Have you ever noticed a bee buzzing from flower to flower or a butterfly floating through a garden? These helpful animals are called pollinators. Pollinators help many plants make fruits, vegetables, and seeds. Without them, many gardens would not grow as well.

One way to attract pollinators is by planting colorful flowers. Bees and butterflies can spot bright colors from far away. Purple, yellow, pink, orange, and red flowers can all help catch their attention. The more flowers blooming in a garden, the more pollinators may come to visit.

A second way to attract pollinators is by providing water. Just like people, pollinators get thirsty. A shallow dish with a little water and a few small stones gives bees and butterflies a safe place to stop for a drink.

A third way to attract pollinators is by creating a peaceful place for them to visit. Pollinators like gardens with plenty of flowers and places to rest. When they feel safe, they are more likely to return again and again.

Pollinators help gardens grow, but they also help many plants in nature. Every bee, butterfly, moth, beetle, and hummingbird plays an important role. By welcoming pollinators into your garden, you are helping both your plants and the environment.

Try It!

Become a pollinator watcher! Find a flower garden, park, or outdoor space and spend 10 minutes quietly observing.

Count how many pollinators you see. Can you spot a bee? A butterfly? A hummingbird? Draw a picture of your favorite visitor and record how many flowers it visits.

The next time you see a pollinator, remember that it is helping plants grow all around you.