Pollinator Powerhouse Pack

The Pollinator Powerhouse

Theme: A nectar and pollen buffet from spring to frost.

• Light: Full Sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight)

• Soil: Medium to Dry, well-draining

• Spacing: Plant 18–24 inches apart.

• Design Tip: Plant the taller Goldenrod, Aster, and Coneflower toward the back or center, with the lower-growing Butterfly Weed and Beardtongue in the front.

• Watering: Water deeply once a week during the first year to establish strong roots. Once established, this guild is highly drought-tolerant.

• Winter Care: Do not cut back in autumn! Leave the stems and seedheads standing through the winter. Birds will eat the seeds, and native bees hibernate inside the hollow stems. Cut back in early spring once temperatures are consistently in the 50s.

• Included Plants: Foxglove Beardtongue, Butterfly Weed, Wild Bergamot, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, Aromatic Aster.

• • Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis): Provides early summer white blooms and supports early-emerging bumblebees.

  • Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa): Essential monarch host plant offering bright orange mid-summer blooms. Low, clumping form.

  • Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa): Tubular lavender flowers in mid-summer; an absolute magnet for hummingbirds and swallowtails.

  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Provides strong structural stems, mid-to-late summer blooms, and seeds for goldfinches in the winter.

  • Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa): Creates a stunning yellow focal point in early autumn when pollinators are stocking up for winter.

  • Aromatic Aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium): The grand finale. Mounding purple blooms that last until the first hard frost.