Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, native bees, and seed-eating birds right through when it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
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- New Mexico
- Pollinators
New Mexico · Zones 4–8
Native Pollinator Plants in New Mexico
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 New Mexico and the wider flora of the desert Southwest and hardy through zones 4–8 — proven performers for New Mexico's arid, high-elevation sun climate across Chihuahuan desert & Southern Rockies, not a generic list. Local standouts include Apache Plume and Western 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
54 native species for New Mexico
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–8 · see this collection in other states.
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it blooms Apr through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees right through when it blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, native bees, and specialist bees right through when it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it blooms May through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms May through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Flame Acanthus
Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Oct
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Nectar and pollen for the garden — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it flowers in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Works hard for pollinators — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
A pollinator magnet — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees while it blooms Mar through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Keeps pollinators fed — 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
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees right through when it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Keeps pollinators fed — it draws pollinators, butterflies, and native bees as it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and native bees while it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
A reliable nectar stop — it draws pollinators, hummingbirds, and butterflies while it blooms Apr through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Works hard for pollinators — 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
30 more also qualify: Dense Blazing Star, Wild Columbine, Anise Hyssop, Cup Plant, Rocky Mountain Penstemon, Black-Eyed Susan, Swamp Milkweed, Maximilian Sunflower, Aromatic Aster, Prairie Blazing Star, Chocolate Flower, Culver's Root, Eastern Redbud, Obedient Plant, Serviceberry, Ninebark, Common Milkweed, American Elderberry, New Jersey Tea, Bearberry, Rattlesnake Master, Blue Vervain, Common Boneset, Stiff Goldenrod, Compass Plant, Fragrant Sumac, Red-Twig Dogwood, Oregon Grape, Purple Prairie Clover, Showy Milkweed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in New Mexico
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.