Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Georgia · Zones 6–9
Native Pollinator Plants in Georgia
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 Georgia and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–9 — proven performers for Georgia's humid subtropical climate across Piedmont, Blue Ridge & Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Turk's Cap and Eastern Redbud. 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
54 native species for Georgia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — 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
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators and native bees while it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Keeps pollinators fed — 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
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees as it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A reliable nectar stop — 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
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees as it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
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
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
30 more also qualify: Purple Coneflower, New England Aster, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Obedient Plant, Foamflower, Cup Plant, Crossvine, Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Smooth Hydrangea, Woodland Phlox, Common Yarrow, Swamp Milkweed, Winterberry, Foxglove Beardtongue, Wild Geranium, Aromatic Aster, New Jersey Tea, Spicebush, Creeping Phlox, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Ninebark, American Elderberry, Fragrant Sumac, Blue Vervain, Wild Ginger, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Inkberry Holly.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Georgia
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.