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Most people know that bats are ravenous insect eaters, but did you know some species of bats are important pollinators that work the night shift? As they glide from flower to flower sipping nectar, the pollen is carried between flowers. More than 500 species of flowers depend on bats for pollination, some exclusively. Bats in the Western U.S., for example, are the premier pollinators of agave, yucca, saguaro, and evening primrose. Plants for bats as pollinators include commercial crops such as peaches, mangoes, dates, and figs, which have flowers that only open at night.
You can help reverse the downward trend in bat populations by creating a bat friendly garden. To attract bats to your yard, include native plant species, which are natural food sources for insects. An abundance of insects will make your yard more appealing to bats. Also eliminate chemicals from your yard as much as possible.
Besides food for bat pollinators and insectivores, offer water sources such as a bird bath or shallow pond. They also need shelter – not all bats live in caves – so a bat house or thick trees are appreciated. You can get a cedar bat house on Amazon to get started.
If you live in the Eastern U.S., you will be glad to know that bats feed on more than 1,000 insects a night. How is that for free pest control! They consume June bugs, stink bugs, and mosquitoes as well as crop-damaging pests such as codling moths and corn earworm moths. Eastern red bats are the most common “tree” bats east of the Rocky Mountains. The big brown bat is one of the most populous insect-eating bats across the U.S.
Bat friendly gardens provide food, water, and shelter, the same things other wildlife species need. If you are gardening for bees and butterflies, you may already provide flowers that attract bats such as coneflower, salvia, phlox, wild bergamot, and goldenrod.
Grow These 9 Plants That Attract Bats As Pollinators And Insect Controls
When selecting flowers, choose daisy-like flowers, tubular flowers such as honeysuckle and salvia, and wide blooms such as queen Anne’s lace, which provide a stopping place for several insects at once. Native plants will attract more insects than non natives.
Bring more night-flying insects into the garden with night-blooming plants for bats. Flowers that stay open at night include honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), white jasmine (Jasminum officinale), and evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Light colored, mildly scented flowers will attract more bats and insects at night.
Your herb garden also is an attractant. Herbs such as rosemary, lemon balm, chives, and thyme produce flowers that entice bats.
Here are 9 flowers that help turn yards into a bat friendly paradise.
1. New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
New England aster provides much needed color in late summer and fall. Its lavender to purple, daisy-like blooms attract many insects. It prefers full sun but will grow in light shade. Asters are hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8.
2. Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)
Goldenrod is an insect magnet that provides nectar in late summer to fall. Its tall stems produce feathery yellow panicles that brighten a back border. It thrives in full sun to part shade with medium moisture. It spreads by rhizomes so give it room to roam. Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8.
3. Phlox (Phlox paniculata)
Garden phlox is a fragrant, back-of-the-border plant with clusters of lavender blooms. Its nectar brings lots of insects to the garden, including moths, a favorite of bats. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8, phlox needs full to part sun and well-drained, fertile soil. Provide good air circulation to prevent powdery mildew.
4. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Purple coneflowers bloom from summer to fall if they are deadheaded and attract a variety of insects. Nectar-rich native plants have deep rosy pink, drooping petals and a domed center on tall stems. Hardy in USDA zones 3 to 8, these carefree plants thrive in full to part sun and low moisture.
5. Salvia (Salvia spp.)
There are annual and perennial types of salvia, and several species are native to North America such as S. azurea, S. lyrata, and S. coccinea. Its funnel-shaped flowers range from blue to lavender to red during summer. The medium sized plants prefer full sun, medium moisture and are hardy in USDA zones 5-8.
6. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Wild bergamot features lavender flowers on tall stems in summer that are a magnet for butterflies, bees, moths and other insects. Hardy in USDA zones 3-9, wild bergamot grows easily in fertile, well-drained soil in full to part sun. Too much shade can cause powdery mildew.
7. Yucca (Hesperaloe spp.)
Yucca is a low maintenance, small shrub with stiff, swordlike leaves and a tall flower spike that can reach 8 feet tall (2.4 m). The bell-shaped, white blossoms dangle from long panicles in mid summer. Hardy to USDA zones 5 to 10, yucca prefers full sun and tolerates poor soil conditions. In Western U.S states, bats pollinate yucca flowers.
8. Flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata)
If you get the true Nicotiana species, its fragrant flowers open only at night so they attract a lot of moths – a favorite snack for bats. Nicotiana hybrids open during the day and are not fragrant. The true species can be grown easily from seed. Flowers are trumpet shaped in green, white, yellow, or red. Grow them in full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. It is hardy in zones 10 and 11 but is usually grown as an annual.
9. Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
Sweet scented jasmine is a vine that can be pinched into a shrub form and used as a hedge within its 7-10 hardiness zones. Its white flowers bloom from spring to fall, attracting a multitude of insects. Jasmine prefers full sun to part shade and moderate moisture.
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