We're busy gathering photos of favorite Greater Sudbury and Ontario wildflowers that you can plant. We'll add more soon!

Consult the charts below to select plants that are native to Greater Sudbury for your pollinator garden! The David Suzuki Foundation's Butterflyway Project recommends that local pollinator gardens should have 50% of native plant biomass in their gardens.

You can sort alphabetically or filter by typing a word into the blocks above the columns eg type in "sun" in the Light column to get all plants that are recommended for sunny gardens.

The plant information was taken from Canada Pollinator Partnerships' list for the Greater Sudbury area:
https://pollinatorpartnership.ca/assets/generalFiles/Algonquin.2017.pdf

To look up plant information to guide your choices, try this database:
https://can-plant.ca/

Light guidelines:
  • Full Sun means 6 full hours of direct sunlight. Those 6 hours could be from 8am – 3pm or 12 noon – 6pm. Or the time could be split between some hours in the morning and some in the afternoon. So, 6 hours of direct sunlight at any time of the day. For the rest of the daylight hours, it is assumed that the site will get some light, but it doesn’t need to be direct sunlight.
  • Partial Sun and Partial Shade are often used as alternatives to each other, and are used to denote 3 – 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. However, some plants require several hours of sunlight during the day in order to set flowers and fruit, and partial shade typically refers to a need for shade from the strong, late afternoon sun. Dappled sunlight is similar to partial shade, and is the soft sunlight you can enjoy under a deciduous tree and is the requirement of woodland plants. For ease of reference, we're using "partial" to help you sort the plants, and you may want to do a bit more research on each plant's requirement.
  • Shade means less than 3 hours of direct sunlight each day, preferably the cooler morning light. Filtered light for some of the rest of the day is preferred.
Bloom period:

You can sort/filter by bloom period too, although many plants will cross periods.

  • Early: March, April, May
  • Mid: June, July, August
  • Late: September, October, November
Pollinators:
  • The pollinators listed in the Pollinators column are species that benefit from the plants. You can filter plants that are good for butterflies for example by typing in the word "butterflies" in that column header box.
  • The Butterfly Host column indicates which plants are plants that adult butterflies depend upon to raise their larval young. Female butterflies lay their eggs directly onto their host plant of choice since caterpillars cannot travel far to feed.

Note: these charts are best viewed on a computer or in landscape mode on a mobile.

