Bee a Friend: What to Plant to Help Ohio’s Pollinators

Did you know that you can help Ohio’s pollinators by planting certain flowers in your garden? Pollinators are critical to maintaining the world’s biosystem and to having healthy plants in your central Ohio garden. Yet, 40% of insect pollinators are threatened with extinction. These vital little creatures need your help now!

So, we’re doing a special “Bee a Friend” series so that you can learn how to help pollinators and bring pollinators to your Ohio garden. You can even use our suggestions to create a pollinator garden for your home.

Who are Ohio’s Pollinators?

Ohio has several pollinators including bees, wasps, beetles, flies, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Interestingly, Ohio has about 500 bee species, over 130 species of butterflies, and thousands of moth species.

Beneficial Flowers for Ohio’s Pollinators

While we’ll give you many different suggestions for pollinator-friendly plants in our “Bee a Friend” series, for now, here are four of our top flowering plants for Ohio pollinators.

Basil

Basil is not only a yummy herb and an easy-to-grow plant, but it also attracts pollinators in Ohio. Pollinators are attracted to the plant’s fragrant leaves and its flowers’ nectar and pollen. So, the next time you plant basil, allow a few stems to flower so that both you and your garden’s pollinators can enjoy the plant.

Plant basil in semi-rich soil and give it full sun. Use an all-purpose fertilizer to encourage your basil to grow continuously.

Foxglove

Foxgloves are tall plants with tubular flowers, which come in white, cream, yellow, pink, red, and purple. They often have speckling or mottling within each flower in the blossom’s “throat.”

Plant foxgloves to attract bees and hummingbirds, which like tube-shaped flowers. These totally tubular flowers will bring pollinators to your central Ohio garden.

Foxgloves are deer and rabbit resistant. However, plant foxgloves away from children and pets because the plants could be toxic if ingested.

Plant foxgloves in well-drained and loamy soil, and ensure that they have full or partial sun. You likely won’t need to fertilize them unless you have poor soil quality. If that’s the case, then give your foxgloves a 5-10-5 fertilizer in the spring.

Lantana

Lantanas have small, bright clusters of adorable flowers. Think of them as mini pompom flowers. They come in a variety of colors including pink, yellow, white, orange, and purple. Some lantanas are even bi-colored and look like ombre flowers. 

Ohio’s hummingbirds and butterflies particularly enjoy lantanas’ tubular shapes. Also, lantana flowers attract butterflies because they give the winged beauties a good and colorful landing pad upon which to land and rest. So, if you’re wondering how to make a butterfly garden, then start by planting lantanas in your central Ohio garden.

Lantanas make for gorgeous window box flowers, hanging basket flowers, and filler plants. Plus, they’re deer resistant!

Plant lantanas in well-drained soil with full sun, and fertilize them once a year with a balanced fertilizer.

Zinnia

Zinnias are bright, vibrant puffballs of color. They come in white, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple. Zinnias can also be solid, striped, or multicolored.

Native Ohio bees, butterflies, and moths love zinnias because the flowers are a great source of nectar and have bright, bold colors that attract pollinators.

Zinnias are showstopper flowers, and they make for stunning garden displays. They also can bring pollinators to your Ohio vegetable garden if you plant zinnias right by your veggies. Try planting zinnias as border flowers for your vegetable garden.

Zinnias need well-draining, neutral soil with full sun exposure.

Need Help, Gardening Supplies, or Plants?

If you’re looking for an Ohio garden center that has healthy plants and pollinator-friendly flowers, then stop by Timbuk Farm’s Garden Center to check out our Pollinator Café or send us a message. We’re a family-owned business and we grow everything locally right here in Ohio. We know Ohio gardening, and our garden experts are happy to answer any questions about how to make the most out of your central Ohio garden.