Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Delaware · Zone 7
Native Pollinator Plants in Delaware
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. Every species here is genuinely native to Delaware and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Delaware's mild, humid climate across Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Spotted Joe-Pye Weed and Foamflower. A garden that feeds pollinators all season needs something in bloom from the first warm days of spring through the last of fall. Aim for at least three species flowering at any given time, plant in generous drifts of one kind rather than singletons so foragers can work efficiently, and leave seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter to shelter the next generation.
The plants
55 native species for Delaware
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators and native bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
31 more also qualify: Smooth Hydrangea, Serviceberry, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Cardinal Flower, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Aromatic Aster, Obedient Plant, Swamp Milkweed, Virginia Bluebells, Wild Bergamot, Wild Geranium, Golden Alexanders, Prairie Blazing Star, Butterfly Weed, Flowering Dogwood, Cup Plant, Creeping Phlox, Wild Ginger, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Stiff Goldenrod, American Elderberry, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Spicebush, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Delaware
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.