Create a Buzz: Designing a Haven for Pollinators with the Newest AAS Winners
Gardening for Pollinators has changed. We, gardeners, are no longer just planting a few wildflowers in a corner; we are choosing high-performance varieties that provide consistent nectar, vibrant color, and resilience throughout the growing season.
The All-America Selections (AAS) Winners are perfect for this. These plants have been trialed in gardens across North America to ensure they aren’t just beautiful but also withstand heat, humidity, and pests while keeping your local bees and butterflies happy.
Here are some AAS winners to include in your pollinator-friendly landscape this year:
The Pollinator Magnet:
Zinnias are the backbone of any pollinator garden, and these two new AAS Winners take them to a new level.
Zydeco Series (2025 Winner) – These plants feature massive, full, bright orange blooms that provide a sturdy landing pad for butterflies. Unlike older varieties that can succumb to powdery mildew by mid-August, Zydeco maintains clean, dark green foliage all season. This means more blooms for a longer period, providing a critical nectar source during the late summer “gap” when other flowers might be fading.
Crestar Mix (2025 Winner) – This mix brings together a vibrant palette of colors—including pink, orange, red, white, peach, and yellow—in a single planting. These plants boast large, striking blooms on healthy, robust plants that thrive even in summer’s heat and humidity.
Profusion Double White Improved (2026 Gold Medal Winner) – This new pure white zinnia holds up through the hottest of summers. Bred for superior performance, this variety is exceptionally sturdy, disease-resistant, and thrives in diverse climates, even enduring high night temperatures.
- Best for: Swallowtails, Monarchs, and Bumblebees.
- Garden Tip: Plant Zinnias in full sun and deadhead regularly to encourage a constant supply of fresh nectar.
The Bees’ Favorite:
Coreopsis SunGlobe (2026 Winner) – If you are looking for a compact, mounded coreopsis that is covered in flowers, then SunGlobe is for you. Coreopsis, also known as tickseed, is drought-tolerant and has open, daisy-like flowers that provide essential nectar and pollen. Hardy from zones 4-9, SunGlobe delivers multiple flushes of vibrant gold from spring through fall.
Heliopsis Sole (2026 Winner) – Bred for extended appeal and continuous garden performance, Sole Giotto effortlessly attracts beneficial pollinators while resisting deer and rabbits. Hardy in Zones 3-8, this perennial is perfect for containers, borders, or any sunny spot!
- Best for: Bees, along with butterflies, moths, wasps, and beetles.
- Garden Tip: Plan en masse for a stunning, bright spot in your garden.
Cool Season Pollinators Help:
Nasturtium Baby Series (2025 Winners) – These petite, mounding plants with healthy, dark foliage have an abundance of blooms ideal for containers and small space gardens. The perfect treat for pollinators as the season shifts from summer to fall.
- Best for: Late-summer bees, moths, and wasps.
- Garden Tip: Nasturtiums do best in full sun.
Spectacular Sedum (2026 Winner) – This exceptional Sedum produces generous, light pink flower clusters set against attractive, light green foliage, guaranteeing an excellent garden performer that provides reliable color and structure for your landscape. Hardy zones 3b-9a, this sedum, like most, blooms late-summer and fall, providing food for a wide variety of pollinators.
- Best for: Late-summer bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, and sometimes even hummingbirds.
- Garden Tip: Sedum are quite drought-tolerant and do best in full sun.
Gardening for Pollinators:
As we look toward the upcoming garden season, look for AAS Winners varieties at your local garden center. By selecting AAS Winners, you are choosing plants that have already passed the “stress test” by being “Tested Nationally and Proven Locally®”.
When you see the AAS tag, you can be confident that you’re bringing home a plant that is built to succeed in your garden.
“This post is provided as an educational/inspirational service of All-America Selections. Please credit and link to All-America Selections when using all or parts of this article.”
