Regional guide

Xerces Midwest Native Pollinator Plant List

Xerces Midwest native plant list for pollinator gardens, bloom succession, habitat structure, exact species matches, and site-fit checks.

Regional timing

Current regional planting plan

Xerces Midwest native plant list for pollinator gardens, bloom succession, habitat structure, exact species matches, and site-fit checks.

Source-backed timing Xerces Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects: Midwest

Midwest Native Pollinators 4 climate signals

Source source cues Local conditions

The Xerces Midwest list covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Xerces frames the list around regional native plants that are attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects.
Most native flowering plants on the Midwest list prefer full sun and good drainage, so site conditions should drive plant choice.

Catalog priority: 7 priority crops
Climate checks: 4 climate signals
Timing basis: Use regional source signals

Source-backed timing The Xerces Midwest list covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Xerces frames the list around regional native plants that are attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects.

Crop priority Swamp Milkweed leads the catalog examples

Swamp Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Eastern Bee Balm, Foxglove Beardtongue

Next local check Plan at least three species for each bloom period so pollen and nectar are available across the growing season.

Use exact source-listed Midwest species matches where the catalog has them: swamp milkweed, common milkweed, bee balm, foxglove beardtongue, black-eyed Susan, little bluestem, and New England aster.

Calendar Convert regional timing into dated sowing, transplant, and harvest jobs. Frost dates Keep hardiness zone context separate from local first and last frost dates. All regions Compare this guide with the broader regional atlas. Central Ohio OSU Extension central Ohio guide for normal-season direct-seeded rows, transplants, timing shifts, succession, and fall crops.

Climate signals

The Xerces Midwest list covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Xerces frames the list around regional native plants that are attractive to pollinators and beneficial insects.
Most native flowering plants on the Midwest list prefer full sun and good drainage, so site conditions should drive plant choice.
The guide separates flower bloom windows from grasses, sedges, rushes, ferns, vines, trees, and shrubs so habitat structure is not only flowers.

Planning notes

Plan at least three species for each bloom period so pollen and nectar are available across the growing season.
Use exact source-listed Midwest species matches where the catalog has them: swamp milkweed, common milkweed, bee balm, foxglove beardtongue, black-eyed Susan, little bluestem, and New England aster.
Prairie blazing star, stiff goldenrod, and showy goldenrod are source rows, but they are not priority links because the catalog entries are dense blazing star and Canada goldenrod, which are different species.
Keep leaves, stems, brush piles, and small woody debris where appropriate because the guide says many insects use that material for shelter or nesting.
Avoid treating a regional list as a universal planting prescription; confirm local native status, soil, moisture, sun, and spread before planting.
Use the priority catalog links as exact species matches where possible and as native-pollinator planning examples, not Xerces seed-vendor recommendations.

Catalog crop examples

These catalog entries match crops covered by the regional timing source; variety-specific details remain tied to each seed entry's own source.

Swamp Milkweed Native · Warm · 365 days
Common Milkweed Native · Warm · 365 days
Eastern Bee Balm Native · Warm · 365 days
Foxglove Beardtongue Native · Warm · 365 days
Black-Eyed Susan Native · Warm · 90 days
Little Bluestem Native · Warm · 365 days
New England Aster Native · Warm · 365 days

Related regional guides

Ohio Central Normal-Season Vegetable Garden OSU Extension central Ohio guide for normal-season direct-seeded rows, transplants, timing shifts, succession, and fall crops.
Indiana Frost and Soil Temperature Vegetable Garden A Purdue Extension guide for Indiana frost-relative planting, soil-temperature thresholds, hardiness groups, fall timing, and succession planning.
Iowa Planting and Harvest Timing Vegetable Garden An Iowa State Extension guide for Iowa vegetable planting schedules, harvest timing, staggered chart use, and April-October planning.

Source: Xerces Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects: Midwest