Expert Recommendations for Notable Plants in 2025
Top Picks for Pollinator Gardens in 2025
In 2025, expert recommendations for top plants for pollinator gardens include a variety of nectar-rich, resilient, and sustainable options. These plants are not only attractive to pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, but they also align well with sustainable landscaping principles.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache), a standout pollinator magnet, features nectar-rich lavender, purple, or orange flower spikes that bloom from mid-summer to frost. It is drought-tolerant and deer/rabbit resistant, making it an ideal choice for low-maintenance gardens.
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) is another top pick, boasting tubular flowers in various colors that are perfect for hummingbirds. This plant requires little water once established and is a great addition to any pollinator garden.
Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) is a tough native plant with bright red, orange, and yellow daisy-like flowers that attract bees and butterflies. It thrives in poor soil and full sun with minimal care, making it a favourite for gardeners.
Cleome is a tall, statuesque plant with airy blooms that self-seeds for low maintenance and returns year after year.
Autumn Joy Sedum is a late-summer bloomer with dusty rose flowers, heat and drought tolerant, offering an excellent way to extend the pollinator season.
Black and Blue Salvia is beloved by hummingbirds for its deep blue tubular flowers, adding a pop of colour to any pollinator garden.
In addition to these, cilantro flowers (when allowed to bloom) and lamb's ear offer unique pollinator habitats, attracting a variety of pollinators such as bees, butterflies, lady beetles, and hummingbird moths.
Sustainable Landscaping Options
Many of these pollinator plants, such as Anise Hyssop, Autumn Sage, Gaillardia, Sedum, and Salvia varieties, are drought-tolerant and thrive in poor soils, making them sustainable choices that conserve water and reduce inputs.
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) updated their evidence-based 2025 Plants for Pollinators list to over 10,000 varieties, promoting year-round flowering plants that support diverse pollinators sustainably. Low-water flowers like coneflowers, blanket flowers, and salvias are recommended for sustainable gardening, especially in southern and western gardens prone to drought.
Other Popular Choices
- Marjoram, with its small white flowers, is a favourite of pollinators and is easy to maintain and fast-growing, making it a great addition to any garden.
- Coneflowers prefer at least 6 hours of direct sun, and afternoon shade is recommended for gardening zones 8 or higher.
- Yellow corydalis are low maintenance and have long bloom cycles, making them suitable for areas under trees and near patios. However, they can be prolific, so dead blooms should be cut off to prevent spread to other areas of the garden.
- Lavender, predicted to be popular in 2025, is hardy, drought-tolerant, attractive to pollinators, and suitable for sustainable landscaping due to its water-saving qualities.
- Marigolds, with their vibrant colors, brighten up any garden and are easy to plant. They are tolerant of different soils and environments, prefer sunny locations, and have a long blooming season. However, they also repel pests like mosquitos and should be planted away from other flowering species and closer to high-traffic areas like doors and patios.
- Sunflowers, a plant favoured for wildlife-friendly gardening in 2025, grow between 4 and 15 feet high and attract pollinators. They thrive in full sun and produce large flowers quickly. In addition, sunflower seeds can be harvested and roasted, providing a vegan protein alternative.
- Creeping Thyme is a low-maintenance ground cover plant with beautiful blooms in a variety of colors, and is considered fire-resistant.
- Dahlias, a popular flower in 2025, come in a variety of colors and are suitable for bold gardens. They require at least 6 hours of direct sun and moist, well-draining soil.
Sources:
- Gardening Know How
- BHG
- Nature Hills
- The Spruce
- RHS
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