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Key Points
- Native plants that bloom in late summer and early fall provide a crucial nectar source for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- Plant late-summer blooming flowers to help attract pollinators to your garden after other flowers have faded for the season.
- Many of these plants are perennials that regrow each year or self-seed, making them a low-maintenance option for gardeners.
One of the joys of gardening is seeing native bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds feeding on the nectar of the flowers you’ve planted. But with many species blooming in spring or early summer, there’s often a gap in food supply for these beneficial pollinators during late summer and early fall—a crucial time of year.
You can help close that gap for the pollinators in your area—and extend the season for colorful blooms—by planting native plants that flower in late summer.
Here are eight late-summer blooming flowers to consider for your garden.
Anise Hyssop
Anise hyssop, a member of the mint family, is known for tall, abundant spires of tiny purple flowers. It’s native to the northeast US but thrives in regions with a similar climate as well.
Pollinating insects like solitary native bee species are attracted to its nectar. Plant anise hyssop in an area with moist, well-drained soil that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day.
Joe Pye Weed
Another North American native that pollinating insects love is Joe Pye weed. This perennial blooms in late summer with heavy clusters of dark pink to purple flowers. The blooms attract beneficial bugs thanks to their scent, which is reminiscent of vanilla.
Give Joe Pye weed full sun and moist, well-drained soil. While many native plants don’t require regular fertilizer, Joe Pye weed needs a little nutritional boost to bloom if planted in poor soil.
Cardinal Flower
This native plant gets its name from its spikes of bright red flowers, which bloom from midsummer until early fall—when pollinators are most in need of nectar sources. It requires full to part sun and moist soils that are neutral to acidic in pH to thrive.
The plant will self-seed aggressively, so consider that when choosing your planting site. Note that cardinal flower is toxic to both people and pets.
Helenium
Also called sneezeweed, helenium blooms in summer and fall with cheerful flowers that may be shades of yellow, orange, and red. Put this plant in a spot that has moist, well-drained soil and gets at least six to eight hours of full sun each day.
Deadheading can help plants bloom continuously, which benefits the bees and butterflies that seek their nectar. Divide and replant helenium after three years to keep it looking healthy.
Garden Phlox
Low-maintenance garden phlox is available in a wide range of colors, including shades of purple, pink, and white. Its blooms attract pollinators including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. This North American native plant grows best with full sun, well-drained soil, and regular watering, especially in times of drought.
Goldenrod
Goldenrod is a hardy North American native plant that provides nectar to pollinating insects in late summer and fall when they need it most. It’s also ideal for planting in sites with poor soil.
Give it full sun and a spot with good drainage to attract pollinators like bees and monarch butterflies to your garden. Avoid overfertilizing to keep plants from becoming leggy.
Blazing Star
Blazing star, also known as liatris, attracts bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. Its spikes of dense, long-lasting blooms in shades of purple or white appear in summer and last through fall, helping to fill the late-season nectar gap for pollinators.
Give it full sun and well-drained soil for best results. When watering, avoid getting the foliage wet to help prevent fungal issues.
New England Aster
Along with goldenrod, New England aster and other late-blooming aster species provide much-needed breeding habitat, food sources, and overwintering sites for beneficial pollinating insects, including native bees, wasps, flies, moths, beetles, and butterflies.
Their purple, pink, or white flowers look great alongside goldenrod in your garden, too. These fast-growing plants can even bloom in their first year of planting. Give New England aster full sun and moist, well-drained soil to help it thrive.
Read the original article on The Spruce
