9 Autumn Plants Pollinators Will Love
Keep bees, butterflies and other insects happy throughout autumn by growing some of these flowers in your garden
Claudia De Yong
2 September 2022
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de Yong Designs offers a consultancy and design service for the private and corporate client. We are also able to source anything for the garden from plants to pots, paving and architectural features . Please visit my new online shop for garden products.
Houzz UK contributor and award-winning landscape and garden designer. Claudia de... More
Although the number of flowering plants decreases in the autumn, a good supply of pollen and nectar is still sought by bees and other insects. Below are a few suggestions of flowering plants, shrubs and trees that will keep your garden blooming late into the year.
1. Helenium
Heleniums belong to the sunflower family and will inject a strong dazzle of colour in the border. They’re often known as sneezeweed, as their dried leaves were once used to make snuff.
Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’ is a favourite for bees, butterflies and moths, with its mass of yellow flowers splashed with orange-red and deep brown around mounded central cones. Another good one to try is ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’.
If you like your colours bright and hot, team the Helenium with red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, which should flower into autumn, depending on the conditions.
Heleniums belong to the sunflower family and will inject a strong dazzle of colour in the border. They’re often known as sneezeweed, as their dried leaves were once used to make snuff.
Helenium ‘Mardi Gras’ is a favourite for bees, butterflies and moths, with its mass of yellow flowers splashed with orange-red and deep brown around mounded central cones. Another good one to try is ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’.
If you like your colours bright and hot, team the Helenium with red Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, which should flower into autumn, depending on the conditions.
2. Rudbeckia
Rudbeckia, or black-eyed Susan, is related to the sunflower family and is a vigorous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial. Its striking tall structure bears daisy-like, single yellow flowers with cone-shaped centres.
A really good yellow variety to try is Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii. It mixes well with ornamental grasses, Aster and Sedum. A good companion plant is Aster ‘Little Carlow’ or, for a late-summer jungle effect, mix with Musa, Hedychium and Ricinus.
Do you need some help with your outdoor space? Find reviewed garden designers in your area.
Rudbeckia, or black-eyed Susan, is related to the sunflower family and is a vigorous, clump-forming herbaceous perennial. Its striking tall structure bears daisy-like, single yellow flowers with cone-shaped centres.
A really good yellow variety to try is Rudbeckia fulgida var. deamii. It mixes well with ornamental grasses, Aster and Sedum. A good companion plant is Aster ‘Little Carlow’ or, for a late-summer jungle effect, mix with Musa, Hedychium and Ricinus.
Do you need some help with your outdoor space? Find reviewed garden designers in your area.
3. Aster
Aster is also known as the autumn or Michaelmas daisy. It’s an upright perennial that produces an abundance of small purple flowers, which attract honeybees and pre-hibernation bumblebee queens for their abundance of nectar and pollen. Many butterflies and moths are also attracted to the masses of mauve flowerheads that have yellow centres and lance-shaped leaves.
Look out for Aster novi-belgii ‘Peace’ and Aster × frikartii ‘Mönch’. Good companion plants include Sedum and Rudbeckia.
Discover more ways to create a wildlife-friendly garden in autumn.
Aster is also known as the autumn or Michaelmas daisy. It’s an upright perennial that produces an abundance of small purple flowers, which attract honeybees and pre-hibernation bumblebee queens for their abundance of nectar and pollen. Many butterflies and moths are also attracted to the masses of mauve flowerheads that have yellow centres and lance-shaped leaves.
Look out for Aster novi-belgii ‘Peace’ and Aster × frikartii ‘Mönch’. Good companion plants include Sedum and Rudbeckia.
Discover more ways to create a wildlife-friendly garden in autumn.
4. Sedum
Sedum is a magnet for bees and butterflies in the autumn months. This vigorous, clump-forming perennial bears masses of tiny star-shaped flowers from white to deep purple.
Apart from the old cottage garden favourite, Sedum spectabile, there are some lovely purple-leaved varieties to try that look wonderful in the border, such as Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’.
Good planting companions include Aster, Rudbeckia and Schizostylis.
Sedum is a magnet for bees and butterflies in the autumn months. This vigorous, clump-forming perennial bears masses of tiny star-shaped flowers from white to deep purple.
Apart from the old cottage garden favourite, Sedum spectabile, there are some lovely purple-leaved varieties to try that look wonderful in the border, such as Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’.
Good planting companions include Aster, Rudbeckia and Schizostylis.
5. Caryopteris
Caryopteris × clandonensis is a blue-flowered, drought-tolerant shrubby plant that attracts pollinators of all sizes and is loved by bees. Popular varieties include ‘Longwood Blue’, which has mildly fragrant leaves, ‘Heavenly Blue’ and ‘Dark Knight’.
Caryopteris looks best when repeated throughout the border for a strong effect before the gardens turns more orange and crimson.
