Pollinator habitat is defined by WAC as “an area of land that is or may be developed as habitat beneficial for the feeding, nesting, and reproduction of all pollinators, including honey bees.” From a practical perspective, this mainly involves planting nectar and/or pollen rich flowering plants. Depending on the pollinators one wishes to attract, it may also include host plants (for butterflies and moths), nesting habitat (for bees), and reduced, limited, or prohibited pesticide usage. It may also include water sources (for honey bees and birds) or mudding areas (for butterflies).
Pollinator Habitat
Pollinator habitat can be implemented in many different types of landscape, including bee lawns, herb gardens, food gardens, permaculture, and both formal and naturalized designs. It may be intended for a variety of different pollinators and wildlife, or curated to appeal to one specific type of pollinator. Washington state has over 600 species of bees, 150 species of butterflies, more than 1000 species of moths, four species of hummingbirds, and numerous wasp, fly, and beetle pollinators.
RCW 39.04.410 requires public works projects that include landscaping have 25% of the landscaping area be pollinator habitat, if practicable. There are not required standards, as pollinator needs are incredibly diverse. It is recommended that public works projects utilize the following resources during their planning, implementation, and maintenance.
SB 5934 also now allows municipalities to encourage construction permit applicants that include landscaping have pollinator habitat as part of that landscaping. The bill also prohibits HOAs and common interest ownerships from banning the installation of pollinator habitat, though they may set reasonable rules. These laws go into effect June 6, 2024.
SB 5934 also now allows municipalities to encourage construction permit applicants that include landscaping have pollinator habitat as part of that landscaping. The bill also prohibits HOAs and common interest ownerships from banning the installation of pollinator habitat, though they may set reasonable rules. These laws go into effect June 6, 2024.
Pollinator Forage List
This list has been compiled from a variety of sources, and will be updated with new information as we learn more about Washington pollinators (check out the Washington Bee Atlas for how we are identifying Washington’s bees, and the plants they pollinate). This plant list is NOT RESTRICTIVE. The initial list has focused on known bee attractive native plants. While we recommend using as many native plants as possible in your pollinator habitat designs, many non-native, non-invasive plants also provide excellent nectar and pollen resources and may be easier to source and better suited to your site. It is recommended that you not use plants that have been treated with neonicotinoids, and you should never use plant species on the Washington noxious weeds list in any landscaping.
Latest version 6/6/2024
Pollinator forage list (Excel)
Pollinator forage list guide (PDF)
For more information
Washington State Fish and Wildlife has excellent resources on pollinator habitat here. They also have tips on how to get your neighbors and community on board here.
The Xerces Society has many how to guides for creating pollinator habitat, including for the Pacific Northwest here: https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/pnw
The Pollinator Partnership has guides by ecoregion here: https://www.pollinator.org/guides
They also have a number of guides to creating habitat in the Pacific Northwest here: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-habitat-guides#northwest
If you are looking for a certified sustainable landscape professional to assist in designing your pollinator habitat, ecoPRO is the certification for Washington state. You can learn more on their website: https://ecoprocertified.org/
The Xerces Society has many how to guides for creating pollinator habitat, including for the Pacific Northwest here: https://xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/pnw
The Pollinator Partnership has guides by ecoregion here: https://www.pollinator.org/guides
They also have a number of guides to creating habitat in the Pacific Northwest here: https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator-habitat-guides#northwest
If you are looking for a certified sustainable landscape professional to assist in designing your pollinator habitat, ecoPRO is the certification for Washington state. You can learn more on their website: https://ecoprocertified.org/
