Check out World Animal Protection’s tips for planting pollinator-friendly flowers and avoiding harmful pesticides.
One of the easiest and best ways to support local ecosystems, protect pollinators, and bring nature closer to home is by creating a wildlife-friendly garden and lawn. By planting pollinator-friendly flowers, you can transform your outdoor space into a thriving sanctuary for bees, butterflies, birds, and other essential species native to your area!
If you want to make your garden or yard a safe space for wildlife, here’s how to get started.
Planting Pollinator-Friendly Native Flowers
When planning a wildlife-friendly garden or yard, it’s important to choose native plants that naturally support local pollinators and other wildlife. These plants provide food, shelter, and nesting spaces that non-native or ornamental plants simply can’t match.
Top Native Plants for a Wildlife-Friendly Garden or Yard
- Milkweed (Asclepias spp.): Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed for survival—it’s the only plant their caterpillars eat! This plant also provides nectar for adult butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, making it the only plant that helps monarchs at every stage of their lifecycle.
- Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta): A bright and hardy flower that attracts bees and butterflies, Black-Eyed Susans offer an important food source throughout the season—and they’re pretty, too!
- Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): Known for its nectar-rich blooms, the purple coneflower is a magnet for butterflies and native bees, and adds a colorful pop to your garden.
- Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata): Perfect for wetter areas, this variety of milkweed plays a crucial role in supporting monarch butterflies.
- Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis): With delicate white blooms, this foxglove plant attracts hummingbirds and a variety of pollinators.
Please note: These plants are all native to various regions within the contiguous United States. However, native plant distributions vary by ecoregion, so some of these species may be better suited to certain areas than others.
To find the best native plants for your region, use the Native Plant Finder by Zip Code by Garden For Wildlife.
Pollinators visiting a purple coneflower.
Avoiding Harmful Pesticides in Your Wildlife-Friendly Garden or Yard
A truly wildlife-friendly garden and yard should be free from toxic pesticides, which can harm bees, butterflies, and other beneficial species.
How to Keep Your Yard and Garden Safe for Wildlife
- Ditch Neonicotinoids: These pesticides are extremely toxic to bees and butterflies. Look for plants grown without harmful chemicals to ensure a truly pollinator-friendly landscape.
- Encourage Beneficial Insects: Ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies naturally control garden insects that can harm plants. You can attract them by planting companion plants like calendulas (pot marigolds).
- Skip Broad-Spectrum Insecticides: These chemicals harm all insects. Instead, use integrated pest management techniques that focus on prevention.
- Reduce Herbicide Use: Many herbicides eliminate flowering plants that provide essential nectar for pollinators. Leaving a portion of your wildlife-friendly lawn to grow naturally can offer critical resources for butterflies and bees.
Transforming Your Yard into a Wildlife-Friendly Space
Making your garden and yard wildlife-friendly doesn’t mean sacrificing beauty or functionality—it means creating a balanced, natural space that benefits both animals and people.
Simple Steps to a More Wildlife-Friendly Outdoor Space:
- Choose native plants that provide food and shelter for pollinators.
- Avoid pesticides and herbicides that harm bees, butterflies, and birds.
- Let a section of your yard grow wild to support native species, such as wildflowers.
- Install birdhouses, bee hotels, bat houses, and butterfly habitats to create shelter for local wildlife.
- Provide a shallow water source, like a birdbath or small pond, to support thirsty pollinators.
By making these small, but impactful changes, you can turn your outdoor space into a thriving wildlife-friendly habitat that supports biodiversity, helps struggling pollinators, and brings the beauty of nature to your doorstep.
A Greener Future Starts in Your Own Backyard
Whether you have containers on a patio, a small urban garden, or a sprawling backyard, every effort to create a wildlife-friendly garden makes a difference. By choosing pollinator-friendly plants and eliminating harmful chemicals, you’re not just beautifying your space—you’re helping protect the wildlife who keep our ecosystems thriving.
That’s why World Animal Protection has partnered with Garden For Wildlife in order to protect native species and their habitats. Want to get started? Shop at Garden For Wildlife, and a purchase of your order helps fund World Animal Protection’s crucial work for animals!