Caryopteris × clandonensis is a blue-flowered, drought-tolerant shrubby plant that attracts pollinators of all sizes and is loved by bees. Popular varieties include ‘Longwood Blue’, which has mildly fragrant leaves, ‘Heavenly Blue’ and ‘Dark Knight’.
Caryopteris looks best when repeated throughout the border for a strong effect before the gardens turns more orange and crimson.
6. Echinacea
Echinacea purpurea is also known as the coneflower and has traditionally been thought to help ward off winter colds. The large, central cone of the daisy-like bloom is made up of hundreds of tiny flowers called disc florets. Bees and butterflies circle the cone and visit each floret to sip nectar and gather pollen.
The hybrid and double varieties are not as attractive to pollinators. There are many varieties to look for, but a good upright strong white one is Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’.
Echinacea purpurea is also known as the coneflower and has traditionally been thought to help ward off winter colds. The large, central cone of the daisy-like bloom is made up of hundreds of tiny flowers called disc florets. Bees and butterflies circle the cone and visit each floret to sip nectar and gather pollen.
The hybrid and double varieties are not as attractive to pollinators. There are many varieties to look for, but a good upright strong white one is Echinacea purpurea ‘White Swan’.
7. Ivy
Whether you’re a fan or not of Hedera (or ivy), it’s an important food source for pollinators in the autumn, especially for honeybees. A native plant, both Hedera helix and Hedera hibernica produce nectar and pollen for late-flying bees, wasps, hoverflies and butterflies such as Red Admirals.
Ivy only produces flowers when it’s around eight to 10 years old. A more mature plant will cease climbing and concentrate on producing small clusters of yellow-green, nectar-rich flowers from September and October.
Green-black or dark purple fruit will also develop, which is attractive to birds.
Whether you’re a fan or not of Hedera (or ivy), it’s an important food source for pollinators in the autumn, especially for honeybees. A native plant, both Hedera helix and Hedera hibernica produce nectar and pollen for late-flying bees, wasps, hoverflies and butterflies such as Red Admirals.
Ivy only produces flowers when it’s around eight to 10 years old. A more mature plant will cease climbing and concentrate on producing small clusters of yellow-green, nectar-rich flowers from September and October.
Green-black or dark purple fruit will also develop, which is attractive to birds.
8. Trees
The larvae of many native butterflies and moths depend on tree foliage. Some trees that are not native to the UK, but which provide much-needed nectar and pollen later in the year, include Ligustrum lucidum (also known as Chinese privet), Eriobotrya japonica (or loqauat), Arbutus unedo (or strawberry tree), and Sophora japonica (or pagoda tree).
Ligustrum is often also grown as a hedging plant or shrub. Ligustrum lucidum is a small evergreen tree with panicles of little creamy-white flowers that’s sometimes grown as a standard.
The larvae of many native butterflies and moths depend on tree foliage. Some trees that are not native to the UK, but which provide much-needed nectar and pollen later in the year, include Ligustrum lucidum (also known as Chinese privet), Eriobotrya japonica (or loqauat), Arbutus unedo (or strawberry tree), and Sophora japonica (or pagoda tree).
Ligustrum is often also grown as a hedging plant or shrub. Ligustrum lucidum is a small evergreen tree with panicles of little creamy-white flowers that’s sometimes grown as a standard.
9. Anemone
Anemone x hybrida has beautiful tall floaty flowers, which are great for pollinators. The plants can become a bit of a thug, spreading in open ground, where they will colonise areas, but the leaves do make good ground cover.
Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ is better behaved, as it’s a cross between two varieties. It has delicate petals with a distinct grey-blue streak on the underside. For a good white flower, look out for Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, which again should flower into autumn if the conditions are right.
To see more from any of the designers featured in this article, click on the image (then on Learn More if you’re in the app) and follow the links to the professional’s profile.
Tell us…
Do you have any tips for attracting pollinators and other wildlife to your garden? Share your ideas in the Comments.
Anemone x hybrida has beautiful tall floaty flowers, which are great for pollinators. The plants can become a bit of a thug, spreading in open ground, where they will colonise areas, but the leaves do make good ground cover.
Anemone ‘Wild Swan’ is better behaved, as it’s a cross between two varieties. It has delicate petals with a distinct grey-blue streak on the underside. For a good white flower, look out for Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’, which again should flower into autumn if the conditions are right.
To see more from any of the designers featured in this article, click on the image (then on Learn More if you’re in the app) and follow the links to the professional’s profile.
Tell us…
Do you have any tips for attracting pollinators and other wildlife to your garden? Share your ideas in the Comments.
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Sonia Not for aster. It's actually aster blooming time. 23 August last year, I remember millions of bees swooning over my Aster Bahama - pinky red and the bees were smothering the flowers and the flowers smothering the plant. Sedum is another good idea. Sonia - buy some asters purple or one Purple Jenny or red Bahamas and you will not regret them as they are perennials and tough as old boots.
Great feature! Thanks for posting, now let's take up the redundant hard landscaping or a rarely used parking space, and plant..
beautiful <3