Every year I notice one plant in particular that people seemed to like above all the rest, at least enough to comment on it, and this year it’s the common houseplant Persian Shield next to my front door, potted up with a sweet potato vine. (In the lower left is a ‘Goshiki’ Osmanthus.)
I love it, too!
The Search for Pollinator-Pleasing Plants for Pots Begins
Across the sidewalk from those pots is a group of three more, containing a mix of Coleus and Iresine, which also look fine – but I’ve never seen a single bee or butterfly on them. Which makes sense because I don’t let them get tall and flower, then flop.
So while they look pretty and even clean a bit of air, I suppose, they seem ecologically sterile to me, especially compared to the Joe Pye Weed and Bronze Fennel behind them that are so loved by bees and butterflies. Okay, it’s taken a few years of pollinators in the news but I’ve finally noticed the plants that under-perform, pollinator-wise.
So for next year I’m determined to replace the Coleus and Iresine with colorful annuals that will attract bees and butterflies, dammit. So where to look for inspiration? Public gardens, of course!
U.S. Botanic Gardens Conservatory
So yesterday I rode my trusty bike around the National Mall and boy howdy – I found some stunning containers!
I’d love to see these arrangements in my front garden but they have to be do-able by me. Plus, I didn’t see them covered with bees on the early September morning of my visit. I’ll note the flowers that did meet that requirement.
The Coleus used here isn’t blooming, but there’s still plenty of blooms here. Mostly too tall for my smaller pots.
I just love the subtlety of these colors and textures. 
The reddish plant above is ‘Rubra’ Malabar spinach. Pretty cool!
Hey, that might be my old friend Persian Shield at the rear of this gorgeous arrangement. The pink, clover-like flowers look promising – is that Globe Amaranth?
U.S. Botanic Garden’s Bartholdi Fountain and Garden
Though not strictly in containers, the annuals tucked in the tight space around the fountain might work for me – at least the shorter ones.
There’s a nice glimpse of the Capitol in the distance, with the much-less-loved Rayburn House Office Building on the right. The sculpture is by Frederic Bartholdi, whose most famous work is the Eiffel Tower.
The signs like this one surrounding the fountain surprised me. People were walking in these narrow beds? Where were they raised, these bed-walkers?
More plant ideas, and appreciation for stand-out colors for the pots themselves. Say yes to the turquoise! 
A piece of living art, amirite?
Smithsonian’s Ripley Garden
I chatted up a lovely volunteer working in the garden, who said annual Salvias like the one above are great for the critters I’m looking to feed.
All design and plant choices by the Ripley gardener herself – Janet Draper.
Janet knows how to create drama. This container includes ‘Carolina Snow’ Euphorbia and the little pink flowers may be Pentas. 
More drama, and Coleus with flowers – that don’t seem to attract much insect action. The structure behind the birdhouse is the Hirshhorn Museum.
During my visit this African Blue Basil had the most bee action of any other plant I saw.
The bees also seemed to like this ‘White Cloud’ Calamint, but it’s a perennial, and it hadn’t done well in the ground for me. I won’t be trying it in a pot.
Smithsonian’s Enid Haupt Garden
A flowering shrub I wish I could grow – Mussaenda ‘Queen Sirikit.”
Freer Gallery Front Garden
I love this combination of groundcover Juniper with what seem to be Globe Amaranth.
Got Ideas?
I’m taking notes for next spring.
Don’t give up on Calamintha nepeta! It’s a pollinator magnet and provides clouds of fresh white tiny blossoms from August through October in my zone 6b garden. It thrives in poor soil in hot, dry sunny conditions in the ground and in containers as well. I grow both perennials and annuals together in containers with great success. Bonus: Calamint, when left standing in winter looks lovely when dusted with snow.
Is the first photo flipped? You say “In the lower right is a ‘Goshiki’ Osmanthus;” do you mean lower left?
Good catch and I fixed it.
Lady in red salvia, lantana, verbena & pentas, all easy to grow in containers.
I’ve never had any luck with container gardening. Over water, under water, forget to fertilize, etc. Yours always inspire me than I feel like a failure when I look at mine. Until I tried each plant in their own pot in the window box. Now I could give each variety what they need.
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’! Hummingbirds come to it before anything else in my yard, including the monarda. And the large bumblebees and carpenter bees also are on it day in and day out. It does well in my large pots and in the ground and, where you are, is pretty likely to come back next year, at least if you have it in the ground somewhere. And now there is a magnificent purple cultivar of the S. guaranitica that is also a favorite. Both are blooming from the time I bring them home from the nursery until hard frost.
I struggle with containers because I forget to water. One thought I had while reading your piece herbs. Most of mine are perennial but you could grow annuals, or treat perennial herbs as annuals. They might not have dramatic flowers or foliage but the flowers attract flying friends -maybe added to a more dramatic partner. Allium bulbs? Also, I mostly plant perennials, but when volunteering I’ve seen happy pollinators on calendula and lantana.
Butterfly sage (Salvia guaranitica) attracts pollinators and hummingbirds to a container on my deck. Can be used as an annual or a tender perennial.
