Bees and flowers have a mutualistic relationship with each other. Bees provide flowers with the means to reproduce, which is done by spreading pollen from flower to flower.
On the other hand, flowers provide bees with nectar, a source of food that they take to feed their colonies. For this reason, you should consider a garden full of flowering plants for bees. Not only would you benefit from the beautiful flowers in your garden, but helping the bees as well.
There are many plants for bees, but in this article, we will show you the best plants for bees.
1. Alyssum
- Plant Type: Annual
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Alyssum is low-growing flower plants that are great at attracting bees. Since they usually don’t grow taller than 5 inches, they can be grown in an outdoor garden as a ground cover, containers, and even hanging baskets. These flowering plants come in a variety of different colors, and mixing them with different colors will make your garden brilliant.
When planting alyssum for bees, you’ll want to plant it somewhere in full sunlight. They need as much sunlight as possible to produce nectar for the bees. Since they are flowering plants, they will need plenty of water as well. Lightly water them 2-3 times daily, usually early in the morning and late in the evening.
Alyssum seeds are available at your local nursery store or you can buy them online.
2. Aster
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot, slugs and snails, nematodes
Aster is related to daisies in appearance due to their starry-shaped flower heads. They come in many different colors, which will make your garden very colorful. These are late bloomers which means they bloom in the late summer and early fall season. This makes them a great flower to grow fie bees.
This flower has many different species and varieties. They come in a lot of different colors and can grow from 8 inches to over 7 feet tall! So be sure to check the species first before planting them in your garden.
As for location, they can be planted anywhere in your garden and even inside your home. They make great flowers for growing along borders, in the rock gardens, and in wildflower gardens. The more aster you have in the garden, the more bees will come.
Aster seeds are available at your local nursery store or you can buy them online.
3. Bee balm
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Bee balm (Monarda) is a fragrant, perennial herb that’s loved by bees. It grows in full sun and well-drained soil, and its purple or pink flowers make it a beautiful addition to any garden.
Bee balm attracts pollinators such as bees, beetles, and butterflies with its bright colors, sweet scent, and nectar-rich blooms. It’s particularly attractive to bees because it blooms from mid-summer until fall when other plants have already lost their blooms but still need food sources to survive through the winter months ahead.
4. Calendula
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Calendula oil has antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s particularly useful for helping prevent skin infections such as impetigo (a bacterial infection of the skin) or eczema. Calendula can also be used to treat minor wounds, cuts, and burns.
In addition to its benefits for human health, calendula is also great for bees! Here are some ways you can help your bees by planting calendula:
Make bee-friendly plantings around your house (or even in your garden). Bees love calendulas because they’re easy to access from their hive entrance — just step outside and pick some flowers! You can also grow them in containers on your patio or deck so they’re easier for your bees to access when it comes time for pollination.
Plant some wildflowers nearby so bees have plenty of pollen sources during the growing season.
5. Cosmea
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Cosmea plants are a staple of any bee garden. They attract a wide variety of pollinators, from honeybees and bumblebees to sweat bees and butterflies.
The flowers are very attractive with many colors available depending on the variety you purchase. The most common colors are white and pink, but you can also find yellow, orange, and purple varieties available as well.
The flowers will bloom over an extended period of time which makes them great for attracting pollinators throughout the season instead of just one day like some other types of flowers does.
6. Daylily
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
The daylily plant is a perennial that blooms during the summer and early fall. It is a favorite of bees and butterflies because of the variety of colors that it offers. The flowers can be white, purple, pink, or red and they have a slight fragrance.
The daylily plant grows from eight to 24 inches tall and has leaves that are three to five inches long. The plant is easy to grow from seed and will produce flowers for up to five years. Daylilies doesn’t need water too often so you won’t need to worry about them too much.
Daylilies are known for their long blooming period, but they also come in several colors, including pink and yellow as well as darker hues like reds and purples. In fact, there are more than 2,000 cultivars available for gardeners who want something unique in their flower gardens.
