Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators play an important role in our ecosystem. Unfortunately, the amount of wild bees, butterflies, and other insects is declining. If you want to assist these beneficial little helpers, there are a few things you can do. Adding some bee- and butterfly-friendly plants to your landscaping can make your yard a restful habitat for these essential creatures. Here are the types of plants that we at LifeStyle Homes think are the best for supporting bees and butterflies.

Bee Balm
This lovely flower is so good at helping bees that it actually gets its name from them. This beautiful plant sports showy pink and purple flowers and reaches a low to medium height. Many homeowners like to use bee balm in their flower beds, but it can also look lovely as a container plant. A great perk of bee balm is that it can be used by humans too! Bee balm makes a very tasty tea, so it can even be planted in your herbal gardens.

Borage
Borage is a popular plant for both butterflies and bees. It does an especially good job of feeding butterfly larvae, so planting it can ensure more butterflies survive through their full life cycle. Borage is also known as starflower due to its distinctively star-shaped blue flowers. In addition to producing pollen that bees and butterflies love, borage also produces a scent that repels predatory insects. Therefore, it can be a good source of natural pest control in your garden or flower beds.

Echinacea
This plant is also called coneflower due to the cone-shaped arrangement of its petals and center. It comes in many beautiful colors, including shades of red, pink, white, and yellow, and thrives in sunny spaces. This plant can grow up to 36 inches in height, so it makes a gorgeous backdrop to your borders and flower beds. Echinacea grows through late fall, providing food to both bees and butterflies.

Lavender
Lavender is a favorite in many herb gardens for its purple flowers and relaxing scent. It can attract both bees and butterflies, with bees being particularly interested. Lavender grows in tidy, compact shrubs, so it has all sorts of great uses in landscaping for LifeStyle Homes.

Calendula
Calendulas are a type of hardy daisy that produces cheerful orange and yellow flowers. It is a favorite of gardeners because it is undemanding and grows in many different climates. Calendula’s ability to grow in cooler weather also makes it great for bees and butterflies. Even when most other plants are still recovering from winter, calendula is already flowering and providing food for bees in early spring.

At LifeStyle Homes, we work hard to create homes that are both beautiful and environmentally sustainable. We provide a wide range of custom-built and readymade designs, so it’s easy to find the right house for you and your family. If you’d like to learn more about our sustainable, eco-friendly building methods, get in touch with us today.