Suggested Pollinator-Friendly Trees & Shrubs Suitable For City Sites
(Extracted from RHS Plants for Pollinators: rhs.org.uk/plantsforpollinators)
Some herbaceous plants have been added to the autumn and winter sections in order to help fill the crucial gap for pollinators between summer and spring.
Winter
- Crocus species crocus (winter-flowering)
- Eranthis hyemalis winter aconite
- Galanthus nivalis common snowdrop
- Helleborus species and hybrid hellebore(winter-flowering)
- × Fatshedera lizei tree ivy
- Lonicera × purpusii Purpus honeysuckle
- Mahonia species Oregon grape
- Salix aegyptiaca musk willow
- Sarcococca confusa sweet box
- Sarcococca hookeriana sweet box
- Viburnum tinus laurustinus
Spring
- Acer campestre Native plant; field maple
- Acer platanoides Norway maple
- Acer pseudoplatanus sycamore
- Acer saccharum sugar maple
- Aesculus hippocastanum horse chestnut
- Berberis darwinii Darwin’s barberry
- Berberis thunbergii Japanese barberry
- Ceanothus species California lilac
- Cercis siliquastrum Judas tree
- Chaenomeles species Japanese quince
- Cornus mas Cornelian cherry
- Cotoneaster conspicuus Tibetan cotoneaster
- Crataegus monogyna Native plant; common hawthorn
- Euphorbia × martini Martin’s spurge
- Hebe species hebe
- Ilex aquifolium Native plant; common holly
- Mahonia species Oregon grape (spring-flowering)
- Malus baccata Siberian crab
- Malus domestica edible apple
- Malus floribunda Japanese crab
- Malus hupehensis Hupeh crab
- Malus sargentii Sargent’s crab apple
- Mespilus germanica common medlar
- Prunus avium Native plant; wild & edible cherries
- Prunus domestica wild & edible plums
- Prunus dulcis almond
- Prunus laurocerasus cherry laurel
- Prunus padus Native plant; bird cherry
- Prunus pendula f. ascendens ‘Rosea’ flowering cherry
- Prunus spinosa Native plant; blackthorn
- Pyrus communis pear
Summer
- Abelia
- Achillea
- Aesculus indica Indian horse chestnut (resistant to leaf-mining moth)
- Alcea
- Alchemilla
- Althaea
- Ageratum
- Anemone
- Aster
- Brachyglottis (Dunedin Group)
- ‘Sunshine’
- Brachyglottis monroi Monro’s ragwort
- Buddleja davidii butterfly bush
- Buddleja globosa orange ball tree
- Bumpeurum
- Calamintha
- Callicarpa bodinieri var. giraldii beautyberry
- Centranthus
- Cephalaria
- Ceratostigma
- Clinopodium
- Compositae
- Cornus alba red-barked dogwood
- Dasiphora
- Echinops
- Echium
- Elaeagnus angustifolia oleaster
- Erigeron
- Escallonia species escallonia
- Euphorbia
- Eurybia spp.
- Fuchsia species fuchsia – hardy types
- Hebe species hebe
- Hibiscus
- Hydrangea paniculata paniculate hydrangea (only cultivars with many fertile flowers, e.g. ‘Kyushu’, ‘Big Ben’, ‘Floribunda’, ‘Brussels Lace’)
- Hylotelephium
- Hypericum
- Geranium
- Laurus nobilis bay tree
- Lavandula angustifolia English lavender
- Lavandula stoechas French lavender
- Ligustrum ovalifolium garden privet
- Linaria
- Nepeta
- Olearia species daisy bush
- Origanum
- Persicaria
- Perovskia atriplicifolia Russian sage
- Phlomis species sage
- Photinia davidiana stranvaesia
- Pyracantha species firethorn
- Rosa species rose
- Rosmarinus officinalis rosemary
- Rudbeckia
- Salvia
- Sorbus aria Native plant; common whitebeam
- Sorbus aucuparia Native plant; mountain ash, rowan
- Spiraea japonica Japanese spiraea
- Tilia × europaea common lime
- Tilia maximowicziana lime
- Tilia oliveri lime
- Tilia platyphyllos Native plant; broad-leaved lime
- Verbena
- Vernonia
- Viburnum lantana Native plant; common wayfaring tree
- Weigela florida weigelia
Autumn
- Elaeagnus pungens silverthorn
- Fatsia japonica Japanese aralia
- Tilia henryana Henry’s lime (one of the last to flower)
- Hedera colchica Persian ivy
- Hedera helix Native plant; common ivy
- Colchicum species autumn crocus
- Arbutus unedo strawberry tree
