Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators and native bees right through when it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
New York · Zones 3–7
Native Pollinator Plants in New York
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. New York sits in a landscape of Adirondacks, Finger Lakes & Hudson Valley, and the natives that thrive here are the ones built for its humid continental character. The list below — led by Oakleaf Hydrangea and American Beautyberry — is filtered to species genuinely native to New York and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–7. 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
61 native species for New York
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–7 · see this collection in other states.
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds right through when it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Keeps pollinators fed — 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
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds right through when it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Nectar and pollen for the garden — 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
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Works hard for pollinators — 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
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees as it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Keeps pollinators fed — 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
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A pollinator magnet — 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
37 more also qualify: Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Swamp Milkweed, Pasque Flower, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Wild Geranium, Cup Plant, Arrowwood Viburnum, New England Aster, Foamflower, Eastern Redbud, Smooth Hydrangea, Dense Blazing Star, Common Yarrow, Buttonbush, Great Blue Lobelia, Obedient Plant, Wild Bergamot, Culver's Root, Prairie Smoke, Ninebark, Inkberry Holly, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Spicebush, Common Milkweed, Common Boneset, Purple Prairie Clover, Blue Vervain, Creeping Phlox, Red-Twig Dogwood, Compass Plant, Stiff Goldenrod, American Elderberry, Wild Lupine, Wild Ginger, Rattlesnake Master, Bearberry.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New York
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.