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A native-forward planting for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds

The Pollinator Set

$32.00
Low Stock

Full Sun / Part Shade · Zones 4–9 · 6 plants

Build a garden that hums, flutters, and feeds life from early spring through late fall. Our Pollinator Set brings together six powerhouse perennials chosen for their layered bloom, ecological value, and ability to support pollinators across the seasons. From the early golden flowers of Packera aurea to the final autumn feast provided by Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, this collection creates a richly planted nectar corridor for bees, butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, and other beneficial insects.

Designed for both beauty and function, this set offers a thoughtful succession of bloom, a dynamic range of heights, and a garden composition that feels as alive as it looks.

Why This Set Works: A carefully layered succession of bloom

This collection was selected to keep your garden working hard for pollinators over a long stretch of the year:

  • Early spring: Packera aurea
  • June–July: Monarda didyma ‘Jacob Cline’
  • June–August: Pycnanthemum muticum
  • June–October: Hibiscus moscheutos
  • July–October: Eutrochium fistulosum
  • September–November: Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

Together, that gives the planting meaningful seasonal value from early spring through late fall.

Pickup available at Aiken Nursery

Usually ready in 2-4 days

Why these plants belong together

Each plant contributes something distinct to the planting:

  • Packera aurea opens the season with bright yellow bloom when pollinators are first beginning to stir, helping bridge the gap between winter and the fuller flush of spring.
  • Monarda ‘Jacob Cline’ brings vivid summer color and is especially beloved by hummingbirds.
  • Pycnanthemum muticum is one of the strongest pollinator magnets in the garden, with fragrant foliage and masses of nectar-rich bloom.
  • Hibiscus moscheutos adds bold, oversized flowers and a lush summer presence.
  • Eutrochium fistulosum creates height, drama, and strong late-summer nectar value.
  • Symphyotrichum oblongifolium closes the season beautifully, offering one last essential food source as other flowers begin to fade.

The result is a planting that feels natural, abundant, and ecologically generous, a small but meaningful garden system rather than a simple collection of flowers.

Set Details

INCLUDES
6 plants — one each of Packera, Monarda, Pycnanthemum, Hibiscus, Eutrochium, and Symphyotrichum
BEST FOR
Sunny pollinator gardens, meadow edges, and wildlife-forward borders in full sun to light shade
BLOOM SEASON
Early spring – November, with strong midsummer and late-season peaks
LIGHT
Full sun to light shade; best pollinator activity in full sun
HARDINESS ZONES
Zones 4–9
APPROXIMATE COVERAGE
~40 sq ft at maturity · one set per planting area
PLANTING DIMENSIONS
5' × 8' or 4' × 10' — either layout gives each plant room to develop fully without crowding
HEIGHT RANGE
1–2 ft at the front edge · 4–7 ft toward the back · the planting naturally tiers from low to tall
DESIGN NOTE
Place Eutrochium and Hibiscus at the back or center — they need room and reward it. Packera and Symphyotrichum work best at the front and edges. Monarda, Pycnanthemum, and the remaining plants fill the middle naturally.
FURTHER READING
Read our design philosophy →

Plant Profiles

Packera aurea

The Season Opener

Packera aurea

A cheerful native of moist woods and meadows across eastern North America, Packera aurea wakes early with clusters of golden-yellow blooms that offer one of the season's first feasts for emerging pollinators. Its low, spreading habit knits the planting together at the base, softening edges and creating a lush green foundation beneath the taller summer bloomers that follow. Bright, dependable, and quietly hardworking, it is the plant that reminds you spring has genuinely arrived.

Height 1-2 ft
Light Full sun to part shade
Bloom Early spring
Wildlife Value Early bees, butterflies, beneficial insects
Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'

Scarlet Spires for Hummingbirds

Monarda didyma 'Jacob Cline'

This mildew-resistant bee balm cultivar sends up vivid red blooms that flare through the summer garden like small bursts of fireworks. Monarda 'Jacob Cline' is especially prized by hummingbirds, though bees and butterflies are equally eager to join the show. Reliably vigorous and considerably more disease-resistant than older selections, it brings movement, color, and genuine vitality at the height of the season without the maintenance anxiety that older bee balm cultivars can carry.

