These are some of the many plants native to the mid-Atlantic area, which when in bloom, provide nectar and pollen to insects. Some of them are also host plants to the larvae of butterflies and other insects.

Most are available from native plant growers.

Host Quality	Botanical Name	Common Name	Family	Height	Spread	Bloom	Color	Water	Soil	Light		Deer
PNL	Agastache scrophularifolia	giant purple hyssop	Lamiaceae	3-6		7-9		m-w		psh
PNL	Agastache foeniculum	anise hyssop	Lamiaceae	2-4	1-2	6-9		m		s-psh
PN	Aquilegia canadense	American columbine	Ranunculaeae	2.5		5-6	r-y	m		psh		r
L	Aristolochia macrophylla	Dutchman’s pipe	Aristolochiaceae	vine	15′	5-6	br	m	a	s-sh
PNL	Asclepias incarnata	swamp milkweed	Apocynaceae	4	2	7-8	pu	m	a	s		r
PNL	Asclepias syriaca	common milkweed	Apocynaceae	3-5	1	6-8	pk	d-m	p-a	s		r
PNL	Asclepias tuberosa	butterfly weed	Apocynaceae	1-2	1-1.5	7-9	or	d-m	wd	s		r
P	Asimina triloba	pawpaw	Annonaceae	15-30	15-30	April	brown	m	a	psh
L	Baptisia australis	false indigo	Fabaceae	3-4	2-3	5-6	bl	d-m	a	s		r
PNL	Boltonia asteroides	boltonia	Asteraceae	5-6	2-3	8-9	wh	m	a	s		r
PNL	Coreopsis lanceolata	lanceleaf coreopsis	Asteraceae	1-2	1-1.5	5-7	yel	d-m	a	s		r
PNL	C. rosea	pink coreopsis		1-2	1.5-2.5	6-9		m		s		r
PNL	C. verticillata	whorled coreopsis		1.5-2	1.5-2	6-8		d-m		s		r
BB	Dalea purpurea	purple prairie clover		1-3	1-1.5	6-8	pu	m		s
PN	Echinacea purpurea	coneflower	Asteraceae	2-3	1.5	6-8	wh	m	a	s		r
PNL	Eupatorium purpurea	Joe-pye-weed	Asteraceae	5-8	4 cl	7-9	pu	m-w		s-psh	r
PNL	Eupatorium serotinum	late-flowering thoroughwort	Asteraceae	3-6	2.5-3	8-9	wh	m-w	f	s		r
PNL	Eurybia divaricata	white wood aster	Asteraceae	1-2.5	1.5-2.5	8-9	wh	d-m	a	sh/psh
PN	Helenium flexuosum	purple sneezeweed	Asteraceae	1-3	1-2	8-10	yel	m-w	f	s		r
PNL BB	Helianthus angustifolius	swamp sunflower	Asteraceae	1-3		8-10	yel	w		psh
BB	Helianthus salicifolius	willow-leaved sunflower	Asteraceae	6-8	1-3	9-10	yel	m	a	s
PNL	Lespedeza virginica	slender bushclover		2.5		8-9		d-m		s-ps
PNL	Liatris spicata	dense blazingstar	Asteraceae	2-4	.7-1.5	7-8	pu	m	f	s
PN	Lobelia cardinalis	cardinal flower	Campanulaceae	2-4	1-2	7-9	red	m-w	f	psh		r
PN	Lobelia siphilitica	great blue lobelia	Campanulaceae	2-3	1-1.5	7-9	blu	m-w	f	psh		r
PNL	Mimulus ringens	Appalachian monkeyflower	Phrymaceae	1-3	.7-1	6-9	blu	m-w	a	s-psh		r
PN	Monarda didyma	beebalm	Lamiaceae	2-3	2-3	7-9	red	m	f	s-psh	r
PNW BB	Ratibida pinnata	gray-headed coneflower	Asteraceae	3-5	1-2	6-8	yel	m		s
PNW	Rudbeckia nitida	shiny coneflower	Asteraceae	4-7	2-3	8-9	yel	m	f, wd	s		r
PN BB	Salvia greggii	autumn sage	Lamiaceae	2-3	2-3	7-10	pk	d-m		s		r
PN	Silphium perfoliatum	cup plant	Asteraceae	4-8	1-3	7-9	yel	m-w	a	s
PNL	Solidago rigida	stiff goldenrod	Asteraceae	3-5	1-2.5	8-9	yel	m	a	s		r
PNL	Symphotrichum novae angliae	New England aster	Asteraceae	3-6	2-3	8-9	mag	m	f	s		r
PNL	Symphotrichum puniceum	purplestem aster	Asteraceae	6-8	2-3	8-9	pu	m-w	a	s
PNW	Vernonia novaboracensis	New York ironweed	Asteraceae	4-8	2-4	8-9	pu	m-w	a	s		r

Avoid using chemical pesticides

Key to Abbreviations

a = average     m = moderate     s = sun     BB = bumblebee favored     N = nectar source     sh = shade     d = dry     P = pollen source
W = Winter food for birds    f = fertile    psh = part shade    w = wet
L = larvae host    r = resistant     wd = well-drained

Some Native Plant Sources in the Washington metro area

Chesapeake Natives, Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD
chesapeakenatives.org

Earth Sangha, Fairfax, VA
earthsangha.org

American Native Plants, Perry Hall, MD
americannativeplants.net

Izel Native Plants (on-line ordering)
izelplants.com