Provide Food for Pollinators

Certification Requirements:

✓ A minimum of nine different species of native plants* that provide nectar and pollen for pollinators, including at least three for each season: early (April – June), mid (July – August) and late (September – October).

*For this certification, we define native as native to New England. Use GoBotany to verify native status. Use your own observations or consult a reliable source to determine bloom season.

Native Plants and Pollinators

Native plants and pollinators depend on each other for survival. Most native plants need pollinators to carry their pollen from plant to plant in order to reproduce. In exchange, native plants provide pollinators with nectar and pollen as food.

A native plant is a plant that is a part of the balance of nature that has developed over hundreds or thousands of years in a particular region or ecosystem.1

Why natives?

  • Native plants and pollinators have evolved together and many pollinators have adapted to feed on specific plants and prefer specific flower shapes.
  • Our native plants thrive in our growing conditions and require less maintenance.

Caterpillar Host Plants

The caterpillars of butterflies and moths also rely on native plants for food. The adults lay their eggs directly on a plant so the emerging caterpillars can have an immediate food source. The caterpillars of some species, known as generalists, are adapted to feed on many different species, however the larvae of specialist species often rely on only or two species of plants for food.

Monarchs are a classic example of a specialist species because their caterpillars can only survive by eating the leaves of plants in the milkweed family. 

You can attract specific species to your garden by planting their host plants, you’ll be surprised how fast they appear!

Optimize Your Pollinator Plantings

Season long blooms:

Use plants that bloom at different times to ensure a steady food supply.

Diverse flowers:

Choose a variety of flower shapes, sizes, and colors to attract different pollinators. Some plants may appear dull but have features, like UV markers, that are invisible to humans.

Plant in masses:

Large groups of the same species of plants are more noticeable to pollinators and allow for more efficient pollination.

Straight species:

Incorporate as many ‘straight species’ natives as possible. ‘Straight species’ refers to plants that have not been altered by selective breeding or hybridization and look the way they do in nature. Research is still being done to determine if the human alteration that is used to produce cultivars of native plants (often called ‘nativars’) makes these plants less recognizable and useful to pollinators.

Plant Lists:

Learn More About Pollinator Food Sources: 

1. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Why native species matter. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs/peoples-garden/gardening-advice/why-native-species-matter