MGAA List of 30 Great Drought Tolerant and Bee Friendly Plants for the Garden
1) Achillea (Yarrow)- native and nativars
2) Agastache foeniculum (Anise hyssop)- native, attracts pollinators
3) Artemesia: many types including native species
4) Asters- including native species, late season food source
5) Baptisia (Wild indigo)
6) Bulbs: Allium, species tulips, bulbous iris, snow crocus, , squills, lilies
7) Coreopsis verticillata (Tickseed)
8) Echinacea purpurea (coneflower)- late season/winter food source
9) Erigeron (Fleabane)- native and nativars
10) Gaillardia (Blanket flower)- native and nativars
11) Geum triflorum (Prairie Smoke)- native
12) Geraniums (perennial types)
13) Grasses: Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather reed grass)
.....Helictotrichon (blue oat grass), Sporobolus (Prairie Dropseed)- native
.....Koeleria (Junegrass)- native, Festucas- glauca, montana (perennial rye grass)- native
.....Bouteloua (Blue Gramma grass)- native, Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem)- native
14) Heliopsis (False sunflower)- pollinator attractor
15) Heuchera (coral bells) – including native species
16) Lychnis chalcedonica (Maltese Cross)
17) Nepeta (catmint)- excellent pollinator plant
18) Opuntia fragilis and Opuntia polyacantha (Prickly Pear cactus) - natives
19) Peonies: herbaceous, species and Itoh- singles best for pollinators
20) Penstemon species- including natives, attracts hummingbirds
21) Salvias- hummingbird, insect and butterfly attracting
22) Scrophularia macrantha ‘Red bird in a bush’- hummingbird and pollinators
23) Sedum and Hylotelephium- tall and groundcover, late season food source
24) Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks)
25) Solidago (Goldenrod)- including native species, keystone pollinator species
26) Stachys (lambs ears)- bee attracting
27) Thistles: Echinops (Globethistle) and Eryngium (Sea Holly)- bee attracting
28) Thymes- excellent for small insects
29) Veronicastrum (Culver’s Root)- pollinator attractant
30) Veronica: tall, medium and groundcover varieties