The Best Flowers for Bees

Flowers

• Coordinate planting of flowers so that there is something in bloom all season long. Plants native to the area provide the best attraction for bees. Native plants often produce more pollen than hybrids and exotic flowers, and bees recognize them readily. Bees identify flowers by scent, shape and color. They are attracted to tubular shaped flowers and daisy-shaped, single flowers. Single flowers like coreopsis, asters, cosmos, gaillardia, daisy and sunflower are favorites, as are marigold, holly hock and zinnia. Avoid planting hybrids, as they produce little pollen.

Flowering Herbs

• Many herbs produce flowers that are a big attraction for bees. Many of them put up spikes of tubular flowers like sage, pineapple sage, hyssop and foxglove. Other herbs that bees prefer include bee balm, basil, borage, catnip, chives, rosemary, thyme, mint and lemon balm.

Flowering Shrubs

• Many shrubs produce flowers, like azalea and rhododendron. The shrub that is notorious for attracting bees is the butterfly bush, which also attracts butterflies and humming birds.

Vegetable Blossoms

• Even certain vegetables produce blossoms that bees enjoy. Any type of melon produces a bloom that will attract a multitude of bees. Other vegetable plants that bees like include cucumber, squash and pumpkin. Plant a few flowers in the vegetable garden to attract even more bees to dine and spread pollen.

Other Attractions

• Flowers are the main reason bees come to the garden, but do not stop there. Bees also need shelter from wind, so a fence will do wonders to keep them around. Some bees live in soil and others in wood, so leave an area of soil with no vegetation around where they will not be disturbed. Alternatively, leaves some wooden logs about the perimeter of the garden in the sun. Bees will bore holes and live in them as well. Bees need nectar from flowers but they also need water, so provide a shallow dish or birdbath with some stones that protrude above the surface of the water, where they can rest and drink. Avoid chemicals and pesticides on lawn, flowers, vegetables and trees. Chemicals wipe out entire colonies of bees. Instead, use natural garden remedies to have a garden fully of busy bees.