Love the intention behind this article, including the commenters’. April is right on Calamint, it’s really good for our small bees. Yes on African blue basil. Pentas did well for me this year, too. I’ll try salvia amistad and black and bloom next year.
I think a big focus for gardeners ought to be, particularly with annuals, is making sure the nursery we buy from is neonic free.
Another good next step is to watch Mt Cuba’s perennial plant trials for those of us who plant perennials in pots. Chicago Botanic Garden tests for bloom, hardiness and vigor but not necessarily for ecological value, I don’t think.
https://mtcubacenter.org/research/trial-garden/
Margaret Roach interviews many scientists focused on conservation principles. Most recently, Dr Sonja Skelly at Cornell and their climate change test plot.
https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/explore/gardens/climate-change-demonstration-garden/
Last, Tom Christopher with Growing Greener podcast interviewed Dr Harland Patch, entemologist at Penn State about his work in plant-pollinator interactions. He and 30ish colleagues are creating a massive test garden to evaluate for the best of our native and ornamental plants for pollinators.
https://ento.psu.edu/directory/hmp11
The taller mystery purple flowers appear to be verbena bonariensis.There are shorter cultivars which are probably the ones in the other pic. I’m in Z5, so they’re not hardy for me. Sometimes get good volunteers. Butterflies and hummingbirds love them. I have whiskey barrels planted with annuals: African Blue basil, bronze fennel, verbena bonariensis, and blue salvias (bedding and the larger ones). It’s always buzzing. Zinnias are great too. Smaller ones do well in containers.
How about anise hyssop? Mine always have loads of bees on them.
Y’all have me super excited to try all those. Gotta get more pots to hold ‘em all.
The gomphrena is a variety called Fireworks which is slow to get going but then really takes off in the heat. It can be 2 feet high and 3 feet across. Loves heat and doesn’t need much water, once established. However, I’ve never noticed many pollinators on it, or regular gomphrena either. They love single dahlias, catmints, and gaillardias.
Hard to believe the huge sirikit grew out of that pot! wow! I have one of the calamint plants in a pot. It is big. This year it did not do as well as in the past. I did not see the bees on it as I had in the past. Strange. Hope it does better next year!
I started to let my coleus flower freely in early August and they have been covered in big bumblebees ever since.
My favorite pollinator attraction in Anise hyssop, and it doesn’t mind being cut back. Consider the short varieties of zinnias and the dwarf butterfly bush. Maybe teddy bear sunflowers?
The hummingbirds have liked the simple wax begonias this year.
I have had the best success with both honey bees and native bees feasting on our native Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) since I started growing it here in NC. Later, as an added bonus, the goldfinches gorge on the seeds. All of this is a real joy to watch.
Centranthus Ruber
(Valerian, Keys of Heaven, Jupiter’s Beard) and Lavender attract the most bees in my garden, but the Valerian reseeds everywhere. I just yank it up in handfuls.
Those pink pompom flowers are Gomphrena. (Is one of its common names Globe Amaranth?) I thought they might be the variety ‘Truffela Pink’ which does wonderfully in the Texas heat where I live. (Well, all Gomphrenas do.) A previous responder said they were the variety ‘Fireworks.’ I’ll have to look those up. As for Truffela Pinks, mine were covered in pollinators all summer, as were the lantana I had them planted amongst. Lantana is also colorful and butterflies love it. I don’t notice many bees on it, but butterflies do love it. And yes, African Blue Basil, and almost anything in the mint (which includes the Salvia genus) family will attract bees in droves. I’ll add my vote for anise hyssop, although be aware it reseeds readily. Oh, and don’t forget zinnias! I’m pretty sure I remember reading a rant by you about how much you love them. Butterflies love them too. But maybe that was a different ranter?
One thing I’ve observed is that bees and butterflies don’t necessarily visit the same flowers. Yes, they do in many cases, but as I mentioned above, lantana is much more loved by butterflies than bees. I suspect it has to do with the structure of the flowers. But there are so many more insect pollinators than just butterflies and bees, of course. They’re all a delight to watch.
Beautiful photos and ideas. Thank you.
Try lacy phacelia – funky looking blooms, gorgeous foliage, and a total bee magnet!
I’m glad so many are recommending lantana! That was going to be my vote as well. It comes in a bunch of different colors and is always covered in butterflies.
Have you also considered dahlias? The ones with simple flower forms are surprisingly popular and they bloom all summer right up until frost. It’s a great value even if you don’t save the tubers for next year.
I also always see all these beautiful ornamental oreganos that are supposedly good for bees…
For a filler, use a hosta like Golden Tiara or Rainbows end. They’re not large and have lovely flowers. I have a variety of hostas in my yard and the bees love the flowers. They should winter over in the container in Zone 6.
What a treat on this cloudy, cold day in PA! But we can dream about next years pots and be inspired. I only garden in pots right now; garden area is run by deer so I keep a bunch of stuff on covered porch. Would love more advice about annuals for next year. I will follow up the Mt Cuba sight, too. Thanks!