Pollinator Habitats

Start and Register Your Own Pollinator Habitat

Transcript: Pollinator Habitat Registration with the City of Charlotte

Jonathan Hill 0:02

Hi, I'm Jonathan hill with keep Charlotte beautiful. In this video, we'll discuss pollinator habitats and naturalistic landscaping, why they matter, and how the city's registration process works. A pollinator habitat is an intentional planting designed to support pollinators like bees and butterflies. Naturalistic landscaping can look different from a traditional lawn. Plants may be taller, the yard may be designed to function as a habitat rather than uniform turf. These spaces support wildlife and can help protect local waterways. They can also reduce the need for heavy watering, fertilizer, pesticides and frequent mowing compared to conventional lawns. The key point is, if your habitat is intentional and maintained, registration helps the city recognize and celebrate it as a pollinator habitat.

April Hausle 0:57

Hi, I'm April Hausle with landscape management. Here's how registration works. If you have a qualifying pollinator habitat or naturalistic landscape, you can submit a registration for review through the city. Start at community.charlottenc.gov, create a free account by selecting sign in. That one account connects you to multiple city of Charlotte online programs and applications. Once you're signed in, complete the pollinator habitat registration form. When you register, be sure to include at least one clear photo of your garden in blue. The goal is to help ensure your habitat is recognized as an intentional, maintained pollinator planting. If your registration is approved, your habitat is exempt from enforcement under the nuisance vegetation ordinance, if you need help with the application or have questions, call 311, after approval, the city will provide a yard sign you can display to help identify the site as a registered pollinator habitat.

Jerry Green 1:57

Hi, I'm Jerry green with code enforcement. Here's the most important detail, if you receive a notice, if a property owner with a qualifying habitat receives a notice of violation, there is a 30 day window to have a garden approved for the registry in order to avoid further enforcement, you may receive a flyer if the code inspector believes part of your property may include a pollinator habitat, but they see that your property is not registered with the city. Scanning the QR code on the flyer will take you to the registration page. So if you receive a notice, act quickly. Go to community, dot, Charlotte, nc.gov, to submit the registration and call 311, if you need help with the process. And remember, no space is too small. Pollinator habitats can be created in small garden beds, common areas and in some cases, container gardens, on patios, balconies or decks where appropriate. The key is that the habitat is intentional and maintained.

Planting a pollinator habitat or naturalistic landscape helps bees, butterflies and other wildlife. It can also mean less mowing and fewer chemicals. Anyone can start their own pollinator habitat of any size with just a few key plants. These habitats don't look as manicured or formal as traditional landscaped areas, but they serve an important purpose by restoring habitat for pollinators that are threatened by habitat loss, non-native species, climate change and various pesticides used in traditional landscapes.

If your pollinator habitat is well maintained, it may qualify for an exemption from the overgrown vegetation ordinance (sec.10-155), which was updated on Feb. 9, 2026 to exempt pollinator habitats and naturalistic landscapes that are registered with the city. Go to page 5 of this document to read the updated ordinance.

All you need to do is register your habitat with the city, keep it well maintained and you'll receive a yard sign that lets City of Charlotte Code Enforcement know that your habitat is exempt.

Got questions? Refer to our FAQs page.

How to Start Your Own Pollinator Habitat

The best time to plant your pollinator habitat is in the fall, but early spring is OK as long the plants have enough time to get established before summer heat arrives.

Best Pollinator Plants for Beginners

Echinacea (coneflower)
Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan)
Coreopsis
Monarda (bee balm)
Asclepias (butterfly weed and milkweed)
Liatris

Seed packets purchased from the North Carolina Butterfly Highway Program are a great place to start! Each packet contains up to seven native pollinators.

The City's Role in Pollinator Habitats

Municipal landscaping traditionally involves maintaining vegetation on medians and along roadways, pruning trees in rights-of-way and planting trees and shrubs at city-owned buildings and city-built project sites.

But City of Charlotte Landscape Management has quietly ventured into something new: pollinator habitats. It all started in 2017 when a city staff member at Old City Hall approached Landscape Management about installing a natural area containing specific nectar- and pollen-producing plants that attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

Since then, Landscape Management has installed numerous pollinator habitats throughout the city and inspired other departments -- such as CATS and Aviation -- to do the same. These habitats are popping up everywhere, from the Third Ward neighborhood and Elmwood Cemetery to LYNX Blue Line stations. "The communities where we have installed them are very supportive. We're going to install as many as we can. The more we do, the better we get at it," said Vicki Aguilar, Assistant City Arborist.

"These landscapes are a welcome addition to Landscape Management's portfolio, and they help toward meeting the city's sustainability goals," said Erin Oliverio, division manager for Landscape Management. "We want to encourage as many departments as we can to include them in their landscaping operations."

Register Your Habitat

This QR code points visitors to the Pollinator Habitat registration form

Stay Connected!

Partner Toolkit

Downloadable graphics and documents to help you spread the word about creating and registering pollinator habitats and naturalistic landscapes. View the toolkit.