The genus Lavandula is highly attractive to a wide array of foraging insects, particularly bees. Lavender provides a substantial and reliable food source for honey bees, bumble bees, and various solitary bee species. The plant’s long blooming season, which often spans from late spring through summer, ensures a continuous supply of nectar and pollen. This makes lavender an important resource for supporting pollinator health and biodiversity.
The Chemical and Visual Attractants of Lavender
The strong attraction bees feel toward lavender is a result of a sophisticated combination of chemical signals and visual cues. The iconic fragrance of the plant is due to a mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by the flowers. These aromatic compounds act as long-distance guides for foraging bees, helping them locate the resource from afar.
Specifically, the monoterpenes linalool and linalyl acetate are major components of lavender’s essential oil and play a significant role in signaling the presence of nectar and pollen. Studies suggest a direct link between the chemical profile and pollinator activity, as successfully pollinated flowers contain higher concentrations of these compounds. These fragrant molecules serve as an airborne advertisement, guiding bees to the exact location of the reward.
Once a bee arrives, the nutritional quality of the nectar further encourages foraging. Lavender nectar is known for its high sugar concentration, providing a significant energetic return for the visiting insect. Additionally, the purple-blue color of the flowers is highly visible to bees, which possess photoreceptors tuned to ultraviolet, blue, and green light. This color range makes lavender stand out brightly, and the petals often display UV patterns that function as “nectar guides,” directing the bee toward the center of the flower.
Bee Favorites: Comparing Different Lavender Varieties
While all lavender attracts bees, preferences vary significantly based on the specific Lavandula species and flower structure. The three most common types offer different rewards and accessibility levels for various bee species. Understanding these differences allows for targeted planting to support a diverse pollinator population.
English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is considered the most bee-friendly choice due to its high nectar yield and accessible flower structure. Varieties like ‘Hidcote’ and ‘Munstead’ are highly favored by honey bees and bumble bees. English lavender tends to bloom earlier than other varieties, offering a crucial food source at the beginning of the foraging season.
The hybrid Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia), a cross between English and Spike lavender, is prized for its long flower spikes and high essential oil content. Varieties like ‘Grosso’ and ‘Provence’ are known for their robust growth and extended blooming period, which helps bridge the mid-summer gap in forage availability. Bumble bees, with their longer tongues, are efficient at extracting the abundant nectar from the slightly larger Lavandin flowers.
French and Spanish Lavenders (Lavandula stoechas and L. dentata) are less favored by honey bees because of their unique flower structure, which features distinctive, winged bracts. Although they still provide nectar, their compact tubular flowers can make the reward harder to access for shorter-tongued bees. These varieties are still readily visited by bumble bees and smaller solitary bee species, which are adapted to forage from these more complex blossoms.
Gardening for Pollinators: Placement and Maintenance Tips
Gardeners can maximize lavender’s attractiveness by considering its placement and implementing bee-friendly maintenance practices. Lavender thrives best in full sun, requiring at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. Planting lavender in a sunny, open location is important because bees are cold-blooded and prefer to forage in warm, exposed areas to regulate their body temperature.
The plant requires well-drained soil, as it is naturally drought-tolerant once established and susceptible to root rot in overly moist conditions. A light layer of gravel or stone mulch around the base can improve drainage and reflect heat, creating the dry, arid environment lavender prefers. This minimal-water approach is beneficial for a healthy plant that produces highly concentrated, energetically rich nectar.
To ensure a continuous food supply, regular pruning, or deadheading, after the first flush of flowers has faded will encourage a second wave of blooms. This practice significantly extends the foraging window for bees, carrying them through late summer and early autumn. Crucially, systemic pesticides must be avoided entirely, as these chemicals are absorbed into the plant’s tissues, including the nectar and pollen, which can directly harm pollinators.