Tips on Creating a Pollinator Habitat in Your Garden This Spring!

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth - Photo by Jane Gamble

The weather has warmed up, and yellow daffodils have bloomed on the grassy medians of the beltway. Purple crocuses, Virginia bluebells, and more are coming out for spring! Northern Virginians are also getting outside, and you may notice that your yard is home to some of these blossoming beauties as well. Spring flowers not only bring elegance to your landscape, but also provide necessary habitat for our native pollinators, which not only ensure that your gardens flourish but also contribute to the overall health of all plants in Northern Virginia—even the ones that make it to our dinner tables! Even if you don’t have the greenest thumb, we have a few pointers to help you cultivate a pollinator garden so that our Virginia bees, butterflies, and others can count on your help this spring!

When curating spring gardens, it is important to include native species because they serve as go-to shelter and food sources for our beautiful native pollinators, such as the Eastern tiger swallowtail (our state butterfly!), fuzzy bumblebees, and ruby-throated hummingbirds! Creating a pollinator garden is easy and not only beautifies your space, but also brings beautiful creatures to your front step. In several counties across the region, such as Fairfax, you can even have your garden officially recognized as a certified wildlife habitat! The first step is selecting the right plants for your land. Flowers are an easy start, and a variety of wildflowers serve as food sources for both adult and larval forms of local pollinators!

Sun-loving plants in Northern Virginia that attract pollinators include shrubs, vines, wildflowers, and groundcovers. Blazing star, or gayfeather, is a stunning perennial that blooms with light purple, spike-shaped flowers. This species simultaneously attracts butterflies and deters deer from munching on your plants. Common wildflowers that bring a pop of color to your garden—and that pollinators love—include goldenrods, wild bergamot, cardinal flower, pickerelweed, mountain mint, Joe-Pye weed, and more! For NVCT’s top picks, read our piece from last year, every option is pollinator-friendly!

Monarch Butterfly - Photo by Jane Gamble

You can play around with the species you choose to plant, which will also attract different guests to your garden. Many flowers that are native to NOVA serve as host plants for different species across the United States. Butterfly weed is a crowd favorite that blossoms throughout the summer. Its bright orange flowers light up fields and gardens, attract bumblebees and honeybees, and serve as a host for monarch butterfly larvae! Common milkweed is another herbaceous perennial that supports monarchs. The numbers of this species have declined over the last couple of decades due to habitat loss caused by human activities. Gardens that attract this species help mitigate the ongoing conservation crisis by supporting the needs of both the butterfly and its larvae. Monarch caterpillars feed on the leaves of milkweed so they can grow to the optimal size before transforming into butterflies in their chrysalis. For our beloved Eastern swallowtail, Joe-Pye weed is a favorite—but what they really love are woody species! If you’re looking to create some shade in your yard with a new tree, consider tulip poplar, wild black cherry, or common hop tree for smaller spaces.

Photos by Jane Gamble (left to right: Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly, Skipper, Hummingbird, and Bee)

What about the bees? Plant NOVA Nativeshas designed a guide for curating a garden to attract honeybees and bumblebees. The European bumblebee is a species that has been under serious threat in Northern Virginia. Honeybees play an important role, supporting the production of many food crops and their surrounding ecosystems. 

Before your fluttering guests order dinner at the new nectar joint that’s all the buzz, they might need a spot to check in for the night. Dense shrubs make a perfect rest stop for tired bees and butterflies. New Jersey tea makes a perfect low-to-the-ground shrub with dainty white flowers that summer azure butterflies love! If you’re looking to get more crafty, bee boxes are all the rage among bee enthusiasts. If you’re not quite the carpenter, bundles of twigs and other dead plant material from the winter will also suffice!

Bugs get thirsty too! While filling your bird bath, adding a shallow plant saucer or wetting open areas of dirt in your garden can serve as a water source for our pollinator pals and help them avoid taking a dive into your bird bath (no promises they still won’t try!).

Our entire ecosystem relies on native plants, and we can help support conservation efforts by incorporating these plants into our gardens!