Planting a pollinator garden is a great way to support local pollinating animals and your community.
Capitol Campus Pollinator Garden
Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, moths and other pollinators visit flowers for food in the form of energy-rich nectar and protein-rich pollen. When they do, they transfer pollen between flowers of the same species. These pollinated flowers then produce fertile seeds.
Many of these seeds provide food for people and for wildlife, but they also color our landscapes with beautiful wildflowers and some of our favorite garden stunners!
Planting for Pollinators
Insect pollinators visit flowers to eat nectar and pollen, but they need more than just flowers to survive and reproduce. Young insects, like caterpillars, need leaves and other fresh foliage. Some solitary bees create nests in cavities like hollowed plant stems, abandoned beetle burrows, or other dry, sheltered spaces.
The more you diversify your plants, the more pollinators you’ll have around to enjoy all year!
Be a Bug Hero
Join us to help pollinators in Washington state!
Insects need advocates who are willing to make changes in their own landscapes, teach others to care for them and spread the word to encourage pollinator- friendly practices across the state. The future is bright for pollinators when we work together.
Additional Resources
- Capitol Campus Pollinator Garden | Washington Department of Enterprise Services
- Backyard habitat | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Pollinators | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Protecting Pollinators | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
- WSDA Pollinator Health: Vital for Agriculture | Washington Department of Agriculture
- Bring Back the Pollinators | Xerces Society
- Pollinator Conservation Resource Center | Xerces Society
This interpretive garden is designed by Woodland Park Zoo in partnership with:
