Knowledgebase
Best flowering/pollinating bushes for my situation #751725
Asked May 24, 2021, 10:41 AM EDT
Carroll County Maryland
Expert Response
Hello!
Thanks for your question.
Some beneficial native shrub recommendations would be:
American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) with it's nice purple berries
Black Haw Viburnum(Viburnum prunifolium) - can get quite large for a shrub (20ft) but has attractive clusters of white flowers, berries in the summer through fall and a purple-red fall color
Other viburnum species also do well and have attractive features
Lowbush or Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium spp) in addition to the native varieties, hardy cultivars have been bred for varied leaf colors and a wide variety of fruit sizes and quantities---many have attractive red fall coloring
There are also some herbaceous plants and grasses that can grow large and shrub-like with wonderful flower resources (the following list is may or may not be native, but are pollinator attractants)
- Russian Sage
- Liatris
- New England Aster
- Joe Pye Weed
- Goldenrod spp.
- Yucca spp.
- Little Bluestem Grass
A wonderful resource for each soil type, moisture level, and sun exposure is the US Fish and Wildlife Document "Native Plants for Wildlife Habitat and Conservation Landscaping: Chesapeake Bay Watershed"
https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/NativePlantsforWildlifeHabitatandConservationLandscaping.pdf