The Bright And Easy To Grow Flower The Pollinators In Your Garden Will Love

Draw pollinators in droves to your garden while barely lifting a finger. Your garden can look great and attract bees, butterflies, and more with minimal effort thanks to an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance annual. Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum sp.), originating in Central and South America, are stunning plants that will attract hummingbirds to your garden. The most popular species are the common garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus), which is known for trailing up structures easily. 

Common garden nasturtiums can withstand a variety of soils, even those with poorer quality. It's recommended that you don't apply fertilizer, but ensure proper drainage for the best growth. Nasturtiums are a very hardy species for the garden, growing well in hardiness zones 2 through 11. While these flowers are resistant against things like drought, a little shade can help keep them from becoming heat-stressed in the hottest part of the summer months. 

Because of their excellent ability to attract pollinators, nasturtiums are an ideal companion plant that will positively impact your garden. To start growing them in your garden beds, wait until the last frost in spring. Then directly sow your seeds in the ground. 

If you decide to add nasturtiums to your garden, you'll have many delights. While you can definitely eat any part of this edible plant, from its seeds and stems to its leaves and flowers, one of the biggest impacts on the garden is its ability to attract pollinators. The design of the funnel-shaped flower features a spur (called a nectary) that is filled with nectar and draws pollinators to the plant. Their bright blooms, ranging in color from red to orange to yellow, bring honeybees. Nasturtiums are also a favorite of hummingbirds. Thanks to their intensely sweet nectar and yellow-red flowers, hummingbirds cannot resist.

While they attract some insects you should think twice before killing in your garden, like a variety of beneficial pollinators, nasturtiums can also keep bad bugs like cabbage worms and squash bugs away from your veggies. Many gardeners add them between rows of vegetables or near their gardens to take advantage of pollinators and trap pests. Try the 'Empress of India' cultivar for bright red blooms that hummingbirds love that will attract bees and butterflies as well to your garden.