The plants that thrive on little water are often the same ones pollinators love. Western natives and dryland perennials evolved alongside local bees, butterflies and hummingbirds, while a bluegrass lawn feeds almost nothing. Colorado alone has 1,006 native bee species, according to CSU Extension. These 20 drought-tolerant pollinator plants are arranged by season so something is always in bloom, from April penstemon to October rabbitbrush. Each has its zones, water need, size, bloom and one care tip.
The design rule that matters most is overlapping bloom. CSU's pollinator habitat guide stresses flowers from early spring to as late in fall as possible, planted in groups rather than singles.
The 20 at a glance
| Plant | Zones | Water | Height | Bloom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain penstemon | 4–9 | Very low | 24–30 in | Late spring |
| Creeping veronica | 4–8 | Low | 1–3 in | Spring |
| Apache plume | 4–8 | Very low | 4–6 ft | Late spring–fall |
| Salvia 'May Night' | 4–8 | Low | 18–24 in | Late spring, rebloom |
| Catmint 'Walker's Low' | 4–8 | Low | 24–30 in | Late spring–fall |
| Yarrow | 3–9 | Very low | 18–36 in | Summer |
| Blanket flower | 3–9 | Very low | 12–24 in | Summer–fall |
| Purple coneflower | 3–9 | Low | 24–36 in | Summer |
| Showy milkweed / butterfly weed | 3–9 | Low | 12–36 in | Summer |
| Wild bergamot | 3–9 | Low–moderate | 24–48 in | Summer |
| English lavender | 5–9 | Low | 18–24 in | Early summer |
| Purple prairie clover | 3–8 | Very low | 12–36 in | Summer |
| Sulphur buckwheat | 4–8 | Very low | 6–12 in | Summer |
| Globe thistle | 3–8 | Low | 36–48 in | Summer |
| Sunset hyssop (agastache) | 5–9 | Very low | 20–36 in | Midsummer–frost |
| Russian sage | 4–9 | Very low | 36–48 in | July–fall |
| Chocolate flower | 4–9 | Very low | 12–18 in | Late spring–fall |
| Aromatic aster | 3–8 | Low | 18–36 in | September–October |
| Autumn Joy sedum | 3–9 | Low | 18–24 in | Late summer–fall |
| Rabbitbrush | 4–9 | Very low | 2–5 ft | September–October |
Spring
1. Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 24–30 in · Bloom Late spring, blue-violet
Tubular blue flowers shaped for bumblebees and hummingbirds, and one of the first big nectar sources of the season. Rocky Mountain penstemon is native across the Rockies. More species are in penstemon varieties.
Care tip: Leave a few seed stalks to ripen; it self-sows lightly in gravel.
2. Creeping veronica (Veronica liwanensis)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 1–3 in tall, spreading · Bloom Spring, cobalt blue
A flat evergreen mat that disappears under blue flowers in April and May, just as small early bees emerge. Creeping veronica is a Plant Select favorite and takes light foot traffic between stepping stones.
Care tip: Give it afternoon relief in the hottest low-elevation sites; it browns in reflected heat.
3. Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 4–6 ft tall and wide · Bloom Late spring to fall, white, then pink feathery seed heads
A native shrub whose rose-like white flowers feed bees for months while pink seed plumes cover the rest of the plant. Apache plume is the backbone shrub for a pollinator bed in the cold West.
Care tip: Don't shear it into a ball; remove a few of the oldest stems at the base every few years instead.
4. Salvia 'May Night' (Salvia nemorosa 'Mainacht')
Zones 4–8 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Late spring, deep violet, rebloom in summer
Dense violet spikes that bumblebees work steadily. Salvia 'May Night' bridges spring and summer. See the salvia guide for more hardy sages.
Care tip: Cut spent spikes to the base after the first bloom for a second flush.
Summer
5. Catmint (Nepeta × faassenii 'Walker's Low')
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 24–30 in · Bloom Late spring to fall, lavender-blue
Reliably covered in bees for months. Catmint is deer-resistant and nearly indestructible. More in the catmint guide.
Care tip: Shear by a third after the first flush to keep it blooming.
6. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Zones 3–9 · Water Very low · Size 18–36 in · Bloom Summer, white, yellow, pink, red
Flat landing pads packed with tiny flowers, ideal for small native bees, hoverflies and beneficial wasps. The native white form is the best pollinator plant; yarrow cultivars in other colors work too.
Care tip: Grow it lean and dry so it stands up.
7. Blanket flower (Gaillardia aristata)
Zones 3–8 · Water Very low · Size 12–24 in · Bloom Summer to fall, red and gold
Nonstop daisies that native bees and butterflies visit all summer. Blanket flower is short-lived but reseeds.
Care tip: Let late flowers go to seed so the patch renews itself.
8. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 24–36 in · Bloom Summer, purple-pink
Butterflies in summer and goldfinches on the seed heads in winter. Purple coneflower needs a little more water than most plants here.
Care tip: Leave the seed heads standing until spring.
9. Showy milkweed and butterfly weed (Asclepias speciosa, A. tuberosa)
Zones 3–9 · Water Low · Size 12–36 in · Bloom Summer, pink (showy) or orange (butterfly weed)
The monarch host plants, and heavy nectar producers for bees. Showy milkweed is the Western native but spreads by runners; butterfly weed stays in a clump. The Missouri Botanical Garden rates both zones 3–9 with dry-to-medium water (showy milkweed).
Care tip: Both emerge late in spring; mark them so you don't dig them up in May.
10. Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Zones 3–9 · Water Low to moderate · Size 24–48 in · Bloom Summer, lavender-pink
The native bee balm, far more drought-tolerant than the red garden hybrids, and a magnet for bumblebees, butterflies and hummingbird moths. It isn't as dry-adapted as the rest of this list: the Missouri Botanical Garden lists dry to medium water, so give it the "low" end of your drip layout.
Care tip: Plant it with good airflow; crowded, watered plants get powdery mildew.
11. English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Zones 5–9 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Early summer, purple
A honeybee classic that also draws bumblebees. Lavender needs sharp drainage. See growing lavender in a xeriscape.
Care tip: Prune right after bloom, never into bare wood.
12. Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea)
Zones 3–8 · Water Very low · Size 12–36 in · Bloom Summer, rose-purple
A native legume with thimble-shaped flower heads that bloom in a ring from the bottom up. Native bees love it, and it fixes its own nitrogen. The Missouri Botanical Garden rates it zones 3–8.
Care tip: It has a deep taproot, so plant it small and don't try to move it later.
13. Sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)
Zones 4–8 · Water Very low · Size 6–12 in · Bloom Summer, yellow aging to rust
Low evergreen mats topped with pom-pom flower clusters that feed a huge range of small bees and butterflies. Sulphur buckwheat fits rock gardens and hell strips.
Care tip: Gravel mulch only; it rots in wet wood mulch.
14. Globe thistle (Echinops ritro)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 36–48 in · Bloom Summer, steel blue
Spiky blue spheres that bumblebees crowd onto and sometimes sleep on. Not native, but a strong, tidy pollinator plant that deer leave alone.
Care tip: Wear gloves when you cut it back; the leaves are prickly.
Late season (the most neglected slot)
15. Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris)
Zones 4–10 (zone 4b only with sharp drainage) · Water Very low · Size 20–36 in · Bloom Midsummer to frost, orange-rose
Hummingbird fuel from July until frost. Plant Select lists zones 4b–10; we treat agastache as zone 5 unless drainage is excellent.
Care tip: Don't cut it back in fall; wait for spring growth.
16. Russian sage (Salvia yangii)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 36–48 in · Bloom July to fall, lavender-blue
A long lavender cloud that bees work when many summer flowers are finishing. Russian sage takes heat and hail in stride.
Care tip: Cut to about 12 inches in early spring.
17. Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 12–18 in · Bloom Late spring to fall, yellow
Cocoa-scented yellow daisies that native bees visit all season, right up to frost. Chocolate flower is rated zones 4–9 by Plant Select.
Care tip: Cut back hard in spring; it blooms on new growth.
18. Aromatic aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium)
Zones 3–8 · Water Low · Size 18–36 in · Bloom September to October, blue-violet
A mound of blue-violet daisies in fall, when migrating monarchs and late bees need fuel most. 'October Skies' and 'Raydon's Favorite' are compact selections rated zones 3–8 by the Missouri Botanical Garden.
Care tip: Pinch the stems back by half in early June for a denser, less floppy plant.
19. Autumn Joy sedum (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude')
Zones 3–9 · Water Low · Size 18–24 in · Bloom Late summer to fall, pink to rust
Flat pink flower heads that are covered in bees in September. Autumn Joy sedum holds its seed heads through winter.
Care tip: Pinch in late May if it tends to flop.
20. Rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa)
Zones 4–9 · Water Very low · Size 2–5 ft (older plants larger) · Bloom September to October, gold
One of the last big nectar sources of the year in the West, humming with bees and butterflies in fall. Rabbitbrush has silver foliage and needs no water once established.
Care tip: Cut it back by a third to a half in early spring to keep it compact.
Beyond the plant list
- Plant in drifts. A single flower is easy to miss; a 3-foot patch of one species lets bees work it efficiently, as CSU's habitat guide recommends.
- Leave bare ground and stems. CSU Extension notes that about 70 percent of solitary native bees nest underground and about 30 percent in hollow stems or tunnels. Leave some sunny, unmulched soil, skip landscape fabric in habitat areas, and delay cutting stems until spring.
- Skip pesticides. One systemic treatment can undo the whole project.
- Add water. A shallow dish filled with pebbles gives bees and butterflies a safe drink.
From our installs
On the Front Range, pollinator beds are some of the most satisfying installs we do, and they fail for predictable reasons. The most common is overwatering, which kills penstemon, agastache and buckwheat and makes yarrow and catmint flop. We plant small, water deeply once or twice a week the first summer, then taper off. The other is planting single specimens: one of everything looks busy and feeds poorly, so we plant in groups of five or more. Hail strips flowers every few summers; fall bloomers like rabbitbrush and asters usually rebound in time. (Xeris Landscaping is owned by Xeriscaping.com's founder.)
Frequently asked questions
What's the best low-water plant for hummingbirds?
Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris) and Rocky Mountain penstemon. Red hot poker and red yucca also draw hummingbirds in hot, dry spots.
Are native plants better for pollinators?
Generally, yes. CSU Extension cites a Xerces Society study finding native plants four times more attractive to native bees than introduced ornamentals. Non-natives like catmint and Russian sage still feed bees heavily, so a mix works.
How do I help monarchs in a dry garden?
Plant milkweed (showy milkweed in the West, or butterfly weed) as the caterpillar host, plus late-season nectar such as asters and rabbitbrush for migrating adults.
Should I clean up the garden in fall?
Wait until spring. Standing stems shelter overwintering bees and seed heads feed birds. Cut back once new growth starts.
For more plants that do double duty, see drought-tolerant perennials and full-sun plants for hot spots. To lay out a habitat corner in a larger yard, see backyard xeriscape ideas; in deer country, cross-check with deer-resistant xeriscape plants. Check your hardiness zone before you buy.
