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U of M Extension educator Julie Weis­en­horn has been studying whether annuals and short-lived perennials are attractive to pollinators, and if so, which ones. She tested 30 varieties and found these attracted the most pollinators in multiple years:

• Butter Daisy, Melampodium Showstar A101 (2015–2018, especially native bees)
• Helen’s Flower, Helenium Dakota Gold A245 (2015, 2017, 2018)
• Hummingbird Mint, Agastache Heather Queen P304 (2015–2017, especially native bees)
• Sunflower, Helianthus Lemon Queen A473 (2016, 2018, especially bumblebees)

Other plants on our catalog that also did well with pollinators in the trials but didn't rate quite as highly as those four, and we couldn't squeeze into the printed catalog:

• Black-Eyed Susan, Rudbeckia Irish Eyes  (2016, 2017)
• Cosmos, Cosmos Double Click (2017)
• Marigold, Tagetes Alumia Vanilla Cream (2017)
• Salvia, Salvia Summer Jewel Red (2015)
• Salvia, Salvia Summer Jewel Pink (2016, 2018)
• Zinnia, Zinnia Zahara Starlight Rose (2017)

More info is available at: www.flowersforpollinators.wordpress.com.