Gardening for Texas Pollinators
Pollinators are important because they aid in plant reproduction. They help produce our favorite fruits and vegetables, provide beneficial ecosystem services, and help maintain local ecosystems.
Pollinators can be butterflies, moths, bees, birds, bats, beetles, flies, and other animals.
Creating a Pollinator Garden
Step By Step Guide
Follow this simple step-by-step guide to build a pollinator garden from scratch.
Prefer a Video?
Check out our Gardening for Texas Pollinators video.
Planning and Design
Designing for Specific Pollinators
Butterflies
- Plant flowers in bright-colors like pink, yellow, orange, or white.
- Plant flowers with flat surfaces and tiny, short tubes, like Asters.
- Provide a shallow water source.
- Butterflies love rotting fruit and beer!
Hummingbirds
- Plant flowers in deep colors like red, purple, or orange.
- Plant large flowers shaped like deep funnels, trumpets, and cups.
- Provide clean nectar feeders with fresh sugar-water.
Bees
- Plant flowers with bright-colors like blue, yellow, purple, or white.
- Plant shallow flowers with a platform.
- Plant fragrant flowers and flowers with nectar guides.
- Provide a shallow water source.
Designing for Monarch Butterflies
Monarch Waystation Requirements
Looking to attract Monarch Butterflies? Check out the Monarch Waystation Certification requirements for a good start.
Native Milkweeds for Monarch Caterpillars:
Antelope Horns – Asclepias asperula
Zizotes or Sidecluster – Asclepias oenotheroides
Butterfly – Asclepias tuberosa
DO NOT plant Tropical Milkweed
Prefer a Video?
Check out our Gardening for Monarch Butterflies video.
Designing for Wildlife
Wildscapes Certification
Follow requirements for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Wildscapes Certification to support native wildlife, including pollinators.
Certified Wildlife Habitat
Certify your home landscape as a Wildlife Habitat to with the National Wildlife Federation.
Designing a Garden
Texas SmartScapes
Get design ideas and help with plant selection specifically for North Texas.
Compare Design Outcomes
Enter information about a potential design and see the estimated water use, benefit to pollinators, and carbon footprint.
Landscape Design Basics
Watch a video on the basics of landscape design in North Texas.
Pollinator Garden Design
For an easy pollinator garden design, check out design #3.
Want Wildflowers?
Learn how to create a Wildflower Patch or Pocket Prairie in this video.
Plant Choice
Always Plant Native Texas Plants
Is It Native to Texas?
Look up any plant on the USDA PLANTS Database.
Search by Attribute
Search native Texas plants by various attributes including light requirements, water requirements, plant type, and more with Texas SmartScape.
Local Butterfly Host Plants
Common North Texas Butterflies and their host plants.
Fall Plants for Butterflies
Fall blooming plants for North Texas that attract butterflies during the fall boom.
Pollinator Plant Lists
North Central Texas Native Plants
Commercially available native plant species suitable for planned landscapes in North Central Texas.
Butterfly and Moth Plants
Native Texas plants that support butterflies and moths.
Native Bee Plants
Native Texas plants that support native bees.
Bumble Bee Plants
Native Texas plants that support Bumble Bees.
Nesting Material Plants
Native Texas plants that provide nesting material for native bees.
Southern Plains Plants
Plants for a pollinator garden in the Southern Plains Region.
Purchasing Native Plants
Nurseries that specialize in native plants will be the best bet.
Look for local plant sales from organizations like the Native Plant Society of Texas, the Tarrant County Master Gardeners, or the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in spring and fall.
Sometimes native plants can be found at large chain stores, although the selection is often small. Look for Texas Native or Texas Superstar labels on plants in chain stores.
Looking for Seeds?
Native American Seed Company has 100% native Texas seeds grown from local ecotypes and pre-made seed mixes for various pollinators.
Nurseries that specialize in native plants
Weston Gardens 8101 Anglin Dr, Fort Worth
Ecoblossom Nursery Online Only
Native Gardeners 407 S Pipeline Rd, Euless
Painted Flower Farm 3801 Lariat Rd, Denton
Rooted In 12804 Pelzel Rd, Pilot Point
Nurseries that carry native plants
Marshall Grain Multiple Locations
Green’s Produce and Plants 3001 W Arkansas Ln, Arlington
Guardado Garden Center 3228 Alta Mere Dr, Fort Worth
Premier Nursery Multiple Locations
Pollinators
Identify or Learn About a Pollinator
Butterflies and Moths of North America
Check out information such as host plants and range maps for butterflies and moths.
Bug Guide
Look up any insect and find a variety of information, including photos.
Want More?
Sign Up for a Class
Take a look at our calendar of events to find a variety of online and in-person classes.
Watch a Video
Check out the Save Tarrant Water YouTube channel for recordings of past classes.