Mid-Atl: Native plants to attract pollinators

I was inspired by the Friday Rookie Topic XVI: Flowers in the SFG. Recently I went to a program about pollinators and I realized that there were some plants more suited to the Mid-Atlantic.

Articles for Mid-Atlantic Pollinators

Here are some hints:

• Use local native plants. Research suggests native plants are four times more attractive to native bees than exotic flowers. In gardens, heirloom varieties of herbs and perennials can also provide good foraging.
• Choose several colors of flowers. Flower colors that particularly attract native bees are blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow.
• Plant flowers in clumps. Flowers clustered into clumps of one species will attract more pollinators than individual plants scattered through the habitat patch. Where space allows, make the clumps four feet or more in diameter. (There's nothing wrong with planting clumps NEAR your SFG.)
• Include flowers of different shapes. Bees are all different sizes, have different tongue lengths, and will feed on different shaped flowers. Consequently, providing a range of flower shapes means more bees can benefit.
• Have a diversity of plants flowering all season. By having several plant species flowering at once, and a sequence of plants flowering through spring, summer, and fall, you can support a range of bee species that fly at different times of the season.

thanks lots of great information in there

HERBS:
Basil,
Oregano,
Thyme,

ANNUALS:
Larkspur,
Zinnias (old fashioned varieties),
Mexican sunflower,
Annual sunflower


Lavender Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum),
Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria),
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum),
Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis),
Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa),
Hairy Beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus),
Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum),
Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa),
Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis),
Lance Leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata),
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata),
Giant Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus),
Common Monarch Flower (Asclepias syriaca),
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae),
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea),
Marsh Blazing Star (Liatris spicata),
Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum),
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

For bees, you can't beat Agastache foeniculum and the Nepetas. It's amazing how many bees they will attract.

In my garden, herb flowers are favorites of honeybee's,
especially oregano flowers.

bump

Walkers Low Catmint is a great choice for bees...and it's not invasive like other mints.

With all the pesticides around and the decimation of the bee population, it is imperative that we all do our bit to attract bees and other pollinating insects so that some of them survive for the future of the earth.

First lupine seedling ever!  Working on cat mint and others.

nice plate!

Plant? I am now sold on vermiculite for many of my of seeds. Borage did fine in MM, but some seem to need a feather touch.