Choosing to be picky: an evidence-based system for selecting pollinator-friendly garden plants to support biodiversity

Pollinator declines are a global concern, and garden plants can help mitigate declines in biodiversity. The availability, functionality, variety, and desirability of plants in cultivation have resulted in many lists of pollinator-friendly garden plants, but these often lack clear evidence, being based largely on author expertise. By reviewing the Royal Horticultural Society's Plants for Pollinators garden plants list, we evaluated 354 plant taxa using a decision tree and a working group. Over 90% of taxa have good evidence of being beneficial to pollinators, whereas 4% were excluded, and 5% required further investigation. This methodology provides a practical approach to creating, reviewing, and refining plant lists for pollinators, ensuring they are based on robust empirical data. This process has the potential to be adapted and applied globally to enhance pollinator-friendly planting schemes. We present a structured evidence-based methodology of assessing evidence for cultivated plants for pollinators.