10 Easy Flowers for a Pacific Northwest Pollinator Garden

Spring in the Pacific Northwest has a certain feeling.

The soil is damp, the air smells fresh, and suddenly the garden center feels impossible to resist. You wander the aisles looking for something cheerful to plant — something with color, something alive.

If that sounds familiar, here is a gentle suggestion:

Choose flowers that feed pollinators.

Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds rely on nectar and pollen from garden plants. By choosing a few pollinator-friendly flowers, you can turn even a small corner of your yard — or a couple of pots — into a tiny habitat.

And the good news is that many of the easiest flowers to grow are also the ones pollinators love most.

Below are ten reliable flowers that thrive in Pacific Northwest gardens and are easy to find at local nurseries.

What Makes a Flower Pollinator-Friendly?

Pollinators are drawn to plants that provide nectar and pollen, especially flowers that are easy to land on and rich in food.

In general, good pollinator plants have:

• Simple, open flowers (not overly double or hybridized)

• Bright colors like purple, blue, yellow, and white

• A long flowering season

• Plenty of nectar

Native plants are especially helpful, but many classic garden flowers work beautifully too.

10 Easy Flowers for Pollinators

These plants are beginner-friendly and well suited to Pacific Northwest climate and soil.

Lavender

Lavandula angustifolia

Lavender might be the single most reliable pollinator plant you can grow.

Bees absolutely adore it, and once established it thrives in our dry summer conditions.

Why it works

• Blooms for a long time

• Very drought tolerant

• Loved by bees and butterflies

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Well-drained soil

• Trim lightly after flowering

Coneflower

Echinacea

Coneflowers are sturdy perennials that produce large daisy-like blooms all summer.

They are magnets for bees and butterflies, and birds will often eat the seeds in autumn.

Why it works

• Long flowering season

• Excellent nectar source

• Very hardy once established

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Average soil

• Leave seed heads through fall for birds

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow is a wonderful pollinator plant and also happens to be native to the Pacific Northwest.

Its flat flower clusters are perfect landing pads for bees and beneficial insects.

Why it works

• Native plant

• Extremely drought tolerant

• Blooms early summer through fall

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Tolerates poor soil

• Cut back after first bloom for a second flush

California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica

These cheerful orange flowers practically glow in the garden.

They are easy to grow from seed and reseed themselves happily.

Why it works

• Early nectar source

• Very low maintenance

• Great for dry areas

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Direct sow in spring

• Prefers light soil

Bee Balm

Monarda

The name says it all.

Bee balm produces shaggy, bright flowers that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Why it works

• Excellent nectar source

• Long bloom period

• Great hummingbird plant

Growing tips

• Sun to part shade

• Average moisture

• Good airflow helps prevent mildew

Cosmos

Cosmos are among the easiest annual flowers you can grow.

They bloom continuously from summer until frost and attract many small pollinators.

Why it works

• Long flowering season

• Easy from seed

• Very low maintenance

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Average soil

• Deadhead for more blooms

Borage

Borage produces beautiful star-shaped blue flowers that bees absolutely love.

It grows quickly and self-seeds gently in many gardens.

Why it works

• Extremely attractive to bees

• Edible flowers

• Blooms for months

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Average soil

• Allow some plants to reseed

Calendula

Calendula, sometimes called pot marigold, produces sunny yellow and orange flowers for months.

It’s easy to grow from seed and tolerates cool spring weather.

Why it works

• Early and long bloom period

• Pollinator friendly

• Edible petals

Growing tips

• Sun to part shade

• Regular watering

• Deadhead to encourage more flowers

Sedum (Stonecrop)

Sedum blooms later in the season, making it an important nectar source when many other flowers are fading.

Bees often cover the flower heads in late summer.

Why it works

• Late nectar source

• Drought tolerant

• Very easy perennial

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Well-drained soil

• Minimal care needed

Salvia

Salvias produce spires of nectar-rich flowers that pollinators flock to.

Many varieties bloom for months.

Why it works

• Excellent bee and hummingbird plant

• Long flowering season

• Very drought tolerant

Growing tips

• Full sun

• Good drainage

• Cut back after flowering

A Simple Beginner Pollinator Patch

You don’t need a large garden to support pollinators.

Even three to five plants can make a difference.

A simple beginner combination might look like this:

• Lavender

• Coneflower

• Yarrow

• Salvia

• Calendula

This mix provides:

• Early flowers (calendula)

• Summer blooms (lavender and coneflower)

• Late nectar (sedum)

Together they create a long season of food for pollinators.

You don’t need a meadow to help pollinators — just a few flowers blooming in the right place.

Even a Few Flowers Can Help

A pollinator garden doesn’t have to be perfect.

It might begin with just a few pots by the front door or a small patch near the walkway.

What matters is that flowers are blooming — offering nectar, pollen, and a place for insects to visit.

Plant a few this spring, and you may soon notice something wonderful:

Your garden starts to hum.