Fall Blooming Pollinator Plants

October 1, 2019 | By webadmin

We are lucky in North Texas to be situated in a location that sees the migration of many birds and pollinator insects. Ruby-throated hummingbirds and monarchs pass through during September and October on their way to winter homes in Mexico. Urban pollinator gardens are important in the spring AND fall as refueling pit-stops for migrating wildlife.

Some of our favorite fall blooming plants to include in your pollinator garden:

Mexican Bush Sage, Salvia leucantha

One of the most show-stopping bloomers in fall is Mexican Bush Sage. The soft silvery-green leaves give way to loads of fluffy purple flower spikes in the fall until first frost. The plant gets large, around 4’ tall and wide, and grow best in full sun. There is a dwarf cultivar, ‘Santa Barbara’, that grows to only 2’ x 2’.

BONUS: it is loved by all pollinators, especially hummingbirds.

Pro Tip: After frost, cut Mexican bush sage to the ground. It will resprout in the spring.

Goldenrod, Solidago spp.

Goldenrod gets a bad rep because people mistakenly think it causes allergies in the fall (it’s actually ragweed that causes all that sneezing). Rather, goldenrod is an important pollinator plant, specifically for bees and butterflies. The tall, arching flower stalks look like yellow plumes in the landscape. 

Be sure to keep goldenrod in check if you don’t want it taking over your landscape.  It freely spreads – which is why you see it lining roadsides and in pastures.

Mexican Mint Marigold, Tagetes lucida

Mexican mint marigold is a lovely, easy to grow perennial covered with small, bright yellow flowers in the fall. Some gardeners use this edible perennial as a substitute for French tarragon. Plants grow to approximately 2-feet tall and 2-3-feet wide. 

Fall-blooming Aster, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Fall-blooming asters are a great addition to your full-sun perennial beds and containers. The mounding, tidy plants usually grow 2-3’ wide and tall, with little need for water once established. In the fall, plants are covered with small, lavender daisy-like flowers. You’ll most likely find them buzzing with bees and butterflies.

Gregg’s Mistflower, Conoclinium greggii

A native of Texas, Gregg’s mistflower grows to a height and width of 2-3’. It’s the perfect lavender blooming perennial that will attract masses of monarch butterflies along with bees and other types of butterflies.

Plant in full or part sun where it can ramble and spread to fill in bare patches. Gregg’s mistflower does excellent with little water once established.

If you need help creating the perfect pollinator garden - give us a call. We’d love to make your landscape a pollinator paradise!