Height 3–5 ft
Light Full sun to part shade
Bloom June–July
Wildlife Value Hummingbirds, bees, butterflies
Pycnanthemum muticum

The Pollinator Magnet

Pycnanthemum muticum

Few plants rival the magnetic power of Pycnanthemum muticum. Native to the eastern United States, its silvery bracts, fragrant foliage, and clouds of small white flowers make it a frenzy of motion in summer — alive with bees, wasps, butterflies, and every manner of beneficial insect from midsummer onward. Soft in appearance but relentless in ecological value, it is one of the most effective pollinator plants available to southeastern gardeners and one of the hardest-working members of this set.

Height 3-4 ft
Light Full sun to part shade
Bloom June–August
Wildlife Value Bees, wasps, butterflies, beneficial insects
Shop separately
Hibiscus moscheutos

Southern Drama in Bloom

Hibiscus moscheutos

A striking native of the southeastern United States, Hibiscus moscheutos brings oversized flowers and undeniable drama to the pollinator garden. Its broad blooms — among the largest of any temperate perennial — open through the warmth of summer and into autumn, offering both visual flair and a valuable nectar source for bees and butterflies. Lush, bold, and impossible to overlook, it is the set's great exclamation point and the plant visitors always ask about first.

Height 3–6 ft
Light Full sun
Bloom June–October
Wildlife Value Bees, butterflies
Shop separately
Eutrochium fistulosum

A Towering Late-Summer Feast

Eutrochium fistulosum

Native to eastern North America, Eutrochium fistulosum rises high above the garden in late summer in great domed clusters of mauve-pink bloom, calling pollinators from considerable distances. Its commanding height makes it the natural structural anchor of the back of any pollinator planting, while its nectar-rich flowers keep bees and butterflies actively feeding through the heat of the season. Bold, architectural, and full of life precisely when the garden needs it most.

Height 4-7 ft
Light Full sun to part shade
Bloom July–October
Wildlife Value Bees, butterflies, beneficial insects
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

The Last Great Encore

Symphyotrichum oblongifolium

As the rest of the garden begins to quiet in autumn, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium steps forward in a haze of lavender-blue bloom. Native to central and eastern North America, this aromatic aster offers an essential late-season food source for pollinators just when nectar becomes genuinely scarce. Compact, floriferous, and full of autumn grace, it is the final act that carries the pollinator garden beautifully into fall — and one of the most important plants in the set for the bees that depend on it.

Height 2–3 ft
Light Full sun
Bloom September–November
Wildlife Value Bees, butterflies
Frequently Asked Questions

How many plants are included?
This set includes six plants total, one of each variety listed.

How much area will one set cover?
At maturity, one set covers approximately 40 square feet.

Will these plants come back every year?
Yes — this is an entirely perennial collection in suitable growing zones. Most species will increase modestly in spread over time, filling the planting more fully with each passing season.

Is this set good for hummingbirds?
Yes. Monarda 'Jacob Cline' is especially attractive to hummingbirds, while the full planting supports a broad range of pollinators across all seasons.

Can I plant this in a smaller space?
Yes, but you may need to adjust spacing or treat the collection as a loose template rather than a fixed planting block. Eutrochium and Hibiscus in particular need room — in a tighter space, consider placing them in the ground with more separation and filling between them with the lower-growing species.

What should I expect in the first season?
Plugs arrive small, and that is intentional. In the first season most plants will focus their energy on root development rather than dramatic top growth — some will stay modest, others will surprise you. By midsummer you will see clear signs of establishment: new leaves, active growth, and in some cases early bloom from Packera, Pycnanthemum, and Monarda. The second season is typically when a plug planting begins to show its full character. Eutrochium and Hibiscus may take until year two to reach their full stature, but both are worth the patience.

Curated by Woodlanders

This set was assembled to offer not just flowers, but a fuller garden experience — a planting with rhythm, movement, habitat value, and beauty across the seasons.

Every plant in it was grown here at our nursery in Aiken, South Carolina, propagated, tended, and shipped by people who know these species not from a catalog description but from years of watching them perform in southeastern gardens. That knowledge shapes every selection we make, and it is what separates a Garden Set from a bundle.

We hope it finds its way into a garden that gives it the sun it's after.

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Garden Set Resources

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