birds, including mourning doves and bobwhite quail.

'Espresso' is a dark, chocolate-leaved cultivar with pretty lavender blue flowers. Plant with green-leaved cultivars for a striking color contrast.

Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata 'Yellow Trumpet') enjoys full sun and medium to dry soil. A bright and colorful perennial that is native to the northern and western United States and Canada, it attracts butterflies and has special value to native bees. Part of the Gallo series, Yellow Trumpet is compact and blooms prolifically from late spring to fall.

The blooms of Florence Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum) are very attractive to bees. In addition, this plant reportedly attracts a variety of beneficial insects to the garden, including parasitic mini-wasps, hoverflies, ladybugs, and lacewings. These beneficial insects consume many common garden pests including aphids, armyworms, codling moths, European corn borer, flies, gypsy moths, cabbageworms, mealybugs, soft scales, spider mites thrips, moth eggs, and small caterpillars.

Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue') is a larval host plant for the Nevada Skipper and the Great Basin Fritillary, two butterfly species found in the western United States. This is an attractive grass that enjoys full sun and medium to dry soil. Its blue color and flowing, fountain-like leaves make it a welcome ornamental addition to many garden settings.

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium dubium 'Baby Joe') is a pollinator magnet and important nectar source for Monarchs and other butterflies. It is a key Monarch Way Station plant. In addition to its value to butterflies, Joe Pye Weed provides bees with nectar and also supports conservation biological control by attracting beneficial insects to the garden.

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus') is a very attractive plant to pollinators and an important source of nectar for many butterfly species. Monarchs, Red Admirals, Sulphurs, Fritillaries, Skippers, Swallowtails, and other butterflies enjoy this plant. In addition, Echinacea purpurea has special value to native bees, particularly bumble and leafcutter bees.

Birds enjoy the seedheads.

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Happy Star') is a very attractive plant to pollinators and an important source of nectar for many butterfly species. Monarchs, Red Admirals, Sulphurs, Fritillaries, Skippers, Swallowtails, and other butterflies enjoy this plant. In addition, Echinacea purpurea has special value to native bees, particularly bumble and leafcutter bees.

Echinacea 'Secret Affair' is a very pretty double-blossomed coneflower with an early to mid summer bloom time. It is also fragrant.

Unlike single-blossomed Echinacea, the double-blossomed cultivars like 'Secret Affair' do not attract pollinators. The bees and butterflies seem to not be able to access the nectar easily through the thick bloom cover, and so pass it by. If you are looking for a lovely dusty pink blossom color, this is it. If you are looking to attract the pollinators, you'll want to choose a single-bloom cultivar instead.

Echinacea 'Raspberry Truffle' is a very pretty double-blossomed coneflower with an early to mid summer bloom time. Unlike single-blossomed Echinacea, the double-blossomed cultivars like 'Raspberry Truffle' do not attract pollinators. The bees and butterflies seem to not be able to access the nectar easily through the thick bloom cover, and so pass it by. If you are looking for a unique and pretty blossom color, this is it. If you are looking to attract the pollinators, you'll want to choose a single-blossom cultivar instead.

Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus 'Bright Lights') is sun-loving and easy to grow from seed. It has been a pollinator magnet in my garden, attracting numerous butterflies and visited by many bee species, including green, metallic, sweat, and longhorned bees.

Cosmos also reportedly attracts a variety of beneficial insects to the garden, including lacewings, hoverflies,
mini-wasps, pirate, damsel, and big-eyed bugs. These beneficial insects feed on common garden pests.

Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) has been a pollinator magnet in my garden, attracting numerous bees and butterflies with its red and pink blossoms. It is also easy to grow from seed.

Cosmos bipinnatus is enjoyed by many native bee species, including green metallic, sweat, and longhorned bees.

This plant also reportedly attracts beneficial insects to the garden, including lacewings, hoverflies, mini-wasps, and pirate, damsel, and big-eyed bugs. These beneficial insects feed on many different garden pests including: aphids, mealybugs, thrips, small caterpillars, mites, moth eggs, some scales, armyworms, codling moths, European corn borer, flies, gypsy moths, cabbageworms, leaf hopper nymph, insect eggs, tarnished plant bugs, and treehoppers.

Pink Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida f. rubra) is a multiseason ornamental native tree. In the spring, it delights with vivid pink blossoms, followed by round red berries in the late summer, which are enjoyed by birds. In the autumn, the leaves turn a deep red.

In addition to its visual appeal, the pink flowering dogwood benefits the native ecosystem. It is a larval host plant for the Spring Azure Butterfly, and has special value to native bees. Finally, this tree supports conservation biological control by attracting beneficial insects to the garden.

Here in Maryland, Lily of The Valley (Convallaria majalis) blooms in late May. It is a lovely, sweetly fragrant flower which has colonized rapidly by rhizomes in my zone 7a garden. It prefers moist soil in shady areas, and the delicate blooms wilt quickly in direct sun. The foliage declines significantly over the summer and can be cut back for the season.

Lesser Calamint (Clinopodium nepeta 'Blue Cloud') in bloom is an absolute pollinator magnet. The bees especially love it. Lesser Calamint is a member of the mint family and has aromatic leaves. This plant enjoys full sun, blooms in late summer, and reseeds well. It does well in medium to dry soil, making it a good candidate for hot summer weather with some drought tolerance.

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) is a larval host plant for the Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. The white blooms attract butterflies, as well as worker bumble bees and long-horned bees. Turtlehead may also attract hummingbirds.

Native to eastern North America, Turtlehead grows best in moist, rich soils in part shade. Deer consider Turtlehead to be quite tasty.

Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) is a perennial, aromatic herb hardy on zones 4a-9b. It spreads by creeping stems to form a luscious, fine-textured ground cover. Small, daisy-like white flowers with yellow disks bloom in the summer time. I have it growing beneath lavender, where it is a beautiful green contrast all season to lavender's silvery gray stems and purple blossoms.