Bees are crucial pollinators, responsible for a significant portion of plant reproduction and food crop yields. These insects transfer pollen between flowering plants, a process fundamental to biodiversity and human agriculture. Understanding the specific floral signals that attract bees is the first step toward creating effective habitats in any garden space. This article provides practical guidance on selecting and planting the best flora to support these insect populations.
Understanding How Bees Choose Flowers
Bees locate food sources efficiently using a combination of visual and olfactory cues. Unlike humans, bees perceive light in the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, which changes how flowers appear to them. Many flowers feature UV patterns, known as nectar guides, that are invisible to the human eye. These guides appear as distinct bullseyes or landing strips to the foraging bee, directing them toward the pollen and nectar reserves.
The insect’s trichromatic vision is tuned to ultraviolet, blue, and green light, making flowers in the blue, violet, and yellow ranges especially visible and attractive. Bees often perceive red flowers as dull or dark, as this color falls outside their visible spectrum. Bees also use their highly sensitive antennae to detect volatile organic compounds released by flowers, which serve as complex scent trails. These olfactory signals allow bees to locate a bloom from a distance, even before they are close enough to see its color or UV pattern.
Top Plant Recommendations for Pollinators
Selecting the right plants means choosing those that offer substantial rewards in the form of accessible nectar and protein-rich pollen. Bees often prefer single-petaled varieties over highly bred double-flowered types. Grouping plant choices into categories helps ensure variety and habitat function across the landscape.
Culinary Herbs
Many common culinary herbs are excellent forage plants, often possessing strong, appealing scents. Lavender (Lavandula) is highly attractive, providing nectar-rich purple or blue spikes that bloom across a long season. Catmint (Nepeta) produces numerous small, blue-to-purple flowers highly attractive to various native bee species. Borage (Borago officinalis) is a quickly growing annual herb known for its star-shaped blue flowers, which offer abundant, readily available nectar. Planting these herbs near vegetable gardens naturally encourages pollination activity in those areas.
Native Wildflowers
Native wildflowers are particularly beneficial because they have co-evolved with local bee species, ensuring the highest utility of their pollen and nectar. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a robust perennial that tolerates varied conditions and attracts a wide range of insects. Milkweed (Asclepias) is recognized for its importance to Monarch butterflies, but its clusters of flowers also provide significant nectar and pollen for foraging bees. Late-season bloomers like Asters (Symphyotrichum) and Goldenrods (Solidago) are helpful, supplying essential food resources as other plants begin to fade.
Shrubs and Trees
Flowering shrubs and trees can provide massive amounts of forage in a compact space, especially during early spring when resources are scarce. Willow (Salix species) and Maple (Acer species) are among the first plants to bloom, offering pollen and nectar to bees emerging from winter dormancy. The Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is a North American native shrub that produces sphere-shaped flowers packed with pollen and nectar. The Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is a large shrub or small tree whose fragrant white flowers bloom in late summer, providing a welcome food source when mid-summer blooms are declining.
Creating a Continuous Bee-Friendly Landscape
Designing a landscape that supports bees requires planning beyond choosing individual plants. A successful strategy involves ensuring a continuous supply of food from spring until the first hard frost. This is achieved by selecting a diverse mix of species with staggered bloom times, such as pairing early-flowering bulbs with mid-season perennials and late-blooming shrubs.
Planting flowers in large, distinct groupings, often called mass planting, is more effective than scattering individual plants. Bees are efficient foragers that prefer to visit many flowers of the same type in one trip, a behavior known as floral constancy. Large patches of color and scent make it easier for them to locate a desired food source and maximize their foraging efficiency.
Providing a reliable water source is necessary for hydration and cooling, particularly during warm weather. A shallow dish filled with pebbles or gravel offers safe landing spots for bees to drink without falling into the water. Maintenance practices also influence the viability of the habitat, especially concerning chemical treatments.
Systemic insecticides, particularly neonicotinoids like imidacloprid and clothianidin, are absorbed by the plant and can persist in pollen and nectar, exposing bees to toxins over time. Avoiding all broad-spectrum pesticides is highly recommended. Gardeners should inquire at nurseries about whether plants have been pre-treated with systemic chemicals. Leaving small patches of bare, undisturbed soil also helps support ground-nesting native bee species, which make up a significant portion of the total bee population.