Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Native Pollinator Plants in Missouri
Native plants that turn a yard into a season-long buffet for bees, butterflies, and the insects that keep the food web running. Every species here is genuinely native to Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Wild Columbine. 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
65 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators and native bees while it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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
Turk's Cap
Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms May through Oct.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 2–5 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees while it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
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
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies right through when it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, native bees, and songbirds while it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
41 more also qualify: Crossvine, Prairie Blazing Star, Black-Eyed Susan, Wild Geranium, Arrowwood Viburnum, Woodland Phlox, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Virginia Bluebells, Cardinal Flower, American Beautyberry, Obedient Plant, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Flowering Dogwood, Foamflower, Foxglove Beardtongue, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, Golden Alexanders, Culver's Root, Serviceberry, Prairie Smoke, Butterfly Weed, Spicebush, Red-Twig Dogwood, Showy Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Bearberry, Ninebark, Compass Plant, Rattlesnake Master, Common Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Inkberry Holly, Wild Ginger, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, Creeping Phlox.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.