When it comes to attracting pollinators to your yard, everyone knows they love flowers. But did you know that there are herbs and vegetables that will also bring bees, butterflies, and pollinators to your garden?

Yup! Many of the plants we use to add flavor to our foods are some of their favorites too! 

What’s even better is that many of them are perennials, so they will come back year after year. When we plant herbs close to vegetables and fruits, there is increased likelihood they will be pollinated, resulting in more abundant crops. And to top it off, many of the herbs on our list also have medicinal properties so you can use them for more than cooking. 

In the world of organic gardening, we call this an absolute win-win scenario. How cool is that?

Perennial herbs are exceptional choices for attracting pollinators to your vegetable garden as they typically take up less space (especially if you were going to plant them anyway) and produce more significant results in attracting pollinators than shrubs and larger plants. They also fit in quite well among flower gardens. Moreover, their parts are also delicate and can be easily composted for organic fertilizer.

So, perennial herbs are some of the best possible choices for organic gardening.

One of the most "obvious" herbs you can plant for bees and other pollinators is lavender. This is because it's an herb that is meant to go to flower, and it's one that just about everyone knows about. Another less well known herb that is grown for it's beautiful flowers, as well as many medicinal uses, is borage. 

Truthfully, any herb that is used specifically for it's flowers is a perfect option. But, we're not talking about those today. What I am going to be talking about are the perennial herbs that are used for their leaves in cooking. Because we usually avoid letting these go to flower, you may not realize how great they are for pollinators!

Yes, these herbs can be planted among your vegetable garden to help with pollination, but most will look just as beautiful planted within flower gardens. And of course you can always have a dedicated herb garden. Or, if you don't have a space for a full garden, just about everyone of them will work in a container garden. 

Recommended Reading: The Cook's Herb Garden: Grow, Harvest and The Homesteader's Herbal Companion: The Ultimate Guide to Growing, Preserving, and Using Herbs.

Why We Want Beneficial Bugs in Our Gardens

Pollinators, butterflies, and bees falls in the category of beneficial insects and are essentially helpful to improve gardening systems, ecosystem functioning, and environmental health. These insects are significantly useful to control insect pests and promote flowering and food production by the pollination process. As a result, plants can survive better and can easily produce good quality, and nutritionally rich food. The changing climate and global warming are exerting negative influences on overall agricultural production, and all kinds of vegetation.

The exaggerated use of fertilizers has also negatively affected the soil quality, and soil biodiversity, and therefore the soil fertility, and productivity are greatly reduced. Therefore, plants are not able to extract nutrients and water as per their requirements and must be protected from these negative consequences by the use of organic management practices, and biological preventive measures.

The healthy and lush growing plants are not only helpful for production, improved ecosystem functioning, and environmental protection but also offers enhanced value, curb appeal, and beautification.

But growing pollinator friendly plants isn't just about us! Sadly, for many reasons beyond the scope of this article, life for bees, butterflies and other pollinators is getting harder and harder.  One issue is that there are fewer flowers for them than there used to be. However, this is something that we can all easily do something about. 

So, even if you don't plan on using the herbs in your kitchen, planting a few in a pot will go a long way to help save the bees!

Best Perennials for Bees, Butterflies, and Pollinators

Planting pollinator-friendly perennial herbs is the basic foundation of healthy and lush gardens as they significantly accelerate the pollinating rates of honeybees, butterflies, and other pollinators by the provision of shelter and food.

Before we get to our list, we need to talk about the nature of the plants on this list. As mentioned early, for most of them kitchen gardeners and farmers avoid letting them go to flower or seed. Or, they cut them back at the end of the growing season. This means that the pollinators never get to access the healthy goodness within the flowers.

To benefit the bees and butterflies, as well as help to pollinate the vegetables in your garden, during the summer you will need to plant some of these with the intention of letting them go to flower. But if you don't have the space, then harvest what you need at the end of the season and let them be. Many pollinators, especially bees, actually need more nectar in the fall to help them through the winter. 

Let's take a look at some of the best perennial herbs you can plant to attract pollinators.

This list is by no means inclusive of all the perennial herbs there are. For example, bees and butterflies also love the flowers on oregano, comfrey, lavender, and borage, just to name a few others. And of course they love the flowers on annual herbs too, so make sure to plant some of those too!

