About this guild
Pollinator guild plants feed bees, hoverflies, and butterflies — plant as borders, orchard understorey, or strip between vegetable blocks. Continuous bloom through the season matters more than a single splash of colour.
NZ note
Essential beside cucurbits, apples, and berry fruit in food forests.
Plants in Pollinator Guild
16 species — tap for individual companion guides and spacing.
flower
Ageratum
6-12" spacing
flower
Alyssum
6-10" spacing
flower
Black-Eyed Susan
12-18" spacing
flower
Buckwheat
6-8" spacing
flower
Catmint
12-18" spacing
flower
Cleome (Spider Flower)
12-18" spacing
flower
Coneflower (Echinacea)
18-24" spacing
flower
Coreopsis
12-18" spacing
flower
Dahlia
18-24" spacing
flower
Hollyhock
18-24" spacing
flower
Lupine
18-24" spacing
flower
Petunia
10-12" spacing
flower
Phacelia
8-12" spacing
flower
Salvia
12-18" spacing
flower
Sunflower
24-36" spacing
flower
Verbena
8-12" spacing
Planting tips
- Mix early (phacelia, alyssum) and late (salvia, verbena) bloomers.
- Leave some flowers to seed for beneficial insect habitat.
- Place strips within 10 m of crops that need insect pollination.
Use the compatibility matrix
Filter to Pollinator Guild to see green (beneficial), red (incompatible), and grey (neutral) for every pair. Desktop: hover cells. Mobile: tap for details and sources.
- Filter — guild pre-selected in the matrix URL
- Compare — row × column shows each relationship
- Plan — share the URL or download the PDF guide