Plants to attract pollinators in shade 

Choosing plants for our gardens that attract pollinating insects through the seasons is good for biodiversity and fascinating to watch.

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<i>Digitalis</i> are a must-have pollinator-friendly plant
Digitalis are a must-have pollinator-friendly plant

Quick facts

  • Having a variety of flower types and shapes can attract more pollinators
  • Choosing plants that flower at different times of the year provides more opportunities for pollinators
  • Many insects are attracted to flowering plants that grow in shade

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The planting plan

James Lawrence, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, has designed this simple, attractive, and most importantly, sustainable border design, which you can try at home with purple- and blue-flowered plants that are easy to grow, widely available and look good together.

Plants to attract pollinators in shade

© James Lawrence

Choosing plants for pollinators

Pollinating insects are in decline, but there are plenty of flowering plants to help them. Increasing flowering plants in our gardens can also improve fruit and vegetables: with more pollinating insects around, harvests will be bigger and better.

The plants included below provide a succession of pollen and nectar for insects across the growing season.

The Pulmonaria provides some groundcover and will help prevent erosion of bare soil. Groundcover can also help to reduce moisture evaporation from the soil surface and suppress weed growth. Additional organic mulching can further improve soil moisture retention and weed suppression.

1 - Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ 
2 - Fatsia japonica
3 - Digitalis purpurea
4 - Pulmonaria ‘Lewis Palmer’ 
1 - Viburnum tinus ‘Eve Price’ is a bushy, medium-sized evergreen shrub with leathery dark green leaves. Flattened clusters of deep pink buds open to small, starry white flowers over a very long period, beginning in late winter, and are followed by deep metallic-blue berries.

2 - Fatsia japonica is an evergreen shrub that provides a structural centrepiece, with large, glossy, palmate leaves up to 45cm across, and small white flowers in globe-like clusters. Fruits are small and black.

3 - Digitalis purpurea, a biennial, provides vertical interest as the flower spikes rise up from the foliage with spires of tubular purple flowers in summer.

4 - Pulmonaria ‘Lewis Palmer’ is a low-growing perennial boasting white-blotched dark green leaves and early spring flowers that open purplish pink and soon turn soft violet-blue.

About plants for pollinators

Using scientific evidence, our extensive experience and the records of gardeners and beekeepers, we’ve selected a range of year-round flowering Plants for Pollinators to tackle the decline in pollinator numbers. Visit our Plants For Pollinators page to discover more of the best plants for attracting pollinators.
 

Growing plants for pollinators

​Many insects are suffering from a lack of pollinator-friendly plants in the countryside to provide nectar and pollen. By offering a good range of pollinator friendly plants in our gardens, we can help these essential creatures to thrive. Increasing biodiversity is also benefical for encouraging a healthy garden ecosystem in general.

Choose plants with a variety of different flower types and structures in order to attract a wider range of pollinators across the seasons. A succession of overlapping flowering times ensures there is always something available.
 

Why choose a sustainable planting combination?

Using the ethos of ‘right plant, right place’ to create a sustainable planting combination is great for the environment. It helps to avoid waste and the use of products and practices needed to try and help ailing plants, such as applying fertiliser. It also creates robust, long-lived planting that benefits soil health and garden biodiversity.

Additionally, this combination will also attract more pollinating insects into the garden, creating better diversity by in turn encouraging birds and other wildlife into the garden.
 

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.