Photo Type Bloom Period Bloom Months Common Name Scientific Name Flower colour Max Height (feet) Water Needs/Habitat Sun Pollinators Butterfly Host
Shrub Early/Mid April-July Alternative Dogwood Cornus alternifolia white 2-2.5 m dry to wet sun, partial, shade bees, beetles, flies, butterflies x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid June-August Arctic Brome Bromus kalmii yellow, greenish brown up to 1m dry, moist sun, partial butterflies x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid May-June Awlfruit Sedge Carex stipata greenish brown up to 1m moist to wet sun, partial
Wildflower Late September-November Azure Aster Symphyotrichum oolentangiense blue to purple up to 1m dry to well drained sun, partial bees, butterflies, flies
Wildflower Early/Mid May-August Balsam Ragwort Packera paupercula yellow less than 1m moist sun, partial bees
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Bee Balm (Oswego Tea) Monarda didyma scarlet red 1-2m moist to wet sun, partial hummngbirds, butterflies, bees x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid/Late August-November Big Bluestem Andropogon gerardii yellow to brown 1-2.5m moist sun, partial
Tree Early/Mid May-June Black Chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa white 2 m dry to moist sun, partial bees, beetles, flies x
Wildflower Mid/Late June-September Black-Eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta yellow with dark brown centre 0.5-1.5m moist to dry sun, partial bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps x
Wildflower Early/Mid April-August Canada Anemone Anemone canadensis white, cream less than 1 m moist, well drained sun, partial, shade bees
Wildflower Mid/Late August-November Canada Goldenrod Solidago canadensis yellow, orange 0.5-1.5m dry, well drained sun, partial butterflies, bees
Wildflower Mid/Late July-October Canada Mint Mentha canadensis white to pink, violet less than 1 m moist to wet partial
Tree Early March-May Canada Plum Prunus nigra white less than 7m dry to drained sun bees
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid March-June Canada Wildrye Elymus canadensis yellow, green, brown up to 1.5m moist sun, partial
Wildflower Mid/Late August-October Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis red 1-1.5m moist to wet sun, partial bees, hummingbirds
Tree Early/Mid May-June Chokecherry Prunus virginiana white 6m+ moist sun, partial, shade bees x
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Common Boneset Eupatorium perfoliatum white 1-1.5m well drained to moist sun bees, butterflies, flies
Wildflower Mid/Late July-October Common Evening Primrose Oenothera biennis yellow up to 2m well drained, dry to moist sun, partial butterflies, bees
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid/Late July-September Common Rush Juncus effusus greenish brown 0.5-1.5m moist to wet sun
Wildflower Mid June-August Common Yarrow Achillea lanulosa/A. millefolium* white, cream, pink less than 1 m dry openings, gravel to well drained soil sun butterflies
Shrub Early/Mid April-June Cranberry Vaccinium macrocarpon white to pink less than 1m dry to moist; well drained sun, partial bees x
Wildflower Mid/Late June-September Cutleaf (Green Headed) Coneflower Rudbeckia laciniata yellow, brown 1-3m moist to dry sun, partial bees, butterflies, beetles, wasps x
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Early Goldenrod Solidago juncea yellow 0.5-1.5m dry, well drained sun, partial butterflies, bees
Shrub Early April-May Eastern Teaberry Gaultheria procumbens white, cream less than 1m well drained, dry to moist partial birds
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium purple, pink up to 2m dry to moist, well drained sun hummingbirds, butterflies, bees x
Wildflower Early April-May Foamflower Tiarella cordifolia white less than 1m moist sun, partial, shade bees, flies, moths
Wildflower Mid/Late July-October Fringed Blue Aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum blue, purple up to 1m dry, well drained sun butterflies x
Wildflower Mid June-August Fringed Loofstrife Lysimachia ciliata yellow 0.5-1.5m moist partial, shade bees
Wildflower Mid/Late August-October Gray Goldenrod Solidago nemoralis yellow 1m dry sun, partial butterflies, bees
Wildflower Mid/Late August-September Great Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica blue 0.5-1.5m moist to wet, well drained sun, partial hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
Wildflower Mid/Late June-September Harebells Campanula gieseckeana blue, purple less than 1m dry, well drained sun, partial hummingbirds
Wildflower Mid June-August Heart-Leaf Aster Symphyotrichum cordifolium white to purple 1-2m moist sun bees, butterflies, flies
Wildflower Mid/Late August-October Heath Aster Symphyotrichum ericoides white, cream up to 1m dry to moist, well drained sun butterflies, bees x
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Hoary Vervain Verbena stricta purple less than 1m dry, drained to sandy sun bees, butterflies x
Wildflower Mid June-August Indian Hemp Apocynum cannabinum greenish pink up to 2 m moist to well drained partial butterflies, bees s
Wildflower Mid/Late July-October Jewelweed Impatiens capensis yellow, orange, greenish brown 0.5-1.5m moist to wet partial, shade hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
Shrub Early/Mid May-July Kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi white, cream, pink less than 1 m dry to moist sun, partial hummingbirds, bees x
