Flower ResourcesDiscover the right flowers for your garden.
Suncredible ® chicken sunflower . picture by : Proven Winners .
Which came first , the bee or the bee balm ? While the question may be interesting to chew over , it illustrate the life-sustaining partnership between plant life and pollinator , and how one needs the other to survive .
Bee populations are turn down apace in many regions of the land , with habitat red being a elemental lawsuit . As gardener , we can do our part to help keep these important pollinators well fed . uprise a various variety of flowering plants can satisfy the appetites of various bee species . Along with planting heaps of flowers that attract bees , we can also improve the environment for bees by creating a secure haven in our gardens that they can call home .
14 FLOWERS FOR BEES
‘ Pardon My Cerise ’ bee balm . picture by Proven Winners .
BEE BALM
Plant type : PerennialBloom time : Midsummer to early fallFlower color : Shades of red , pink , lavender , white , or purple . Also , blemish bee balm with pale yellow petals spot with purple , with showy pink bract . Height:1 to 3 foot tallZones:3 - 8Bee appeal : Dense clump of small two - lipped flowers entice a broad kitchen range of pollinator , as do the redolent dark-green leaves .
Learn bee balm .
Photo by : Alexandr Golovkin / Shutterstock .
BLUE GLOBE ALLIUM
industrial plant case : BulbBloom time : May to JuneFlower vividness : Sky blueHeight:1 to 2 feet tallZones:4 - 8Bee prayer : One of the in force bounce - blooming bulbs for bees , beckon them from far and all-embracing with its eye - catching eyeball of blue prime .
See moreallium motley .
pic by : Roger Foley .
ORIENTAL POPPY
industrial plant type : PerennialBloom time : June to JulyFlower color : Orange , red , lavender or pink , commonly with gloomy purple or black centersHeight:2 to 4 feet tallZones:5 - 7Bee appeal : Bees forage on poppy not for the ambrosia , but for the protein - rich pollen , which these huge cup - shaped bloom acquire in abundance , provide a welcome feast in tardy give .
See moreoriental poppy varieties .
PowWow Wild Berry Purple coneflower . Photo by : Proven Winners .
CONEFLOWER
Plant case : PerennialBloom time : Midsummer to fallFlower color : Purple , bloodless , chicken , orangish , or pink , reckon on the cultivarHeight:2 to 5 feet tallZones:3 - 9Bee collection : You’ll often see bee buzz eagerly around the outstanding central strobile of these daisy - like bloom , visiting each floret to partake in of its nectar and pollen . A long bloom period keeps bee well fed for calendar month .
teach how togrow and care for coneflower .
Photo by : RukiMedia / Shutterstock .
GREAT BLUE LOBELIA
Plant type : PerennialBloom clip : August through SeptemberFlower colouration : Blue to purpleHeight:2 to 3 feet tallZones:4 - 9Bee charm : Showy spikes of blue flowers are attractor for bumblebees and other bee mintage include yellow-bellied - faced bees , sweat bees , and little carpenter bees .
See morelobelia varieties .
' Cat ’s Pajamas ' Nepeta cataria . Photo by : Proven Winners .
CATMINT
works type : PerennialBloom meter : May through SeptemberFlower color : Blue to purpleHeight:9 inches to 3 feet tallZones:4 - 9Bee solicitation : Long flower and fecund , making it an excellent seed of nectar for honeybees and bumblebees from late spring until downslope .
See morecatmint diverseness .
Sweet Romance ® lavender . photograph by : Proven Winners .
LAVENDER
plant life type : Perennial herbBloom time : June through AugustFlower colour : lilac - purple , pinkish , and whiteHeight:2 to 3 feet tallZones:5 - 9Bee ingathering : Sweetly fragrant , with spike of flyspeck flowers just the correct size for honeybees .
See morelavender varieties .
' Purple Dome ' aster . pic by : Richard Bloom .
NEW ENGLAND ASTER
Plant eccentric : PerennialBloom clip : August to OctoberFlower colour : Deep purpleness with pale yellowness centerHeight:3 to 5 infantry tallZones:3 - 7Bee appeal : One of the last flowers to bloom in fall , making it an important belated - season nectar origin for aboriginal bee .
See moreaster varieties .
Photo by : Janet Loughrey .
CHIVES
works eccentric : HerbBloom metre : April to MayFlower color : PurpleHeight:12 to 18 in tallZones:3 - 7Bee appeal : Early - blooming ambrosia - rich flowers are a banquet for bees go forth from sleeping in spring .
See morebee - favorable garden herbs .
pic by : Proven Winners .
SUNFLOWER
industrial plant type : Annual or perennialBloom time : summertime through fallFlower color : YellowHeight : Up to 16 feetZones:4 - 8 for perennial varietiesBee collection : In summation to being prolific ambrosia and pollen producer , helianthus have also been show up to have bee - healing attribute . Both raging bee and honeybees will self - medicine on helianthus pollen when ill or infect with pathogens . Be trusted to plant open - pollinated sunflower varieties rather than hybrid type bred to be pollenless .
see how togrow & care for sunflowers .
picture by : Nancy J. Ondra / Shutterstock .
STIFF GOLDENROD
works character : PerennialBloom fourth dimension : August to OctoberFlower color : Pale yellowHeight:3 to 5 feetZones:3 - 9Bee appeal : This native prairie plant life is a staple on the bill of fare for bees pull together food reserves for winter .
See moregoldenrod change .
picture by : rdp15 / Shutterstock .
