What are the best pollinator-friendly shrubs for New Brunswick?

The best pollinator-friendly shrubs for New Brunswick include native species like serviceberry, winterberry holly, native dogwoods, bayberry, and elderberry — all of which provide nectar, pollen, and fruit for bees, butterflies, and birds while thriving in NB's zone 3b–5b hardiness range and acidic soils. Shrubs offer something that perennials cannot: multi-season food sources and nesting habitat in a permanent woody framework.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier) is arguably NB's most valuable pollinator shrub. It produces abundant white flowers in early May — one of the first major nectar sources after winter when native bees are desperately hungry. The flowers are followed by blueberry-like fruit in June that feeds birds and small mammals. Multiple species grow native in New Brunswick, from the tree-form Amelanchier laevis (15–20 feet) to the shrubby Amelanchier stolonifera (4–6 feet). Hardy to zone 2, it handles any NB location and its fall foliage turns brilliant orange-red.

Pussy willow and native willows are the absolute earliest pollen and nectar sources in NB, blooming in March and April before almost anything else. Native bees, particularly early-emerging bumblebee queens, depend on willows for their first meals. Plant a native pussy willow (Salix discolor) in a moist area of your yard — it tolerates wet feet that most shrubs cannot handle. It's hardy to zone 2 and grows 10–15 feet tall if unpruned, or can be coppiced annually for the classic silver catkins on straight stems.

Winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is a native NB deciduous holly that produces small white flowers in June (important for pollinators) and stunning red berries from October through February that feed overwintering birds. You need both male and female plants for berry production — one male pollinates up to 5 females. Winterberry thrives in NB's wet, acidic soils and tolerates both full sun and part shade. Hardy to zone 3, it's one of the showiest winter-interest shrubs available for Maritime gardens.

Native dogwoods serve pollinators throughout the season. Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea) produces white flower clusters in June that attract native bees, followed by white berries that feed birds in fall. Its crimson winter stems provide year-round garden structure. Alternate-leaf dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) has a layered, horizontal branching pattern and produces blue-black fruit loved by thrushes and waxwings. Both are hardy to zone 2 and native throughout New Brunswick.

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) produces massive flat-topped flower clusters in June and July that are magnets for pollinators — and can be harvested for elderflower syrup. Dark purple berries follow in August and September, providing food for birds and material for elderberry preserves. Hardy to zone 3, elderberry grows vigorously in NB's moist, fertile soils and can reach 8–12 feet tall.

Plant pollinator shrubs in groups of 3–5 of the same species for maximum pollinator efficiency. A diverse pollinator shrub planting for a NB yard costs $200 to $800 for 5–10 shrubs and creates permanent habitat that improves each year as plants mature and expand.

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