🌼🐝 Top 25 Colorado Native Pollinator Plants for Home Gardens 🐝🌼

And Why These Plants Matter So Much

Colorado is home to over a thousand species of native bees, plus butterflies, moths, beetles, and hummingbirds that all depend on native plants for food and shelter. Native plants evolved alongside these pollinators, which means they provide the right nectar, the right pollen, and in many cases the only leaves that certain caterpillars can eat.

That is why planting native is one of the most powerful things you can do for pollinators. And not all native plants play the same role. Some feed adults, some support babies, and some provide safe places to nest and overwinter.

We chose the plants below because together they create full season support, from early spring through fall, and because they perform well in Colorado gardens with little water once established.

🌸 Wildflowers and Perennials
These plants provide large amounts of nectar and pollen and are magnets for native bees and butterflies.

  1. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia)
    Chosen for its long bloom time and wide appeal to many bee species.

  2. Blanket Flower (Gaillardia aristata)
    Blooms for months and thrives in heat and drought while feeding bees and butterflies.

  3. Rocky Mountain Penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
    Important for native bees and hummingbirds with tubular flowers early in the season.

  4. Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa)
    Highly attractive to long tongued bees and hummingbirds and supports many species at once.

  5. Blue Flax (Linum lewisii)
    Provides early nectar and opens daily, helping pollinators that forage in the morning.

  6. Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)
    Fixes nitrogen in the soil and feeds many specialist bee species.

  7. Goldenrod (Solidago species)
    One of the most important late season food sources before winter.

  8. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
    Supports beneficial insects and tiny native bees while improving soil health.

  9. Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)
    Essential host plant for monarch caterpillars and rich nectar for many insects.

  10. Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata)
    A favorite of hummingbirds and long tongued moths in summer.

🌼 Early Season Bloomers
These plants feed pollinators when few other flowers are available.

  1. Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla patens)
    One of the first blooms of spring, critical for emerging bees.

  2. Colorado Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea)
    Feeds hummingbirds and bees early and reseeds gently in gardens.

  3. Spring Beauty (Claytonia lanceolata)
    Provides early nectar and supports small native bees.

  4. Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)
    Early blooming and supports many beneficial insects.

  5. Desert Four O Clock (Mirabilis multiflora)
    Blooms in late afternoon and evening, feeding moth pollinators.

🌿 Shrubs and Subshrubs
Woody plants provide food, nesting sites, and structure year round.

  1. Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
    Massive late season blooms that support bees preparing for winter.

  2. Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia)
    Early flowers and berries that support both pollinators and birds.

  3. Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)
    Important host plant for many butterfly and moth species.

  4. Woods Rose (Rosa woodsii)
    Provides pollen rich flowers and protective habitat for insects.

  5. Wax Currant (Ribes cereum)
    Early spring flowers that are heavily visited by native bees.

🌾 Grasses and Structure Plants
These plants do not provide nectar but are critical for nesting and shelter.

  1. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)
    Provides nesting habitat and helps stabilize soil.

  2. Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis)
    Supports ground nesting bees and offers winter shelter.

  3. Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)
    Hosts beneficial insects and provides structure in pollinator gardens.

  4. Prairie Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis)
    Dense root systems protect soil and create micro habitat.

  5. Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides)
    Important for soil health and shelter in arid landscapes.

🌼 Why Diversity Matters More Than Any Single Plant

Pollinators need more than just flowers. They need:

  • Continuous bloom from spring through fall

  • Host plants for caterpillars

  • Undisturbed soil and stems for nesting

  • Shelter from weather and predators

By mixing flowers, shrubs, and grasses, you support the entire life cycle of pollinators, not just the adult stage we usually see.

Every yard does not need to be perfect. But every native plant added helps rebuild habitat across our neighborhoods and communities.

And that is how small gardens create big change. 💛🌿🐝

Back to News