Best Pollinator Plants for Michigan Gardens
Michigan pollinator gardens work best when they offer flowers across the growing season, a mix of bloom shapes, and plants suited to the site's sun, soil, and moisture.
Building a pollinator garden? Browse pollinator garden plants grown and selected with Michigan gardens in mind.
What Makes a Good Pollinator Plant?
A useful pollinator planting provides more than one short burst of flowers. Aim for overlapping bloom times, varied flower forms, and enough repetition that pollinators can easily find the plants.
Pollinator Plants We Grow and Use
- Lavender
- Bee balm
- Catmint
- Yarrow
- Black-eyed Susan
- Oregano and other flowering herbs
Plant availability changes by season, and not every plant fits every site. Sun exposure, drainage, mature size, and local winter conditions should guide the final mix.
Lavender in a Pollinator Garden
Lavender can provide a concentrated source of summer bloom while also adding fragrance and structure. In northern Michigan, choose the variety and planting site carefully because winter moisture and drainage can matter as much as minimum temperature.
Compare the lavender varieties we grow or shop Spring 2027 lavender plants.
Think Beyond Flowers
Pollinator-friendly gardening also means reducing unnecessary pesticide exposure, providing habitat, leaving appropriate natural areas, and considering how the garden functions through the entire season.
Build Your Michigan Pollinator Garden
Pause Lavender Farm maintains a USDA-recognized pollinator garden alongside year-round wildlife habitat on our Upper Peninsula property. Our plant offerings reflect what we grow, observe, and use around the farm.