Native Plants & Pollinators

A blue flower with a bee on the left and a black-and-white butterfly on purple flowers on the right. Nature's beauty!

It's as easy as planting native plants

Providing food and shelter helps pollinator populations and that's something to feel good about.

Pollinator gardens are a key component to bringing butterflies, native bees, hummingbirds and all sorts of wonderful wildlife into your everyday life. When you plant nectar and host plants in your own yard, you are helping sustain populations of pollinators by feeding adults as well as providing food for larvae.

Reasons to plant your own pollinator garden.

Research shows that gardening is good for you, and gardening with native and regionally appropriate plants is good for pollinators! Additionally, climate appropriate plants are good for your water bill as these plants require less water to thrive in our area. Providing for a variety of pollinator populations also helps keep our region’s agricultural pollination and production robust. 

Take advantage of some of the great resources below and get started on your own beautiful pollinator garden!

DWA and CVWD: Lush & Efficient, Desert-Friendly Landscaping in the Coachella Valley 

Pollinator Garden Tips

Pollinator Partnership

Xerces Society: Pollinator Conservation Resources

California Native Plant Society: Gardening for Butterflies

Milkweed for Monarchs Coachella Valley: Nectar plants bunnies typically avoidPalm Springs Airport Demonstration Garden: Plant list 

Sunnylands Garden Guide 

Webinar: Social Butterflies – pollinator garden tips

A vibrant mural featuring butterflies and an archway with a scenic backdrop, set in a landscaped area with a pathway.

Our Pollinator Garden

On March 10, 2018, the Palm Springs High School Sustainable Garden Club came to our DWA campus to help install a pollinator garden and paint a beautiful mural on the garden wall. The landscape plan was generously donated by TKD Associates, Incorporated. The plants, supplies and seed were made possible by a wonderful group of businesses and organizations. (Whitewater Rock and Supply Co., Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply, Lowe's, GLS Landscaping, Inc. and S&S Seeds) Stop by to see the garden and mural! 

These plants can be found in our pollinator garden

Agave Agave sp. Butterfly Bush Buddleja davidii
Encelia farinosa Beloperone Justicia californica Chihuahuan Sage
Damianita Chrysactinia mexicana Desert Marigold Baileya multiradiata
Duranta erecta New Gold Lantana Lantana x New Gold Ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens Golden Dewdrops Leucophyllum laevigatum Brittlebush
Rush Milkweed Asclepias subulata Sandpaper Verbena Verbena rigida
Sierra Gold Dalea Dalea capitata ‘Sierra Gold' Superb Beardtoungue Penstemon superbus
Trailing Lantana Lantana montevidensis    
The image shows a cluster of yellowish-green flowers with white accents, likely from a desert plant.
A colorful mural of a yellow flower on a gray wall, alongside vibrant pink flowers growing in the ground below.
A vibrant cluster of purple flowers with green leaves, growing in a sandy environment.
A vibrant orange and black butterfly rests on a sandy surface, casting a shadow beside small stones.
A hummingbird hovers near pink flowers, showcasing its vibrant colors and delicate features in a beautiful natural setting.
A colorful mural featuring butterflies and a sunlit window with a scenic view, surrounded by a desert pathway and plants.
The image shows a cluster of yellowish-green flowers with white accents, likely from a desert plant.
A colorful mural of a yellow flower on a gray wall, alongside vibrant pink flowers growing in the ground below.
A vibrant cluster of purple flowers with green leaves, growing in a sandy environment.
A vibrant orange and black butterfly rests on a sandy surface, casting a shadow beside small stones.
A hummingbird hovers near pink flowers, showcasing its vibrant colors and delicate features in a beautiful natural setting.
A colorful mural featuring butterflies and a sunlit window with a scenic view, surrounded by a desert pathway and plants.