What Plants Attract Bees?

As a beekeeper, it’s wise to know how to choose plants for bees. If the apiarist is keeping bees in his garden, rather than in the middle of an orange orchard, or a field of wildflowers, he’ll want to plant flowers, herbs and shrubs that attract bees and that will provide nectar so that the bees can make honey without travelling too far to find it. A large diversity in the plants available to the bees will mean that more bees will be attracted and supported by the plants. Bees are attracted by annuals, perennials, fruit and vegetable plants, herbs, shrubs, and trees.

Keep in mind that honey will taste like the bees main source of nectar. If the bees gather the nectar from many sources, the beekeeper will probably call the honey “wildflower honey,” or something similar. If the hives are, indeed, in the middle of an orange grove, then the honey is probably “orange blossom” honey.

As beekeepers keep bees in many places, from rooftops in the middle of cities, to hives next to their back doors, there are some plants for bees that everybody can find and plant in a bee garden. It’s also smart to find as many native plants as possible for the garden and to ask nursery staff if the plants on the lists below will live and do well in the area that the bees are kept. After all, the honey bees being raised are most probably native to the area as well and would appreciate plants native to the same area. Grow plants that will bloom over the entire honey season from early spring through fall. Bees need a constant source of food.

If hives are in an area where it’s possible to plant trees (and small and miniature trees CAN grow on rooftops), choose from Alders, hazels, sycamore, linden, magnolia, maples, tulips, poplars, catalpa, American holly, basswood, black gum, fruit trees (crabapples are especially good), golden rain tree, mountain ash, black locust, buckeyes, willows, eastern redbud, and more. Obviously, not all of the trees above will be suited to your area, but surely some will be!

If planting shrubs, try blueberry bushes, butterfly bush, honeysuckle, privet, indigo, and button bush, and others.

When choosing flowers that bees will like, choose flowers with single heads like zinnias and daisies. Flowers with double heads, like double impatiens, produce less nectar than single headed flowers. Very hybridized plants are bred not to seed so they also produce very little pollen.

Annuals that attract bees include asters, calliopsis, poppies, marigolds, clover, sunflowers, and zinnias.

There are lots of Perennial’s that are attractive to bees. The list is long and includes buttercups, clematis, cosmos, dahlias, geraniums, foxglove, crocuses, Echinacea, germander, English Ivy, rock cress, roses, globe thistle, sedum, snowdrops, yellow hyssop, squills, tansy and others.
Bees also like herbs. Plant borage, bee balm, fennel, thyme, catnip, lavender, coriander (also called cilantro), mint, rosemary, and sage.
Fruits and vegetables should be planted in the bee garden. Bees enjoy blackberries, cucumbers, peppers, gourds, cantaloupe, pumpkins, raspberries, squash, garlic, watermelon, and strawberries.

A devoted beekeeper might even consider turning his front lawn into a bee garden. Just think how much time would be saved on mowing the lawn!

By: Nancy Ketner

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My name is Nancy Ketner and I have been fascinated by Bees for as long as I can remember. Beekeeping can be a daunting hobby to start. Understanding Bees and Bee craft as a beginner can be difficult. That is why I started Beekeepercentral.com as a free resource for others who wish to explore Beekeeping as a hobby. For more information on Beekeeping and plants for Bees come to Beekeeper Central and sign up to our FREE mini e-course.