Thyme

Thymus species Thyme is a significantly important plant to attract bees and grows well in the presence of full sunny conditions, well-fertilized and drained soils. Gardeners should also place a clean water container to provide safe and quality water to the bees. It is not only important to attract bees but also feeds and serves the butterflies.

Another great benefit of thyme that it grows low to the ground and spreads out horizontally. For this reason, many people use it as a ground cover to prevent weeds and soil erosion. If you are putting it in a small area, cut it back some at the end of each season. When planting thyme from seeds or seedlings, always make sure you start with ones that are organic and non-GMO 

Russian Sage (Or  Your Favorite Sage Varieties)

Perovskia atriplicifolia is an important plant to attract leaf-cutting bees, carpenter bees, and honeybees, for the collection of nectar. The nectar of the sage flower is not only important for these pollinators but also helps to attract hummingbirds that in turn also feed on deleterious insect pests and protect the garden from damage. This plant acts as a magnet for butterflies and significantly helps with pollination processes.

Sage grows well in full sun conditions, but the provision of partial shade is helpful to grow quality and healthy plants. It can also grow well alongside the driveways, streets, walkways so it can also be planted in the intense hot conditions.

Rosemary

Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) grows well in the full sunny conditions and properly drained soils. It can also be potted as a bonsai plant and helps to provide a good source of nectar for the bees. One of the best advantages of growing rosemary is that it starts blooming in the spring season and continues flower production throughout the year. It also produces flowers in the winter season and is therefore an exceptional choice to attract beneficial life including bees and butterflies to the growing spaces.

Another thing that's great about rosemary is that in most places in the United States, it actually stays green during the winter. And in the South many people grow them large enough to be "shrubs." The smell is wonderful whenever you brush up against it!

Fennel

In this case, we are talking about the type of fennel that is grown as an herb (Foeniculum vulgare), not for the bulb (Florence fennel or Finocchio – Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce). Technically the latter would work too if you let it go to flower, but the goal is to harvest that type as a root vegetable.

Fennel is what is considered a "soft" or short lived perennial, meaning that it is cold-weather hardy in zones 4-9. In colder climates it is typically grown as an annual, but don't let that stop you from planting it.

Fennel produces bright and yellow-colored flowering heads and is a rich source of pollen and nectar. These plants are quality food source for honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, mining bees, and yellow-faced bees.

Mint

Mint (Mentha) can be easily grown in both soil and potted conditions and can easily invade the provided space in a short time. It is essentially important for attracting bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds throughout the summer season. Its leaves produce good fragrance and tiny white, purple, and pink colored flowers. Moreover, it has an aromatic, and fruity taste and can be easily grown in well-drained and light soils. Most of the mint varieties can easily tolerate the shade, while some need protection from intense heat.

One word of caution though when planting mint. It spreads like a weed! The roots grow down and across, sending up shoots and new plants all over the place. This is great if you have it in an out of the way area of your garden. But if you plant it in a raised bed or any area where you want to plant other things in future years, it will take over. 

Common Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefoliumis) is regarded as one of the best plants to attract pollinators, butterflies, and beneficial insects. Moreover, the scent produced by this plant is not liked by the insect pest and thus they stay away from the gardens and growing spaces. This plant is essentially good to protect vegetable gardens from damage by insect pests. 

Bee Balm

Cultivation of bee balm (Monarda didyma L.) is a significant addition to the gardens and helps to attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Moreover, its seed heads are also important to attract birds in the winter and fall season. This plant can be grown in both spring and fall seasons and thrives well in the presence of full sun.

These plants provide excellent background in the gardening spaces and landscaping sites but should be grown in well-drained soils at a distance of about 24 inches. A small plant the first year, can grow into a huge one the following, so choose your spot wisely.  If you are using it in a raised bed, plant it on an end or in a corner. Or simply keep it cut back.  You will also love the fact that bee balm flowers come in a wide range of colors, including a vibrant red which is fantastic for attracting both butterflies and humming birds.

Chives

Chives play a significant role to feed pollinators during the late spring and thus helps to attract beneficial insects in the gardens — but you will have to let some of them flower. Its plantation helps to create a mini ecosystem in the garden and provides natural shelter and food for the pollinating species.

Planting chives under fruit trees and on the edges of vegetable gardens offers significant benefits to promote ecosystem functioning in the specific place. One of the best benefits of growing chives is that they do well both in the ground or in and pots. This means you can easily plant them according to space availability and personal preferences.