Daylilies are climbers that spread out from the base instead of growing upward like most other types of plants do. They have long stems with clusters of flowers at their tops that look similar to daffodils but without frilly petals or fragrances. Daylilies come in many different colors — white, pink, yellow, and orange among them — which makes them attractive to both people and pollinators alike.
7. Delphinium
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Delphinium attracts bees and butterflies. Delphinium flowers are really pretty, but they’re also very useful to pollinators. Bees especially love them.
Delphiniums come in many different colors, including blues, purples, reds, and pinks. They’re native to Europe, Asia, and North America and grow best in full sun and well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. The flowers last for weeks if you deadhead them regularly, but if you don’t want to spend that much time on them, just let them go to seed as soon as possible (June/July).
Caring for delphiniums is easy because they don’t need much water or fertilizer. Just make sure they get at least six hours of sunlight each day and water only when the soil is dry to touch (about once a week).
If your garden has poor drainage or heavy clay soil, plant delphiniums in raised beds filled with compost-rich topsoil mixed with sand or gravel. You can also plant them along fence lines or drainage ditches where they’ll get plenty of sun while being protected from harsh winds by tall trees or shrubs such as lilac or boxwood.
8. Dianthus
- Plant Type: Annual, Biennial, Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Dianthus flowers are a source of nectar for bees, butterflies, and other insects. The flowers are commonly known as clove pinks and come in a variety of colors from pure white to deep red. Dianthus bulbs can be planted in the fall or early spring.
Dianthus needs full sun and well-drained soil. It grows best in average, medium moisture conditions, but will not tolerate standing water.
To grow dianthus, plant the bulbs with the pointed end up and at least 2 inches below the surface of the soil. Space them 6 inches apart with 8 to 10 inches between rows. The plants will reach 12 to 18 inches high at maturity and bloom throughout the summer months.
9. Fennel
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Bees need flowers with pollen and nectar to survive, so when you plant a bee-friendly garden, you’re helping bees.
Fennel is a great bee-friendly plant because it’s a perennial herb that produces seeds that are especially attractive to bees. Bees love fennel flowers in the springtime, which means they’ll be busy pollinating your crops!
In addition to the flowers and seeds, fennel leaves have many uses in the garden. They can be used as mulch around other plants, as well as added to compost piles. The leaves are also edible and make a tasty addition to salads or stir-fry dishes.
10. Globe Thistle
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Globe Thistle is a wonderful plant for bees. It is one of the few plants that bloom at the same time as honeybees appear in the spring. When you plant it, be sure to let the seeds fall where they may and spread out over the ground. The bees will do the rest.
Globe Thistle is an ideal addition to your pollinator garden because it blooms early in the year, when other plants are not yet in bloom. In fact, Globe Thistle may be one of the first flowers open in your yard! It also attracts bees later in the season with its nectar and pollen.
In addition to providing nectar and pollen for bees, Globe Thistle provides food for other beneficial insects such as butterflies and moths. It’s also a food source for birds during migration periods or when their normal food sources aren’t available.
11. Goldenrod
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 8
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Goldenrod is a beautiful, tall flower with yellow flowers that bloom in late summer and early fall.
Goldenrod is one of the most important plants for bees because it produces a lot of nectar. Nectar is what bees use to make honey.
The blooms attract many different types of bees including honeybees, leafcutter bees and sweat bees.
Bees love goldenrods because they are easy to pollinate (see below). If a bee lands on the flower and finds pollen there, it will pick up some of it on its legs and body so when it goes on to visit another flower, it can drop off some pollen as well. This is how pollination happens!
Goldenrods grow in fields and along roadsides but they can also be found in yards and gardens where they are left alone by homeowners who don’t want them taking over their yard space!
12. Lavender
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, leaf spot
Lavender contains many beneficial compounds that help bees thrive. The essential oils found in lavender can be used as a natural pesticide and antiseptic. The flowers are also great at attracting bees and other pollinators.
