Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Illinois · Zones 5–7
Native Pollinator Plants in Illinois
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. For Illinois, the right natives are shaped by Central Tallgrass Prairie and a humid continental climate. Every species below, from Obedient Plant and Golden Alexanders to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Illinois and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7. A garden that feeds pollinators all season needs something in bloom from the first warm days of spring through the last of fall. Aim for at least three species flowering at any given time, plant in generous drifts of one kind rather than singletons so foragers can work efficiently, and leave seed heads and hollow stems standing over winter to shelter the next generation.
The plants
59 native species for Illinois
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees right through when it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees right through when it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators and native bees while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators and native bees while it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Trumpet Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
35 more also qualify: Butterfly Weed, Black-Eyed Susan, Woodland Phlox, Blanketflower, Cardinal Flower, Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Prairie Blazing Star, Wild Columbine, Scarlet Beebalm, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Prairie Smoke, Cup Plant, Anise Hyssop, Maximilian Sunflower, Buttonbush, Common Yarrow, Winterberry, Red-Twig Dogwood, Spicebush, New Jersey Tea, Showy Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Wild Ginger, American Elderberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Common Boneset, Stiff Goldenrod, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Bearberry, Ninebark, Compass Plant, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Illinois
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.