Build a Louisiana pollinator haven with natives that fuel bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds from spring to fall.
Louisiana enjoys a long, warm growing season that makes it one of the best places in the Southeast to build a buzzing, fluttering, humming patch of habitat right at home. The formula is simple: go native, layer bloom from early spring to late fall, match plants to your soil and sun, and skip pesticides. Below you will find a Louisiana centered game plan based on the Xerces Society’s Southeast list of Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects. Every plant from that list is included so you can pick with confidence and create a yard that truly works for bees, butterflies, beneficial insects, and birds.
From coastal prairie and pine flatwoods to bottomland woods and urban lots, you can tailor mixes to your site and still feed a broad cast of pollinators. Use these quick picks as building blocks, then weave in more from the full list at the end.
| Native Plants | United States, Southeast, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Attracts | Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees |
Morning sun plus dappled afternoon shade suits many Southeast natives. These thrive along fences, tree lines, and north facing house walls.
Louisiana landscapes always have places that hold water for a bit. Use them. Moisture lovers are nectar powerhouses in late summer and fall when wildlife traffic peaks.
Hot, windy, and sandy does not scare these natives. If you garden near the Gulf or on very well drained uplands, lean on this group.
These forbs carry your display and your habitat. Blend early, mid, and late bloomers so pollen and nectar never run out.
Monarchs and queen butterflies need milkweed for caterpillars, and adults of many species use milkweed for nectar. Mix several species to cover wet to dry sites.
Layer shrubs, perennials, and vines to create flight lanes and steady resources from spring through fall.
Got a soggy corner or a downspout you can slow and soak? These natives turn water into wildlife.
Flowers get the headlines, but structure creates real habitat. Add grasses for nesting and perches, shrubs for cover, and a few thorny or brushy corners for safety.
About a 10 by 14 ft bed. Repeat in blocks for larger spaces and weave in shrubs on the edges.
Purple coneflower, black eyed Susan, dense gayfeather, wild bergamot, spotted beebalm, blue mistflower, wrinkleleaf goldenrod, smooth blue aster, and little bluestem for structure.
Indian blanket, black eyed Susan, spotted beebalm, wild bergamot, purple coneflower, and wrinkleleaf goldenrod. Follow with asters in fall.
Goldenrods (wrinkleleaf and seaside in coastal sands), asters (smooth blue and calico), blue sage, giant ironweed, frostweed, flat top goldentop, and swamp sunflower near moist spots.
Seaside goldenrod, Indian blanket, vanillaleaf, blue sage, rattlesnake master, starry rosinweed, devil’s tongue prickly pear, and coral honeysuckle.
Wild blue phlox, prairie phlox, Virginia sweetspire, mountain azalea, Carolina rose, fragrant sumac, New Jersey tea, ninebark, winterberry, and highbush blueberry.
Narrowleaf mountainmint, spotted beebalm, wild bergamot, golden Alexanders, lanceleaf coreopsis, flat top goldentop, and Joe Pye weed.
Yes. Carolina tall thistle provides nectar packed blooms. Leave first year rosettes so you get flowers the following year.
Primary source: Xerces Society. Native Plants for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects: Southeast (2023).
Updated: November 2025 • Reviewed by Gardenia Editors
Chad Sparkes, Flickr
| Native Plants | United States, Southeast, Louisiana |
|---|---|
| Attracts | Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Bees |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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