Lavender benefits bees through its ability to repel pests such as ants and spiders from hives. Ants and spiders often invade hives when they detect chemicals released during cleaning flights by worker bees. Lavender helps eliminate these chemicals so that ants can climb the plant.
You can grow lavender in your garden or in pots. Both places are fine for growing this plant. Lavender doesn’t need water too often so it makes them easy to care for.
13. Marigolds
- Plant Type: Annual
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 2 to 11
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, snails, slugs, caterpillars
Marigolds are easy to grow and will bloom all summer long. They are a great plant for bees]. Marigolds have a high nectar content, which means they’ll attract lots of pollinators to your garden.
Marigolds are also known as Mexican marigolds and African marigolds. The flowers come in many different colors, including orange, yellow and red. Some varieties even have variegated leaves that have white or yellow stripes on them.
Marigold plants grow quickly and can reach heights of up to 4 feet tall (1.2 meters). They’re perfect for containers because they don’t need much space and you don’t need to water marigolds too often.
Marigolds like full sun but will tolerate partial shade as long as it gets 6 hours of sunlight every day. If you’re planting marigolds in your vegetable garden, make sure they get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day so they don’t compete with your veggies for nutrients and water.
Marigolds like well-drained soil that’s slightly sandy with a pH between 6 and 8 (slightly acidic). Don’t worry if you don’t know what your soil pH is — just use some compost when planting marigolds.
14. Sage
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: Aphids, thrips, whiteflies, and spider mites
Sage is another favorite flowering plant for bees. They are easy to care for and don’t require much maintenance since sage doesn’t need a lot of sun and water. You can grow them in a garden by themselves or grow them along with other flowering plants. They come in different colors such as blue, red, purple, orange, pink, yellow, white, green, and brown. And a few even come with multicolored flowers. So besides being easy to care for, they offer a variety of colors to make your garden beautiful.
Another reason that makes sage great is the many uses it has. Sage is not only great for bees but great for cooking, medicinal use, and fragrance. So why not try growing some sage in your garden and enjoy all the benefits from it?
Sage seeds are available at your local nursery store or you can buy them online.
15. Common Daisy
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Exposure: Full sun
- USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
- When to plant: Early to mid-spring
- Recommended location: Outdoor
- Pests and Diseases: snails, leaf spot
This is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow. They can be grown indoors or outdoors, in containers or in the ground. When it comes to bees, daisies are sure to attract plenty of bees to them.
Since daisies are native flowering plants, you’ll want to grow and watch their growth. If you don’t monitor them, they can spread quickly.
Things To Consider
Seasons for Planting
Flowering plants have their growing season. Some grow only during the spring and summer months, while others grow during the fall and winter months. For this reason, if you’re planning to have bees making regular stops in your garden throughout the year, you’ll want to plant the right flowering plants. Some flowers are perennial which means they regrow every spring, while annual plants live for only one growing season and die.
Avoid the Use Of Pesticides
Pesticides are something that you should avoid completely. Most pesticides and insecticides contain neonicotinoids. This chemical not only kills pests but bees as well. Instead, if you have the need to use pesticides, try organic pesticides. They not only keep pests away from your garden but are also great for the environment.
Build Bee Houses
This is something you should consider if you want bees in your garden often. Build a couple of bee houses in and around your garden. It doesn’t have to be fancy looking, just nice enough that bees can nest in it.
Bee houses are fairly simple to build and require just the basic tools such as hammers, nails, and wood boarding. All of these can be found at your local hardware store or online. On the other hand, if you prefer not to build one yourself, you can just buy them at the hardware store or Amazon online store.
After you have the bee house built or bought, find a location that has shades or somewhere away from direct sunlight. Also, make sure the entrance to the bee house is facing downward at about 10 degrees. This is to ensure no rain can get into the bee house.
Lawn Weeds
Lawn weeds such as dandelions make great plants for bees. These are native plants to the bees and provide pollen early in the season. Since dandelions grow along with the grasses in the yard, most people prefer not to have them. If that’s the case, you can grow just the dandelion plants in the garden. Another option would be to leave a patch of grass for dandelions to grow.
