Life on Earth—including human life—depends on pollinators. Pollinators support biological diversity and make agriculture possible by pollinating food crops. Unfortunately, bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other pollinators are threatened by disease, excessive pesticide application, and habitat loss. That’s why landscaping companies often recommend plants that support pollinators. There are many desert plants that fit this description.
Plants for Bees
There are many gorgeous flowers, shrubs, and succulents that can attract bees to your property. If you’re looking for a ground cover, consider planting Anemopsis californica, also known as yerba mansa or lizard’s tail. The white blooms can be seen in the spring and summer. If you’re interested in shrubs, choose from the following:
- Palmer Indian mallow
- Bee brush
- Floss flower
- Lemon verbena
- Narrow-leaf milkweed
- Torote
- Crucifixion thorn
Bees also love succulents, such as the following:
- Queen Victoria agave
- Saguaro
- Coastal cholla
- Diamond cholla
- Sonoran staghorn cholla
Plants for Butterflies
Butterflies bring beauty to your garden and yard. When selecting a ground cover, consider choosing the white-veined Dutchman’s pipe, or Aristolochia fimbriata, which is a vining ground cover that butterflies love. Other butterfly-friendly vines include the calico flower, pipevine, and Southwestern pipevine. There are also many beautiful shrubs that attract butterflies, including the following:
- Button brittlebush
- Aguirre turpentine bush
- Rabbit brush
- Coral bean
- Yellow bird-of-paradise
- Airy bachelor’s buttons
- Texas firecracker bush
Butterflies will readily pollinate the following perennial flowers:
- Tansy aster
- Scarlet bee blossom
- Longneck Ruel
- Pink skullcap
- Texas betony
- Antelope horn milkweed
Plants for Hummingbirds
Some flowering plants have evolved to be pollinated specifically by hummingbirds. With their long beaks, hummingbirds can pollinate the following succulents:
- Arizona agave
- Red cow agave
- Desert agave
- Twin-flowered agave
- Shindagger
Hummingbirds are also attracted to the following shrubs:
- Fairy duster
- Baja fairy duster
- Red bird-of-paradise
- Red jacobinia
- Mexican honeysuckle
If supporting pollinators is a priority for you, talk to the experts at Complete Landscaping in Tucson. We’ll work with you to design an aesthetically pleasing landscape that suits your style preferences while also supporting pollinators. You can reach our office at (520) 323-8918.