Avoid neonicotinoid-treated plants

The short answer

Many of the flowering plants and seeds sold at garden centers, even ones labeled or marketed as pollinator-friendly, have been pre-treated with a class of pesticide called neonicotinoids, or neonics for short. These chemicals are absorbed into every part of the plant, including the pollen and nectar, which means a flower bed planted with good intentions can end up poisoning the exact pollinators it was meant to attract.

Even flowers bees actively forage on, like this mealy blue sage, can carry neonic residue in their pollen and nectar if the plant was treated.

Why nurseries use neonics in the first place

Neonicotinoids are systemic insecticides. Instead of sitting on the surface of a leaf the way an older-style contact spray would, they get taken up into the plant's own vascular system, so the whole plant, roots, stems, leaves, and eventually flowers, becomes toxic to insects that feed on it. That's exactly why commercial nurseries like them. A single application, often to the soil or as a seed or root-drench treatment, protects a plant from aphids, whiteflies, and other pests for months, without the labor cost of repeated spraying.

Ornamental nursery stock is typically treated at far higher application rates than food crops, since attractive pest-free plants are viewed as an easier sell. A tomato farmer tolerates some insect damage. A wholesale nursery selling flowers to a big-box retailer generally doesn't.

Why this matters if you're gardening for wildlife

The problem is straightforward: a systemic insecticide harms all insects, from bees to butterflies to caterpillars. Neonics show up in pollen and nectar at concentrations that, while usually not enough to kill a bee outright, are well documented to impair learning, memory, and navigation, reduce foraging efficiency, and lower reproductive success in both honeybees and wild solitary bees.

They're also environmentally persistent, remaining active in soil and water for months to years after application, and highly water-soluble, so they can leach into nearby waterways and affect aquatic invertebrates well beyond the original planting site.

Some samples contained more than one type. The findings prompted major retailers, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and Costco, to commit to phasing out or labeling neonic-treated plants.² A 2016 follow-up test found real progress: the contamination rate had dropped to 23%, still real, but a clear sign that public pressure and retailer policy can move the needle.⁴

How to actually avoid plants treated with neonicotinoids

• Ask before you buy. Most nursery and garden center staff can tell you whether their stock is neonic-treated. If a store doesn't know, you may want to avoid buying from them.
• Check for a retailer with a neonic-free policy by looking at the retailers' public commitments; check a store's website before you go or ask for their policy in person.
• Buy organic plants and seeds. Certified organic growers can't use synthetic neonicotinoids, so an organic label is a reliable shortcut.
• Grow from untreated seed. Seed-grown plants sidestep the issue almost entirely, though it's worth knowing some agricultural seeds (mainly corn, soy, and canola) are neonic-treated too.
• Look for specialist native plant nurseries. Growers who specialize in native or pollinator-focused plants are generally far more likely to avoid neonics than large wholesale ornamental suppliers and can usually tell you exactly how a plant was grown.
• Skip the preventative pest control at home too. If you do buy a plant that needs help with pests later, reach for something targeted and short-lived rather than a systemic product.

Frequently asked questions