The Underrated Flower Genus That Provides Gorgeous Color To Your Pollinator Garden

Happily for gardeners who grow flowers specifically for wildlife, there is plenty of overlap between what pollinators find attractive and what gardeners think is beautiful. Take avens (Geum spp.), for instance, a group of stunning, lesser-known flowers that are definitely worth growing in your garden for colorful, pollinator-friendly blooms from spring to autumn.

Avens are short-lived perennial members of the rose family that bear eye-catching, saucer-shaped flowers that, depending on the species, appear in shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, or white. With basal leaves that look similar to those of strawberry plants, the colorful members of this often-overlooked genus are highly attractive to both bees and butterflies, making them a must for a pollinator garden. In addition to their pollinator appeal, avens are vibrant, long-blooming flowers that will help beautify your garden beds with both the color and the delicate appearance of the blooms. Plus, on some types of avens plants, the blooms give way to showy seedheads that have a feathery appearance, adding to their appeal.

With 46 species in this genus to choose from, gardeners should check growing requirements for the type of avens they plan to grow. But in general, these underrated, deer-resistant plants can be used to produce gorgeous color in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 7, in full sun to part shade. Unless other growing instructions are provided for the species and variety of avens you're growing, plant this perennial pollinator-favorite in soil that is loamy or sandy for best results.

These wildlife-friendly plants have a wide variety of uses in the home landscape, including cottage gardens and rock gardens. In pollinator gardens, the colorful flowers in the Geum genus provide forage for bees, as well as serving as host plants for certain butterflies. With some types of avens originating in North America, they can also be used in native plant gardens. And for purely aesthetic purposes, you can include avens among a selection of beautiful plants for your front yard that will add major curb appeal, whether you scatter them in your flower border or employ them in mass plantings.