Create Your Garden

Great Pollinator Plants for Rhode Island

Attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden

Pollinator Plants, Butterfly Plants, Hummingbird Plants, Bee Plants, Northeast Plants, New England Plants, Rhode Island Native Plants, Native Plants

Pollinators are nearly as important as sun, soil and water in both flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, about 80% of all flowering plants and over three-quarters of the staple crop plants that feed humankind, rely on animal pollinators. Primary animal pollinators include ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, flies, birds, hummingbirds and moths. Pollinator populations are, however, on the decline for various reasons including habitat loss, introduction and spread of invasive plant species, misuse of pesticides and disease. Providing wildflower-rich habitat is the most significant action you can take to support these important pollinators.

What You Can Do for Pollinators:

  • Grow native flowering plants – Adapted to local soils and climates, native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees are usually the best sources of nectar and pollen for native pollinators. Most native plants require little irrigation, bloom without fertilizers, and are unlikely to become weedy.
  • Plant in the sun – Your pollinator-friendly plants should receive full sun throughout most of the day. Butterfly adults generally feed only in the sun.
  • Provide long-lasting blooms – Sustain pollinators throughout the seasons. Plant a variety of plants that flower at different times providing nectar and pollen sources throughout the growing season.
  • Plant in groups – Clumps of flowering plants will attract more pollinators than single plants scattered in the landscape.
  • No insecticides – Insecticides have the potential to poison or kill pollinators.

Here is a list of Rhode Island native plants that are very attractive to pollinators and are well-suited for plantings in gardens.

Guide Information

Native Plants Northeast, Rhode Island, United States
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees

Great Pollinator Plants for Rhode Island

Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milkweed, Pink Milkweed, Pink flowers
Aster Novae-Angliae, New England Aster, New England American-Aster, Michaelmas Daisy, Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, purple aster, Lilac aster
Ceanothus americanus, New Jersey Tea, Indian Tea, Mountain Sweet, Wild Pepper, Walpole Tea, Wild Snowball, Redroot, Fragrant Shrubs, Evergreen Shrubs
Cephalanthus occidentalis, Common Buttonbush, Buttonbush, Button Bush, Globe-Flowered Bush, Honeybells, Little Snowballs, Swamp Globeflower, White Pond-Dogwood, Button Willow
Cirsium discolor, Field Thistle, Pasture Thistle, Carduus discolor, perennial plant, perennial plants, Purple flowers, Pink flowers
Eupatorium perfoliatum, Boneset
Gentiana clausa, Bottle Gentian, Blind Gentian, Blue flowers
Geranium maculatum,Spotted Cranesbill, Wild Cranesbill, Chocolate Flower, North American Crowfoot, North American Wild Cranesbill, Rock Weed, Sailor's Knot, Shame-Face, Hardy Geraniums, Best geraniums, Best rock garden Geranium, pink geranium
Lobelia Cardinalis, Cardinal Flower, Water Gladiole, Red Bay, Scarlet Lobelia, Slinkweed, Bog Sage, Hog's Physic, Indian Pink, Lobelia fulgens, Lobelia splendens, Red flowers
Monarda fistulosa, Wild Bergamot, American Wild Bergamot, Wild Bee Balm, Lavender Monarda, Lavender Bee Balm, Lavender flowers
Physocarpus Opulifolius, Common Ninebark, Atlantic Ninebark
Pycnanthemum tenuifolium, Narrowleaf Mountain Mint, Slender Mountain Mint, Common Horsemint, Koellia flexuosa, Pycnanthemum flexuosum
Rosa virginiana, Virginia Rose, Wild Rose, Prairie Rose, American Dwarf Wild Rose, Shining-Leaved Rose, Rosa lucida, Shrub Roses, Pink roses, Hardy roses
Rubus occidentalis, Black Raspberry, Thimbleberry, Rubus occidentalis var. pallidus, Black Berries, Fruiting Shrub
Rubus odoratus, Purple-flowering Raspberry, Thimbleberry, Flowering Raspberry, Sweet-Scented Bramble
Rudbeckia Laciniata, Green-headed Coneflower, Greenhead Coneflower, Cutleaf Coneflower, Wild Goldenglow, Sochan, Cut-Leaved Coneflower, thimbleweed, Rudbeckia fulgida 'Lacinata'
Salix discolor, Pussy Willow, American Glaucous Willow, American Salix, American Pussy, Catkins
Solidago nemoralis, Gray Goldenrod, Prairie Goldenrod, Oldfield Goldenrod, Grayleaf Goldenrod, Gray-leaved Goldenrod, Dyersweed Goldenrod, Dwarf Goldenrod, Field Goldenrod, Fall perennials, Fall Flowers, Yellow flowers
Solidago Rugosa, Wrinkleleaf Goldenrod, Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod, Rough-leaved Goldenrod, Roughleaf Goldenrod, Rough-stemmed Goldenrod, Roughstem Goldenrod, Fall Flowers, Yellow flowers
Symphyotrichum lateriflorum var. horizontale,Horizontal Calico Aster, Aster lateriflorus 'Horizontalis', Aster lateriflorus var. horizontalis, violet aster, lavender aster
Tilia americana, American Linden, American Basswood, American Lime, Deciduous Tree
Tradescantia virginiana, Virginia Spiderwort, Spider Lily, Blue Flowers, Purple Flowers
Vaccinium corymbosum, Highbush Blueberry, Blueberry, American Blueberry, Swamp Blueberry, Tall Blueberry, Berries, Blue Berries
Verbena hastata, American Blue Vervain, American Simpler's Joy, Blue Vervain, Ironweed, Wild Hyssop, Purple summer flowers, Drought Tolerant plant
Zizia aurea, Golden Zizia, Golden Alexanders, Yellow Flowers, Yellow Perennials
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
New England
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Native Plants Northeast, Rhode Island, United States
Attracts Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
New England

Related Items

Please Login to Proceed

You Have Reached The Free Limit, Please Subscribe to Proceed

Subscribe to Gardenia

To create additional collections, you must be a paid member of Gardenia
  • Add as many plants as you wish
  • Create and save up to 25 garden collections
Become a Member

Plant Added Successfully

You have Reached Your Limit

To add more plants, you must be a paid member of our site Become a Member

Update Your Credit
Card Information

Cancel

Create a New Collection

Sign Up to Our Newsletter

    You have been subscribed successfully

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Join Gardenia.net

    Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.

    Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.

    Join now and start creating your dream garden!

    Find your Hardiness Zone

    Find your Heat Zone

    Find your Climate Zone