What’s the buzz about national pollinator week?

Pollinators are involved in the production of a whopping one-third of the food we eat, yet many pollinator populations have declined in recent decades. In recognition of their importance to both agriculture and ecosystem health, in 2007 the United States Senate designated the last full week in June as National Pollinator Week.

A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen between flowers, a critical step in the development of fruits and seeds for many crops and native plants. One of the easiest ways homeowners can support these important creatures is by planting a pollinator garden.

To celebrate National Pollinator Week, three Bibb County Master Gardeners have shared their favorite pollinator plants. Each selection offers something unique, but all attract a remarkable diversity of pollinators while adding beauty and interest to the landscape.

Mountain Mint: A Pollinator Powerhouse

By Becca Gay

The first season I planted Clustered Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum), it became my favorite pollinator plant! Native to much of North America, this plant is truly a feast for the senses. The flower heads bloom for weeks and are surrounded by showy, silvery bracts making the entire plant glow. Rub your hands through the leaves for an intoxicating aroma. Then notice the plethora of pollinators large and small — including butterflies, wasps, beetles, and a multitude of bees — eagerly buzzing everywhere. It’s no wonder that UGA and the State Botanical Garden of Georgia named Mountain Mint its summer-blooming Georgia Pollinator Plant of the Year in 2022!

A member of the Mint Family (Lamiaceae), Mountain Mint is a vigorous grower. If naturalizing is unwanted, prune roots with a spade to keep clumps from spreading. It also performs nicely in containers, making it well-suited for gardeners with smaller yards who still want to attract pollinators.

While Mountain Mint is a native favorite known for attracting a wide variety of insects, other pollinator plants offer season-long color and benefits for wildlife.

Purple Coneflower: A True Perennial Standout

By Anne Tunnessen

Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a standout pollinator plant that blooms reliably from early summer to mid-fall. The original (straight species) grows 3-4 feet tall and has pinkish-purple blooms. Available cultivars come in colors ranging from white to deep raspberry, although I have noticed fewer pollinators on my white cultivar. They can also vary greatly in size: one of mine grows to almost 6 feet tall, while my ‘Kismet Raspberry’ reaches only 18 inches.

Plant them in full sun to partial shade. Once established, they are drought tolerant. Let a few flowers age on the stem and you may attract some goldfinches!

For gardeners looking to make a bold statement during Georgia’s hottest months, another pollinator favorite towers above the crowd with vibrant color and nonstop blooms.

Mexican Sunflower: A Heat-Loving Pollinator Magnet

By Kathleen McKinney

When asked to write about my favorite pollinator plant, I thought of a video I took in my yard for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in August 2025. The plant that stood out among my pollinators was the Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia). Varieties of pollinators “jockeyed” for their place on these tall plants with their vibrant red-orange blooms like children playing the game “King of the Mountain.”

My census captured butterflies such as Black and Tiger Swallowtails, Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Yellow Sulphurs and Skippers. Other pollinators included hummingbirds, dragonflies, moths, flies and bees.

Mexican Sunflowers are easy to grow and bloom continuously until the first frost. They grow tall and will thrive in poor soil and hot summer weather. An additional benefit is their deer tolerance.

Whether your garden is large or small, there are countless plants that can support pollinators while creating a beautiful landscape. Trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals all play a role by providing nectar, pollen and larval food sources throughout the year. By selecting a variety of plants with different bloom times, gardeners can help support pollinators from spring through fall.

For an introduction to pollinator gardening from University of Georgia researchers, visit:
https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/B1456.pdf

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service provides resources for gardeners as well as educational services and community support. Visit their office at 715 Oglethorpe Street, call them at 748-310-5350 or email their staff at bibb.extension@uga.edu.