Moreover, chives produce onion-y scents and help to repel insect pests from the gardening sites. Therefore, a more favorable and better environment is created for the entry of beneficial insects and pollinators. Furthermore, the fallen leaves of chives can be added to the soil after adding and it will boost up the natural soil fertility, and productivity.

Sweet Basil (or Any Kind of Basil)

Ocimum basilicum or basil is known as the king of herbs and is essentially helpful to attract butterflies and honeybees. It produces light purple and white-colored flowers that are an exceptional source of pollen and nectar. These plants are sensitive to cold conditions and grow well in dry and hot environmental conditions.

Alright, I hear you over there shouting, "basil is not a not a perennial!" And you are technically right for most types of basi. But here's the thing about basil. First, it's super easy to grow and produces tons of seeds. If you plant it once, and let it go to flower, you won't ever have to buy it again. Simply collect the seeds at the end of the season. If you live in an area where there is little to no frost in the winter, it will actually self-sow itself.  

Or, you can grow African blue basil. (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark Opal') which is a perennial. Greek columnar basil, pink perennial basil, and white pink perennial basil are three more options if you only want to plant your basil once.

Use Basil to Attract Bees to Your Garden. | Courtesy of David Schmidt

Bonus - Plant Perennial Sunflowers for Bees

Okay, so sunflowers are not an herb, but you can eat the seeds. And no article about attracting bees and butterflies to a garden would be complete with out it.  The other reason for including it on this list is that many people only think of sunflowers as annuals.

However, there are many varieties of perennial sunflowers too (36 of them as a matter of fact)!

Sunflower plants are essentially helpful for pollinators and can be grown in a wide range of climatic conditions. Sunflower is made up of tubular and smaller flowers and is packed with pollen and nectar. The insects are covered during the feeding process and help to produce exceptional quality seeds. It is not only helpful for the beneficial insects but also feast the birds.

Moreover, adding the dried plant and flowering parts by chopping is greatly helpful to improve soil fertility and bioavailability, and absorption of nutrients. Sunflower also attracts butterflies and significantly reduces the damage caused by caterpillars.

When choosing your sunflowers, Helianthus annum is the botanical name for the annuals, so watch out if you only want to plant them once. There are a many perennial sunflowers to choose from, with too many different botanical names to list here.  Additionally, you will need to pick a type of sunflower that suits the height of where you want them to grow. For example, if it's going to be within a vegetable garden, you will probably want a dwarf variety.

Tips to Promote Beneficial Insects in Gardens

The maximum ecosystem functioning, and pollination services can be ensured by growing native perennials as they can easily interact with the native species of pollinators. Native species are greatly important than the hybridized ones as they have co-evolving interactions and have synchronized lifecycles. Growers can also get instructions from regional agricultural extension services and directories of native nurseries.

Growing a combination of plants that can bloom throughout the fall to spring season is essentially helpful to ensure maximum support for pollinators. This combination is essentially helpful to provide consistent and organized food sources that can essentially return beneficial insects to the gardens. Moreover, the addition of different shapes, heights, fragrances, and colored flowers to the gardens helps to attract different types of beneficial insects and pollinators. Single species of perennials should always be avoided as they can never attract many species of pollinators and beneficial insects.

Bees have special preferences for different shades of flowers such as yellow, white, purple, and blue. Whereas butterflies are more attracted towards purple, pink, orange, yellow, and red-colored flowers. Moreover, the irrigation schedule should be properly decided as any stress due to over-irrigation or under irrigation can directly kill the plants.

Perennial plants for attracting pollinators and beneficial insects must be planted at a site where these can get proper sunlight and aeration. The services of pollinators are also warmed by the presence of ample sunlight. The addition of rocks and inorganic mulch is also helpful to conserve warmth and provides shallow resting and hiding spots. Furthermore, manmade or artificial nesting sites should also be added to the gardening sites to provide safe living habitat.

Closing Remarks

Whether you cook with fresh herbs on a regular basis or not, I hope this article has inspired you to plant some in your yard, garden, or in pots. When you choose perennial plants, they will come back every year, providing color and flavor in your life, and the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators will love you for it!

And if you want to learn more about the medicinal benefits and other uses of herbs, check out the Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments by Andrew Chevallier. 

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