Wildflower Early/Mid May-August Lanceleaf Coreopsis/Lanceleaf Tickseed Coreopsis lanceolata yellow up to 1m moist to dry sun, partial bees, butterflies
Wildflower Late September-October Lance-Leaved Aster Symphyotrichum lanceolatum white, cream up to 1m moist to wet sun butterflies x
Wildflower Mid/Late August-November Late Goldenrod Solidago altissima yellow up to 2m moist partial butterflies, bees
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid May-June Limestone Meadow Sedge Carex granularis greenish brown up to 1m dry to moist sun, partial
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid May-July Longhair Sedge Carex comosa greenish brown 1.5m moist to wet sun, partial
Shrub Early/Mid May-July Mapleleaf Viburnum Viburnum acerifolium white, cream up to 2m dry to moist; well drained sun, partial, shade butterflies x
Wildflower Early March-May Mayapple Podophyllum peltatum white less than 1m moist partial bees, beetles
Wildflower Late September-October New England Aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae purple up to 1m moist, well drained sun, partial bees, blutterflies, flies
Shrub Mid June-July Northern Bush-Honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera yellow up to 1m dry to moist sun, partial, shade bees, moths x
Tree Early/Mid May-June Pin Cherry Prunus pensylvanica white 7.5-12m dry openings, well drained soil sun bees x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid/Late May-September Poverty Rush Juncus tenuis greenish brown up to 1m moist to wet, well drained sun, partial
Wildflower Mid/Late August-September Purple-Stemmed Aster Symphyotrichum puniceum blue to purple 1-2m moist to wet, well drained sun butterflies, bees x
Shrub Early/Mid March-June Red Current Ribes triste greenish white, white, pink, red 1-3m moist to dry; well drained sun, partial, shade flies, beetles, bees
Tree Early March-April Red Maple Acer rubrum red, greenish, yellow 12-20m+ dry to wet sun, partial bees x
Shrub Mid June-August Red Raspberry Rubus idaeus white less than 3m moist to well drained sun, partial, shade bees, flies
Shrub Mid June-August Red-Osier Dogwood Cornus stolonifera white, cream 1-3m moist sun, partial bees, butterflies, flies x
Shrub Early/Mid May-June Round-leafed Dogwood Cornus rugosa white, cream 1-3m dry to well drained partial, shade birds, butterflies, bees x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid/Late May-November Sand Dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus yellow up to 1m dry sun, partial
Wildflower Mid July-August Showy Tick Trefoil Desmodium canadense purple, pink up to 2m dry, well drained sun, partial hummingbirds, birds x
Wildflower Mid/Late June-September Shrubby Cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa yellow, white, cream 0.5-1.5m dry, well drained sun butterflies, bees
Wildflower Mid/Late August-November Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichum laeve blue, purple 0.5-1.5m dry sun butterflies x
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Spotted Joe Pye Weed Eutrochium maculatum pink, purple 1-2m wet to moist sun, partial bees, butterflies x
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Steeplebush Spirea tomentosa purple, pink 0.5-1.5m moist sun, partial butterflies x
Tree Early March-April Sugar Maple Acer saccharum red, greenish, yellow 12-20m+ dry to wet sun, partial, shade bees x
Wildflower Mid June-August Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata purple, pink 0.5-1.5m moist to wet; wetland edge sun butterflies, bees x
Wildflower Early/Mid June-September Swamp Verbena/Blue Vervain Verbena hastata blue, purple up to 2m moist to wet, well drained sun, partial butterflies, bees x
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid/Late July-September Switchgrass Panicum virgatum purple, greenish brown, pink up to 2m dry to moist, well drained sun x
Wildflower Mid/Late June-September Tall Cinquefoil Potentilla arguta white, cream less than 1m dry to well drained sun bees
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid/Late August-October Torrey’s Rush Juncus torreyi greenish brown up to 1m moist sun
Wildflower Mid July-September Turtlehead/White Turtlehead Chelone glabra white, cream, pink less than 1m moist to wet; wetland edge sun, partial, shade
Grass, Rush or Sedge Early/Mid May-June Upright Sedge Carex stricta greenish brown up to 1.5m moist to wet sun, partial x
Vine Mid July-August Virgin's Bower Clematis virginiana white 3+m moist sun, partial flies, bees
Wildflower Early/Mid May-June White Trillium Trilliam grandiflorum white less than 1m moist partial beetles, flies, bees
Wildflower Mid/Late July-September Wild Bergamot (Wild Bee Balm) Monarda fistulosa purple, lavendar pink to violet blue 1m moist sun, partial hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, wasps x
Wildflower Early/Mid May-August Wild Blue Iris Iris versicolor blue, purple less than 1m moist to web sun, partial hummingbirds, bees
Wildflower Early/Mid April-July Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis yellow, red less than 1 m dry, well drained sun, partial hummingbirds, butterflies, bees x
Wildflower Early/Mid April-June Wild Strawberry Fragaria virginiana white less than 1m well drained to moist sun, partial bees, flies
Wildflower Mid June-August Wood Lily Lilium philadelphicum red, orange less than 1m dry sun, partial hummingbirds
Grass, Rush or Sedge Mid/Late July-September Woolgrass Scirpus cyperinus greenish brown 1-1.5m wet sun, partial x
Shrub Mid June-July Snow Berry Symphoricarpos albus pink 0.5-1.5m dry sun, partial bees x