You recently heard about bee populations declining and started wondering what you could do to help. You concluded that you love to garden—so why not plant some flowers that the bees can come and collect nectar and pollen from? There’s just one small issue; you’re not too sure what flowers to plant to attract bees to your yard. Are certain types better than others? Let’s look at the best options for creating a bee-friendly flower patch in your garden.
Plant Native Flowers
You should always plant native flowers over exotic ones. Local flora is a major asset for bee populations because they’ve co-evolved together.
This means that over millennia, native bees and native plants have developed a specialized, mutually beneficial relationship: the plants evolved to produce nectar and pollen that perfectly suit the nutritional needs and physical characteristics of local bees, while the bees evolved specific behaviors and body structures (like tongue length or pollen-carrying hairs) to efficiently collect resources and pollinate those native plants.
Exotic plants may not provide the right nutrients or may have flower structures that make it difficult for native bees to access the pollen. Your local nursery can point you toward species native to your region.
Choose Single-Petal Flowers
Flowers with a single layer of petals, like poppies and cosmos, offer easy access to their pollen-rich centers. Multi-layered flowers, such as many varieties of roses or peonies, are beautiful, but their dense petal structure makes it difficult for bees to reach the nectar and pollen they need. When you select flowers for your garden, look for those with open, accessible blooms.
Use Purple, Blue, and Yellow Hues
Bees see colors differently than humans do. Their vision is geared toward the blue-violet end of the spectrum, and they can also see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to us. Flowers in shades of purple, blue, and yellow are particularly attractive to them. Consider planting lavender, crocuses, or sunflowers to create a visually appealing beacon for your local bees.
Provide a Variety of Shapes
Different bee species have different tongue lengths and feeding preferences. To support a diverse range of bees, plant flowers with a variety of shapes and sizes. Bees with long tongues look for tubular flowers like foxgloves, whereas short-tongued bees prefer open, daisy-like flowers such as asters.
Offer Continuous Blooms
A successful bee garden provides a food source throughout the entire growing season. You can achieve this with a mix of flowers that bloom at different times. Plant spring bulbs like crocuses for the early season, add coneflowers and bee balm for summer, and include asters or goldenrod for the fall. This succession of blooms creates a reliable food supply that bees can count on from spring through autumn.
A Welcoming Garden
These are some of the flower types you can plant in your yard if you want to attract bees. Thanks for doing your part to preserve this species! They’re sure to be thrilled when they stumble across the garden you’ve painstakingly planted just for them.
