Whether bees are attracted to jasmine is complex, reflecting the relationship between flowering plants and their pollinators. Bee attraction is governed by biological and physical cues; a flower must signal its presence and offer an accessible reward to be a valuable food source. Many different plants share the common name “jasmine,” and their attractiveness to foraging insects varies significantly based on their true botanical classification. The final answer depends on the specific species being examined.
The Jasmine Identity Crisis
The confusion surrounding bee attraction begins with the common name “jasmine,” which is applied to plants from several different botanical families. True jasmines belong to the genus Jasminum within the Oleaceae, or olive family, and include fragrant species like Jasminum officinale and J. sambac. These plants are known globally for their intense, sweet fragrance, often used in perfumes and teas.
Many other popular garden plants are commonly referred to as jasmine but belong to entirely different genera, such as the widely grown Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) or the Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens). These “false jasmines” can have dramatically different flower structures and nectar compositions that make them more or less appealing to various bee species. For instance, certain false jasmines with more open flowers are reported to attract a greater number of bees than some true jasmine species.
Another important example is Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum), which is actually a member of the nightshade family and relies on nocturnal pollinators like moths. The flowers of this species open and release their strong scent only after sunset, a time when most bee activity has ceased for the day. This variation in flowering time and botanical identity means that simply using the name “jasmine” does not accurately predict the level of bee visitation.
Biological Drivers of Bee Attraction
A bee’s decision to visit a flower is driven by sensory inputs that co-evolved with flowering plants. Color is a primary signal, though bees perceive the world differently than humans; they are sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light but cannot see red. Flowers that look white or yellow to us may display distinct UV patterns, known as nectar guides, which direct the bee toward the pollen and nectar rewards.
Scent is another powerful long-distance attractant, as flowers release volatile organic compounds that signal the presence of a rewarding food source. The reward itself is either protein-rich pollen, which feeds larval bees, or sugar-rich nectar, which provides the energy needed for adult foraging. Successful foraging is characterized by floral constancy, where an individual bee will concentrate its efforts on a single species of flower during a foraging trip, ensuring efficient cross-pollination.
The timing of flower opening is important, as most bees, including honeybees and bumblebees, are diurnal and forage exclusively during daylight hours. A flower that blooms during the day must provide visual and olfactory cues to attract these primary pollinators. The effectiveness of any flower depends on how well its combination of color, scent, and reward aligns with the sensory capabilities and needs of the local bee population.
Floral Structure and Nectar Accessibility
The physical architecture of a flower is the final determinant in whether a bee can successfully access the promised reward. Many true jasmine varieties, particularly those in the genus Jasminum, are characterized by a long, narrow, tubular corolla. This corolla tube serves as the pathway to the nectar at the flower’s base.
For common, short-tongued bees, such as the European honeybee (Apis mellifera), the length of this tube often creates a physical barrier to the nectar. Studies on tropical Jasminum species have shown that the flowers are primarily pollinated by long-tongued insects, such as hawkmoths, which possess the necessary proboscis length to reach the deeply hidden nectar. When other bees do visit, they may resort to nectar-robbing, which involves puncturing the side of the corolla tube to bypass the opening, a behavior that does not facilitate pollination.
The exception to this limitation is the Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), a species with a relatively open, yellow flower structure. This early-blooming plant is a valuable source of pollen for honeybees and solitary bees during late winter and early spring when other forage is scarce. While the powerful fragrance of true jasmine may initially attract bees, the narrow floral structure often prevents access to the reward, leading to lower visitation rates compared to plants with more open shapes.