Borago officinalis
plant life eccentric : AnnualBloom time : June to AugustFlower colour : Bright blueHeight:1 to 3 feetBee appeal : Honeybees delight in these nectar - rich blue flowers , which can refill their ambrosia within minutes after a bee consume it , ensuring a firm supply of refills . The shallow , star - form blooms are also idealistic food reservoir for bees with poor tongue .
‘ Queen Lime Orange ’ . Photo courtesy of All America Selections .
old maid
Plant type : AnnualBloom clip : later give until frostFlower color : Various shades of orange , pink , purplish , carmine , white and yellowHeight:1 to 4 feetBee ingathering : Honeybees and bumblebees mess to these colored flush , and many types of solitary bees as well . The nectar - full-bodied central disk flowers are little enough that even tiny species of bees can compile food easily .
Learn how togrow & care for old maid peak .
Photo by : Spotted Joe Pye weed . Photo by : Alan & Linda Detrick .
JOE PYE WEED
works type : PerennialBloom time : July to SeptemberFlower color : Purple , swart roseHeight:6 to 8 feetZones:3 - 8Bee charm : Honeybees go crazy for the large vanilla extract - scented flower question of this stately native perennial , trip from one floweret to the next until they satisfy their nectar cravings .
larn Joe Pye weed .
WHAT MAKES A FLOWER BEE FRIENDLY?
It render a healthy diet . Flowers that pull bees render abundant nectar and pollen , the only informant of carbohydrates and protein in a bee ’s diet . While some bee , foretell “ generalists , ” are n’t particular about the character of efflorescence , others are “ specialists ” and need pollen from particular plant .
It ’s the right color . If you thought red or scandalmongering was a bee ’s favorite flower colouring , estimate again . They in reality see flush in the blue and purple color spectrum better than other chromaticity and are by nature attracted to them . ( Interestingly , flowers in the aristocratic - purple range produce the most nectar . ) bee can also see ultraviolet igniter , and many flowers have ultraviolet ambrosia guides that are invisible to us but lead bees right to their sweet treat .
It ’s the perfect shape . Some bee choose certain flowers because of their shape . Often these orientation are determined by the distance of a bee ’s tongue . For illustration , long - tongue bees essay out tubelike , late - throated bloom while dead - tongued specie shoot the breeze flower with easily accessible nectar , such as those in the daisy phratry .
It ’s just the right size of it . Sizewise , honeybees often constellate to bantam flower , while larger bees blackball them because they are too minor to support their weight .
It ’s individual . Regardless of flower shape or size , quash cultivars with showy double bloom . While attractive , they often make it more hard for bee to access nectar and pollen than unmarried flowers .
It ’s chemical substance - free . Don’t treat your flowers with pesticides , which are passing toxic to honeybees and otherbeneficial insects . rather , opt for eco - well-disposed discourse and apply them in other morning or at gloaming when there are few bees around . Also , avoid buy plant pretreated with systemic chemical substance that , even in small doses , can be harmful to bees .
It blossom at the right-hand clock time . Although fountain and summertime may seem to be when bee are at their busiest , some early - come forth bees bank on pollen and nectar from former wintertime and very early springtime bloom . In the evenfall , bees feast on late - blooming plants in preparation for winter hibernation .
BEE GARDEN DESIGN TIPS
Photo by : FooTToo / Shutterstock .
Beyond planting colorful flowers , there are other things you may do to keep bees abuzz in your garden . Here are tips for create the ultimatepollinator promised land :
render a well-heeled menage . Not all bees colonise in urticaria like the super - societal honeybee . bumblebee nest in hole in the undercoat and need bare areas of unmulched grime where they can jab their belowground burrow . Certain species of lone bees make their dwelling house in aboveground tunnels or cavities in empty - stemmed plants and dead wood .
you’re able to purchase a “ bee hotel ” for these maw - nesting bees — a birdhouse - similar structure comprise of empty reeds or cardboard tubes — or make your own withthese stepsfrom Michigan State University Extension . ( Here ’s a funbee hotel gloss pagefor budding immature nurseryman to enjoy . )
Make certain they have access to water . Create a small bee lacrimation station by place a shallow , broad dish in the garden filled with clean water and a few stones the bees can abide on . A birdbath with a few smooth rocks in it will also do the trick . Another choice is to buy agravity - fed water dispenserdesigned particularly for bee .
Plant a bee lawnthat includes low - growing flowering plants as well as turf Gunter Grass . Dutch white trefoil ( genus Trifolium repens),creeping thyme(Thymus serpyllum ) , and aboriginal viola ( Violaspp . ) are examples of plants that benefit pollinators and will flower in a mowed lawn . Even dandelions can be an asset if you ’re endeavor to attract bee and other pollinating insects .
produce some herb . Many pollinator , specially bee , are drawn to herbs , such asrosemaryand thyme , because of their intense scent .
let in a mix of native and non - native plant . Native bees are more probable to be attracted to the native flowers they are familiar with , but non - native plants such as Nepeta cataria , zinnias , and lavender can also be resistless to bees , especially if they produce a lot of ambrosia . By filling your garden with a variety — including annual , perennial , bush , trees , ground screening , vegetable , and herbs — you ’ll attract a greater diversity of bee species . ( See more onnative plants . )
Keep in creative thinker that most plants that attract bees will require full Sunday for at least half of the day . If you do n’t have a sunshine garden , plant your bee flowers in containers and place them on a sunny terrace orbalcony .
Learn more : How to Keep Mason Bees .
