35 Native Pollinator Plants in Minnesota

 Minnesota's diverse ecosystems are home to a remarkable array of native wildflowers, crucial contributors xxto the state's flourishing biodiversity. In this exploration of Minnesota's native wildflowers, we have listed out 35 different plants that will give a burst of color to your landscape while supplying an important source of habitat food for bees, butterfly’s and other pollinators that traverse the state's landscapes, ensuring the continued vitality of its rich natural tapestry. Ask KG how we can design your landscaping .

BLUE:

A bush with purple flowers and green leaves

Anise Hyssop ( Agastache Foeniculum)

  • Blooms : Summer
  • Size : up to 4 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, part shade, shade
  • Soil Types : Sandy, well-drained soil

A bunch of purple flowers with yellow centers

Smooth Aster (Aster laevus)

  • Blooms : Summer into Fall
  • Size : Up to 4 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Well drained, loamy soil

A bush with purple flowers and green leaves is growing on a sidewalk.

Blue False Indigo (Baptisia Australis)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : 3-5 feet tall 
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Moist, well drained, or clays. Tolerates lime

A close up of a purple flower with a yellow center

Northern Blue Flag  (Iris versicolor)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : Up to 3 feet tall 
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, Wet

A bunch of purple flowers are growing in a garden

Blue Cardinal Flower (Lobelia siphilitica)

  • Blooms : Summer into fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall 
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, Wet, Clay, Loam, or Sand

A bunch of purple flowers are growing in a garden.

Wild Blue Phlox  (Plox divaricate)

  • Blooms : Spring
  • Size : Up to 20 inches tall 
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, Sand, Loam, Clay

A bunch of blue flowers are growing in the grass.

Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

  • Blooms : Spring
  • Size : Up to 20 inches tall
  • Light Requirement : Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist

A bunch of purple flowers are growing on a plant

Blue vervain  (Verbena hastata)

  • Blooms : Summer into fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, part shade, shade
  • Soil Types : Moist soils

GREEN:

A close up of a plant with green leaves and yellow flowers

Prairie Alumroot  (Heuchera richardsonii)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : Up to 3 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry, Sandy/gravelly soil

ORANGE:

A bunch of orange flowers are growing in a garden

Butterly Weed  (Asclepias tuerosa)

  • Blooms : Spring thru summer into fall
  • Size : 1-2 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Prefers well drained, sandy soils

PINK:

A bunch of purple flowers are growing in the grass

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum)

  • Blooms : Spring into fall
  • Size : Up to 20 inches tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist Soil

A field of pink and purple flowers with green leaves

Swamp Milkweed  (Asclepias incarnata)

  • Blooms : Summer into fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement: Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist

A bush with pink flowers and green leaves in a garden

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

  • Blooms : Spring
  • Size : Up to 18 inches tall
  • Light Requirement : : Sun, Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry to moist

A close up of a bunch of purple flowers with green stems

Obedient Plant  (Physostegia virginiana)

  • Blooms : Fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, humus-rich soil

A small purple flower is surrounded by green leaves.

Wild Geranium  (Gernium maculatum)

  • Blooms : Fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist soils

PURPLE:

A bee is sitting on a purple flower

Michaelmas Daisy  (Aster novae-angliae)

  • Blooms : Fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist soils

A bunch of purple flowers are growing on a plant

Large Beardtongue (Penstemon grandifloras)

  • Blooms : Summer
  • Size : 20” – 36” Tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Sand Soils/lime to chalky soils

A bee is sitting on top of a purple flower.

Purple Prairie Clover  (Dalea purpurea)

  • Blooms : Summer
  • Size : Up to 2 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Dry

A bunch of pink flowers with brown centers are growing in the grass.

Purple Coneflower   (Echinacea purpurea)

  • Blooms : Spring into fall
  • Size : Up to 4 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : : Sun, Part shade
  • Soil Types : Well-drained, sandy or richer soils

A garden filled with lots of purple flowers and green plants.

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)

  • Blooms : Fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, Wet

A bunch of purple flowers are growing in a field.

Prairie Blazing Star  (Monarda fistulosa) 

  • Blooms : Spring thru Fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry to moist

A close up of purple flowers surrounded by green leaves.

Wild Bergamot  (Monarda fistulosa) 

  • Blooms : Spring thru Fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Party Shade 
  • Soil Types : Dry to moist

Three purple flowers are growing in the grass.

Bracted Spiderwort  (Tradescantia braceata) 

  • Blooms : : Spring into summer
  • Size : Up to 18 inches tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist to dry soils

RED:

A close up of a red flower with a yellow center

Red Columbine  (Aquilegia Canadensis)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : Up to 3 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry to moist

A hummingbird is perched on a red flower

Cardinal Flower  (Lobelia cardinalis)

  • Blooms : Spring to fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, wet

A bunch of red flowers are growing in a garden surrounded by green leaves.

Scarlet Bee Balm  (Monarda didyma)

  • Blooms : Summer to fall
  • Size : 2-4 feet tall 
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, wet

WHITE:

A bush with white flowers and green leaves

Canada Anemone  (Anemone canadensis)

  • Blooms : Spring thru Summer
  • Size : Up to 30 inches tall 
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist, sandy soils

A close up of a plant with white flowers on it

Rattlesnake Master  (Eryngium yuccifolium)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types : Well-drained soils

YELLOW:

A bee is sitting on a yellow flower

Lanceleaf Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata)

  • Blooms : Spring thru Summer
  • Size : Up to 2 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade, Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry

A bunch of yellow flowers are surrounded by green leaves

False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

  • Blooms : Summer
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Dry, sandy soils

A bunch of yellow flowers are growing in a field

Prairie Coneflower (Ratibida pinnata)

  • Blooms : Spring into fall
  • Size : Up to 5 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part shade
  • Soil Types : Dry to moist

A bunch of yellow flowers with black centers in a field

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

  • Blooms : Spring to Fall
  • Size : Up to 3 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun
  • Soil Types :  Dry to moist

A close up of a yellow flower with a red center surrounded by green leaves.

Sweet Coneflower (Rudbeckia subtomentosa)

  • Blooms : Summer into fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist

A bush with lots of yellow flowers and green leaves

Showy Goldenrod  (Solidago speciosa)

  • Blooms : Fall
  • Size : Up to 6 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist

A bush with yellow flowers and green leaves in a garden.

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

  • Blooms : Spring into Summer
  • Size : Up to 3 feet tall
  • Light Requirement : Sun, Part Shade
  • Soil Types : Moist

This list is a great start when looking at incorporating native flowers into your landscape plans. Adding these plants will be a great start to attracting butterfly’s’, supporting bee populations, and bringing a splash of color to your yard! If you would like to have one our experienced representatives, come out and walk through your property to help create a plan for installing new plantings, you can follow this LINK to set up a consultation.
For more great information, check out our page on Pollination gardens and bee friendly lawns  
If you like more information on any of these varieties listed or would like to learn more about native plantings follow the links below:

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