Attracting Pollinators

Ever been to a garden center and thought, “what should I get?” Wandering up and down the isles to see what looks healthy and what’s the most eye catching? Or maybe just searching through pictures in seed catalogs? It turns out that pollinators “shop”  for plants too.

The character traits and qualities of certain flowers that make them more desirable  to a particular pollinator is referred to as “Pollinator Syndromes”.  Characteristics like, color, size, shape, amount of nectar, type of pollen, odor, and location all determine which pollinators are likely to pollinate that flower.

Pollinators are attracted to different plants because all pollinators are different. Their physical differences and needs make them choose which flowers to pollinate. Like a matching game. Whose tongue fits in which flower? Which flower is blooming while the pollinator is awake? Which smell does a pollinator prefer?

Planting preferred types of flowers is a way to target and attract more of a particular pollinator. Think of the list below of pollinators matched with their preferences as a shopping guide.