Quick answer: 25 native plants for pollinators are native to Alaska, 15 with a live listing as of 04 Nov 2026.
25 species
- Balsam poplar Populus balsamifera · 8 states
- Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi · 34 states
- Bog Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum · 11 states
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · 37 states
- Common sunflower Helianthus annuus · 18 states
- Farewell-to-spring Clarkia amoena · 4 states
- Fireweed Chamerion angustifolium · 37 states
- Giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata · 13 states
- Harebell Campanula rotundifolia · 35 states
- Littleflower penstemon Penstemon procerus · 11 states
- Mountain avens Dryas octopetala · 1 states
- Nootka rose Rosa nutkana · 1 states
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · 38 states
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · 39 states
- Red huckleberry Vaccinium parvifolium · 1 states
- Red-osier dogwood Cornus sericea · 36 states
- Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis · 1 states
- Saskatoon serviceberry Amelanchier alnifolia · 14 states
- Seep monkeyflower Erythranthe guttata · 15 states
- Shore pine Pinus contorta · 1 states
- Shrubby cinquefoil Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda · 23 states
- Water birch Betula occidentalis · 1 states
- Western columbine Aquilegia formosa · 1 states
- Western redcedar Thuja plicata · 1 states
- Western yarrow Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis · 18 states
Native plants for pollinators in Alaska: what to know
25 of the 40 plants native to Alaska in this directory fit this need: 62% of the state's list, well below the 72% share across all species.
Between them they flower from March through November, with the most in bloom in June. Mixing early and late bloomers keeps the planting useful all season.
Many do double duty: 14 are also good for birds, 12 are also butterfly or moth host plants, 11 are also shade-tolerant.
22 of them grow in full or partial sun and 11 tolerate shade, so there are options for open beds and woodland edges alike. Sizes run from low plants like Giant red paintbrush and Mountain avens to trees such as Balsam poplar and Bearberry. For wildlife, 25 support pollinators, 14 provide food or cover for birds and 12 are caterpillar host plants.
15 of the 25 have a seed or plant listing we verified as the wild species. Be careful buying Harebell, Shrubby cinquefoil: common listings for these are often a bred variety or a different species.
Good places to start
Verified wild-species listings that take sun and are widely native, so they are forgiving first plants.
- Quaking aspen Populus tremuloides · Sun, Part Shade, Shade · blooms Mar-Jun
- Pearly everlasting Anaphalis margaritacea · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Jun-Oct
- Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis · Sun, Part Shade · blooms Mar-Jun