Creating a Bee and Butterfly Friendly Garden
- Steve Cook
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Plants to encourage pollinators into your garden
What plants will help encourage bees, butterflies and other pollinators into your garden? With around 50 species of butterflies, 140 species of bees and over 2,500 species of moths in the UK, the honest answer is — most flowering plants will do the job.
That said, from experience, some plants are far better than others. The right choices won’t just attract pollinators, they’ll also enhance your garden with colour, texture and scent throughout the year.
Why variety matters
One of the most important things to get right is variety. Different pollinators are drawn to different plants, so the more diverse your planting, the more life your garden will attract.
As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life — and it’s certainly true in the garden.
The trees, shrubs and perennials listed here are plants I’ve used across many projects over the years. They’re not just good for bees and butterflies — they’re also reliable, enjoyable to grow, and bring real seasonal interest from spring through to autumn.
Spring: early nectar sources
Spring is a crucial time for pollinators, and flowering trees are one of the best early sources of nectar.
Flowering cherries (Prunus)
Japanese flowering cherries are a great place to start, with varieties to suit everything from small patios to larger gardens:
Prunus ‘Spire’ — upright, narrow tree with light pink blossom
Prunus ‘Tai-Haku’ — the “Great White Cherry”, large white flowers
Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ — columnar habit, soft pink flowers with scent
Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ — compact, ideal for pots and small spaces
All offer excellent spring blossom and good autumn colour.
Fruit trees
Apple blossom is excellent for pollinators — and you get fruit as well, which is hard to argue with. The UK climate suits fruit trees well, and homegrown always wins over shop-bought.
A standout is:
Malus ‘Rudolph’ — a small ornamental crab apple with masses of strawberry-pink flowers. On a warm spring day, it will be alive with bees.
Late spring to early summer favourites
Alliums
Allium ‘Globemaster’ is hard to beat — large, globe-shaped purple flowers that are magnets for bees.
Height: 2.5–5ft
Position: full sun
Soil: well-drained
Great for containers if soil is heavy
Plant bulbs in autumn for late spring impact.
Choisya (Mexican Orange Blossom)
An evergreen shrub with scented white flowers, often flowering twice a year.
Good varieties include:
‘White Dazzler’
‘Aztec Pearl’
‘Aztec Gold’ (golden foliage)
Reliable, compact and excellent for bees.
Summer: peak pollinator season
This is when the garden really comes alive.
Buddleja (Butterfly Bush)
Probably the best-known pollinator plant.
Wide range from compact to large shrubs
Needs full sun and well-drained soil
Prune hard in early spring
A standout variety:
Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’ — deep purple flowers with a rich, honey-like scent
Verbena bonariensis
A brilliant structural plant with airy purple flowers.
Height: 2–4ft
Self-seeds freely
Thrives in poorer soils
Great for bees and butterflies, and works beautifully mixed into borders.
Other summer favourites
Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ — striking thistle, loved by bumblebees
Echinacea ‘Purpurea Magnus’ — long-flowering, storm-resistant blooms
Nepeta (Catmint) — easy, drought-tolerant and highly attractive to pollinators
A useful tip with Nepeta: once bees stop visiting, it’s finished flowering. Cut it back hard and it will regrow and flower again.
Lavender (and rosemary)
A classic — and for good reason.
Lavender thrives in:
Full sun
Free-draining, sandy soil
Low-nutrient conditions
Avoid wet ground, especially in winter. Pots and raised beds are often the best option.
Trim after flowering to keep plants compact, and replace every 4–5 years as they become woody.
Both lavender and rosemary are excellent for bees and butterflies.
Late summer into autumn
Ivy (Hedera helix)
Often overlooked, but incredibly valuable.
Flowers in autumn
Excellent late nectar source
Not great for honey flavour, apparently — but very good for bees.
Shade-loving options
Actaea ‘Chocoholic’ — dark foliage, scented white flowers
Fatsia Japonica — late-season flowers, ideal for deep shade
Both are excellent for pollinators in more challenging garden areas.
Other reliable pollinator plants
Phlomis (Turkish sage)
Teucrium (Germander)
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’
Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’ (Russian sage)
Helenium ‘Waltraut’
Rudbeckia ‘Goldsturm’
Final thoughts
There’s a huge range of plants to choose from, but the key takeaway is simple:
Plant a wide variety to support pollinators throughout the seasons.
Do that, and your garden won’t just look better — it will feel alive.
Next time, we’ll look at planting specifically for caterpillars.
