Native Trees & Shrubs for Beneficial Insects
Biodiverse habitat is vital for our beneficial insects.
Trees and shrubs play important roles in beneficial insect habitat alongside small flowering groundcovers and perennials! From pollen to nesting site, the under and over-story layers of a plant community support insect biodiversity.
This article organizes some of our native trees and shrubs by bloom color. It is part of our Species Selection Guide where we share select collections of plants based on their ecosystem services, site condition needs, or material type.
How to Champion Beneficial Insects
Beneficial insects are pillars of our ecosystems. They support communities by pollinating plants and controlling pests. Examples of beneficial insects include bees, wasps, lady beetles, and green lacewings. While some of these creatures are more charismatic than others, beneficial insect biodiversity is very important. The best way that we can champion beneficial insect biodiversity is to build biodiverse habitat with native plants.
Our native plants support our beneficial insects in many capacities. Trees and shrubs from our ecoregion act as nurseries for young ones, supply materials for nests, feed with nectar and pollen, shelter from predators, and protect from the elements, among many other services.
Why Organize by Bloom Color?
Native plants have adapted their flower colors to allure native beneficial insects. In theory, planting a variety of colors in a landscape increases beneficial insect biodiversity.
Color is just one factor that attract beneficial insects to a flower. Other features, such as pollen or nectar rewards and flower form, heavily dictate preferences for flowers.
These species lists are not comprehensive of the incredible native diversity of our Pacific Northwest region. For fuller lists of SNP favorites, see our Species Descriptions. For more complete databases, we recommend visiting our friends at the University of Washington Burke Herbarium or Washington Native Plant Society.
Trees & Shrubs for Beneficial Insects
All plant and insect information comes from our Species Descriptions and the Xerces Society document Recommended Plants for Pollinators & Beneficial Insects: Maritime Northwest.
Yellow
Bigleaf maple (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: Yellow/green
Bloom months: April - May
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Nesting materials
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to dry
Form: Deciduous large tree to 110 feet; deep, wide spreading roots
Comments: Super versatile on both the moisture and sun exposure gradients
Acer macrophyllum
Tall Oregon grape (opens in new tab)
Mahonia aquifolium
Bloom color: Yellow
Bloom months: March - May
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Evergreen shrub to 8 feet; moderately deep taproot, spreads by underground stems
Comments: Versatile along the moisture spectrum
Scouler's willow (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: Yellow
Bloom months: March - April
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Supports specialist bees
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moderately dry to moist
Form: Deciduous tree or shrub to 50 feet; fibrous, moderately deep and widespread roots
Comments: Drier sites and marine shores, roots slowly, often lower success rate than other willows, a shrub-tree that can grow <50' tall
Salix scouleriana
Pink
Salal (opens in new tab)
Gaultheria shallon
Bloom color: Pink/white
Bloom months: April - July
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Bumble bee plant
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Evergreen shrub 2-5 feet, sometimes more; very shallow and fibrous root system, spreads vigorously by underground stems once well established
Red-flowering currant (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: Pink
Bloom months: March - April
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Bumble bee plant
Exposure: Sun to part shade
Soil moisture: Dry
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; branching root system
Comments: Plant only in well drained soils; don't over water
Ribes sanguineum
Nootka rose (opens in new tab)
Rosa nutkana
Bloom color: Pink
Bloom months: May - June
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects, Bumble bee plant, Nesting site, Nesting materials
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist, dry okay if shaded
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; branched, fibrous, shallow roots, spreads vigorously by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum
Salmonberry (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: Pink
Bloom months: March - June
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Bumble bee plant, Nesting site, Nesting materials
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Form: Deciduous shrub to 12 feet; fibrous shallow roots, spreads by suckers
Comments: Needs moisture in summer, soil cannot dry out completely
You can deep dive into salmonberry in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Rubus spectabilis
Evergreen huckleberry (opens in new tab)
Vaccinium ovatum
Bloom color: Pink/white
Bloom months: March - May
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Bumble bee plant
Exposure: Partial shade to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Evergreen shrub to 12 feet; fibrous, shallow root system
Comments: Requires moist, but well-draining soils
You can deep dive into our PNW Hucks on our blog post, Huckleberries as Specimen Shrub Candy for your Eyes and Tongue!
White
Vine maple (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: April - May
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host
Exposure: Partial shade to deep shade, full sun if ample soil moisture
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Deciduous small tree or large shrub to 20 ft; moderately deep root system
Comments: Slower growing, a survivor
You can deep dive into vine maple on our blog post, Vine Maples as Foliage Trees for Rubies and Bees!
Acer circinatum
Serviceberry (opens in new tab)
Amelanchier alnifolia
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: June - July
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects, Nesting site
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Deciduous large shrub or small tree to 20 feet; tap root, may spread by suckers
Comments: In moist conditions, well draining soils are required
Oceanspray (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: July - September
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects, Bumble bee plant
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Deciduous large shrub to 12 feet; branching, fibrous, moderately deep root system, sometimes spreads by root suckers
Comments: Does well on marine bluffs!
You can deep dive into oceanspray in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Holodiscus discolor
Mock orange (opens in new tab)
Philadelphus lewisii
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: May - June
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects
Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Soil moisture: Moderately moist to dry
Form: Deciduous shrub to 10 feet; moderately deep, branching roots
Comments: Requires moist, but well-draining soils.
You can deep dive into mock orange in our Plant of the Month Archive!
Pacific ninebark (opens in new tab)
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: May - June
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Wet to moist
Form: Deciduous shrub to 12 feet; fibrous, shallow root system, spreads by suckers
Comments: Very versatile along the moisture spectrum. Great for urban screening or green stormwater infrastructure and rural restoration sites alike!
Physocarpus capitatus
Red elderberry (opens in new tab)
Sambucus racemosa
Bloom color: White
Bloom months: July - August
Support for beneficial insects: Attracts pollinators, Butterfly/Moth larval host, Attracts beneficial insects, Nesting site
Exposure: Full sun to shade
Soil moisture: Moist to dry
Form: Deciduous shrub to 20 feet; fibrous, branching, shallow root system