The question of whether bees are attracted to lilies has a complicated answer that depends entirely on the specific plant species. Many different garden flowers are commonly referred to as “lilies,” but their true botanical identities and their value to pollinators vary widely. Understanding the difference between these plants is the first step in knowing what kind of forage they offer to bees and other insects. This distinction is important for gardeners aiming to support local bee populations.
Defining the Lilies: True Species Versus Look-Alikes
The name “lily” is a non-scientific term applied to a diverse collection of flowering plants, leading to confusion for gardeners. True Lilies belong exclusively to the genus Lilium, which includes popular varieties such as Oriental, Asiatic, and Tiger Lilies. These plants grow from scaly bulbs and feature leaves that spiral up a single, stiff stem.
Daylilies, however, are technically not lilies at all, belonging instead to the genus Hemerocallis. They grow from thick, tuberous roots and produce long, strap-shaped leaves in clumps from the base of the plant. Other common garden plants like Canna Lilies, Water Lilies, and Peace Lilies belong to entirely different plant families, sharing only the common name. The physical differences in their flower structure and chemistry ultimately determine their interaction with bees.
Why True Lilies Are Poor Bee Forage
For many species of True Lilies (Lilium), bee attraction is generally negative, particularly for common honeybees and most smaller native bees. The large, showy flowers of many Lilium species have a deep, trumpet-like or funnel-shaped morphology. This deep structure makes the nectar reward difficult or impossible for shorter-tongued bees to access, an issue known as floral incompatibility.
The pollen of True Lilies is often heavy, sticky, and produced in massive amounts. While bees may collect this pollen, it is not always a high-quality food source compared to other flowers. Many True Lily species have evolved traits that attract different pollinators, such as moths or butterflies, rather than bees. For example, some fragrant varieties, like Oriental Lilies, are adapted for nocturnal visitors like hawkmoths.
Some Lilium species, such as the Turk’s Cap Lily (Lilium martagon), have specialized forms adapted for long-tongued bees. However, the general preference of the genus is for non-bee pollinators, or they present structural challenges that favor larger insects. Ultimately, the True Lily’s floral design and the distance to the nectaries mean that many bees will bypass them for more easily accessible food sources.
Daylilies and Other Pollinator-Friendly Options
In contrast to True Lilies, Daylilies (Hemerocallis) can be moderately attractive to bees and other diurnal pollinators. Daylily flowers have an open, trumpet-like form that provides an accessible landing platform and easier access to nectar and pollen than the deep, narrow tubes of Lilium hybrids. Daylilies compensate for their short, one-day bloom period by producing an abundance of new flowers daily throughout the season.
Bees are often observed foraging on Daylilies, gathering both nectar and exposed pollen. The colors of Daylilies, which include shades of yellow, orange, and red, are highly visible to bees, which see in the blue, yellow, and ultraviolet spectrum. Gardeners looking to provide reliable forage should focus on single-petaled Daylily varieties, as complex double-blooms can physically obstruct a bee’s access to the reproductive parts of the flower.
For gardeners seeking to maximize bee forage, prioritizing plants based on floral structure is more effective than relying on common names. Choosing flowers with open, shallow forms ensures that short-tongued insects can easily reach the nectar and pollen. While Daylilies offer some value, other “lily-like” plants with more open structures can be even better forage options for a wider variety of bee species.