'pollinator-friendly' originates from the combination of 'pollinator' and 'friendly', where 'pollinator' refers to an agent that carries pollen from one flower to another, and 'friendly' means supportive or beneficial.

'Pollinator' comes from the Latin word 'pollinātor', and 'friendly' from Old English 'freondlic'.

Initially, 'pollinator-friendly' meant simply being beneficial to pollinators, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.