Pollinators play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. With our region’s dry, hot summers and cold winters, it’s essential to choose native, drought-tolerant, non-invasive native species. This guide offers plant suggestions to provide ongoing sustenance and habitat for native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds while choosing options that will thrive in Kamloops’ unique climate. Reach out to your local nurseries to find these or other suitable options.

Native Bees: Supporting their lifecycle with drought-tolerant plants

Native bees need a constant supply of nectar and pollen throughout their lifecycle. Ensuring you have a garden that offers blooms throughout the growing season is the key.

In Kamloops, early bloomers like Crocus (Crocus spp.), Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp.), and Willows (Salix spp.) offer native bees an early food source. As the season progresses, Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) and Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) provide nectar-rich flowers into the summer. Other great choices for native bees include Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which are hardy and drought-tolerant.

For nesting, native plants like Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) and Willows (Salix spp.) and hollow-stemmed plants like Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) can provide ideal nesting spots and offer shelter for cavity nesting native bees.  We also recommend leaving areas of undisturbed soil for the 70 percent of native bees which nest in the ground.

Butterflies: Host and nectar plants for all stages

Supporting butterflies requires both host plants for caterpillars and nectar sources for adults.

Some caterpillars have specific needs. Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), a crucial plant for monarchs, is native, likes most soils, and is drought-tolerant, making it a perfect planting option. Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) — note, this is a partial shade plant — and Dill (Anethum graveolens) will support Swallowtail caterpillars.

For adult butterflies, consider planting nectar-rich species. We suggest plants like Bee Balm (Monarda fistulosa), Zinnia (Zinnia spp.), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). These flowers are drought-tolerant, native, and provide a steady food source throughout the growing season. Late-season bloomers like Aster (Aster spp.) and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) help sustain butterflies into fall.

Hummingbirds: Drought-resistant, nectar-rich flowers

Hummingbirds rely on nectar-rich, tubular flowers. Native plants such as Red-Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea), Meadow Sage (Salvia nemorosa), and Scarlet Gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) are ideal for offering nectar and attracting these tiny Pollinators. Red-Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum), Western Columbine (Aquilegia formosa), and Penstemon (Penstemon spp.) also provide excellent food sources.

For shelter, these plants — Blue Elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) and Currant (Ribes spp.) — provide dense foliage and create safe nesting spots, while Willows (Salix spp.) offer both shelter and materials for nesting.

Creating a pollinator-friendly garden

In Kamloops, supporting them begins with the right plants in the right places.  Every garden planted with care becomes a beacon of hope for pollinators. With a little planning and by selecting a range of hardy, drought-tolerant, and native species, you can create a sustainable, pollinator-friendly garden. Weaving these plants into your landscape allows you to design a living tapestry of colour, movement, and life.  By choosing plants suitable to Kamloops’ varying weather conditions, we can provide nectar, pollen, and shelter throughout the growing season for our pollinators and create a garden that thrives through the seasons and sustains our pollinators for generations to come.

Corrine G is an avid gardener who feels like an imposter, but loves to learn and doesn’t mind failing forward every season.  She has a yard where for years she ignored the impact of disturbing the seed bank and created some monster weed problems.  Gardening responsibilities persist, and so do we.