Name two native Wisconsin flowering plants that support pollinators and are suitable for a home landscape.

Name two native Wisconsin flowering plants that support pollinators and are suitable for a home landscape.

• A. Asclepias tuberosa and Echinacea purpurea
• B. Solidago canadensis and Helianthus annuus
• C. Acer saccharum and Pinus strobus
• D. Campsis radicans and Rosa canina

Answer: (C)

The idea here is to choose native Wisconsin flowering plants that actively support pollinators and work well in a home landscape. Native plants are already adapted to local climate and soil, attract local bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and typically require less maintenance.

Two excellent choices are butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, and purple coneflower, Echinacea purpurea. Both are native to Wisconsin and popular in home gardens. Butterfly weed is a milkweed with bright orange blooms that draw in pollinators and serves as a host plant for monarchs. It thrives in full sun and well-drained soil and provides nectar for bees and butterflies. Purple coneflower is a hardy perennial with long-lasting pink-to-purple blooms that attract a wide range of pollinators, and it tolerates drought once established, blooming from midsummer into fall. Planting these together gives a staggered bloom period and strong pollinator support.

The other options mix non-native or non-Wisconsin plants or include trees rather than flowering perennials, which aren’t as suitable for a pollinator-friendly home landscape in Wisconsin.