Honey bees are among the most important pollinators in nature, supporting countless wild plants and agricultural crops. Gardeners often seek to make their outdoor spaces welcoming to these insects. The vibrant marigold is a popular fixture in many gardens, making its relationship with the honey bee a frequent topic of inquiry. This article explores the specific interaction between Apis mellifera and the genus Tagetes, clarifying whether this common garden annual offers a worthwhile food source.
Honey Bee Interaction with Marigolds
Honey bees do visit marigolds, but these flowers are generally considered a lower-priority food source compared to other blooming plants in a diverse setting. When other, more rewarding flowers are readily available, honey bees forage less frequently on marigolds. However, in environments where high-quality nectar and pollen sources are scarce, honey bees will utilize marigolds as a backup. Observations show that honey bees will collect pollen and sometimes nectar from marigold blooms. Other pollinators, such as solitary bees or hoverflies, may show different preferences and sometimes visit marigolds more consistently than honey bees.
Factors Limiting Marigold Appeal
The limited appeal of many marigolds stems primarily from the specific botanical structures resulting from ornamental breeding. Many popular varieties sold in garden centers are highly bred, so-called “double-bloom” flowers which feature numerous layers of petals. This dense arrangement often physically obstructs a honey bee’s access to the reproductive parts of the flower, where the nectar and pollen are located.
In these modified flowers, the natural nectaries and pollen-bearing anthers have often been replaced by extra petals in a process known as petal doubling. Consequently, the flower offers a significantly reduced nutritional reward. Even when nectar is present, the corolla tube length on some marigold species can make the sugary fluid difficult for the honey bee’s relatively short proboscis to access effectively. Furthermore, while some folk wisdom suggests the marigold’s characteristic pungent scent repels bees, this odor is primarily a deterrent to certain pest insects and does not appear to be the main factor limiting honey bee visitation.
Optimal Flowering Plants for Honey Bees
Gardeners aiming to maximize support for honey bee populations should prioritize plants with single, open flower structures that provide easy access to pollen and nectar. A selection of plants that bloom throughout the season ensures a continuous food supply for the colony.
For early spring foraging, plants like crocuses and willows offer immediate sources of pollen and nectar as the bees emerge from winter. As the season progresses into summer, herbs such as borage, lavender, and thyme are highly recommended, as they produce copious amounts of nectar.
Annuals like sunflowers, especially the single-headed varieties, and perennials such as coneflowers (Echinacea) and bee balm (Monarda) provide large central landing pads and rich rewards. Providing late-season forage is also important for building winter stores, with plants like aster and sedum offering valuable resources well into the autumn months.