Wild bees are attracted to fluffy-looking flower clusters. These include goldenrod, Joe Pye weed, veronicastrum, and most members of the mint family. In addition, bees will appreciate flowers in the carrot family, as they have flat, wide umbels. To attract these insects, plant these flowers in your garden. Then, observe their behavior and the number of pollinators they can support.
Sunflowers
If you want to attract bees, consider planting sunflowers in your yard. Sunflowers are an important source of food for bees, and they will often travel miles to find them. Sunflowers also attract other beneficial insects, such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Regardless of your personal preference, there is a sunflower that will attract the bees you need. Sunflowers are native to North America, so they can be planted anywhere, even dry soil. Not only will sunflowers attract bees, but they will also help your yard look great!
There are several different types of sunflowers, including hybrid varieties that lack pollen. These varieties still produce plenty of nectar for visiting bees, but they don’t produce enough pollen to support the raising of brood. Sunflower pollen is also very important for bees, and it can cause a mess indoors. That’s why sunflowers are often chosen by beekeepers as a companion plant.
Wild geraniums
The Wild Geranium grows best in rich, humus-rich soil, but it can tolerate less-than-ideal soil. This plant also prefers an area that receives at least a moderate amount of sunlight, and is naturally drought-tolerant. Wild geranium flowers face upwards and are borne in clusters of two to five. The flowers have five rounded petals, five green sepals, ten yellow stamens, and a single pistil with five carpels.
The bright blue color of wild geranium pollen is attractive to a wide variety of insects. The flowers are not yet fully developed, but their large size helps attract pollinators. In addition to bees, these flowers are good pollinator plants for native bees. Wild geraniums are great for bee habitats. This native species of geraniums can be planted anywhere, including your lawn or garden.
The blooms of wild geranium attract many different kinds of insects, including honey bees, March flies, and leafcutter bees. The foliage and flower buds also attract chipmunks, and deer occasionally feed on the flowers. As a result, wild geranium flowers are beneficial to wildlife in many ways. It’s important to note that they can be beneficial to people too.
California lilacs
The Maritime California Lilac blooms in late January and is visited by enthusiastic bees. The oldest species reached three feet high and eight feet wide. While California Lilacs are easy to clip, it’s important to remember not to cut into wood larger than the width of a pencil. There are 50 species of the genus Ceanothus, with 41 native to California. If you’d like to attract more bees to your garden, try a California lilac.
These plants are great for attracting bees because they bloom in early spring and continue into summer. Bees are attracted to bright colors in landscapes, and lilacs are perfect. Their brilliant purple and bluish petals form dense clusters. They keep bees busy for hours at a time, ensuring their survival. Whether you grow California lilacs for pollination or for their beauty, they are a great choice.
Echinacea
There are several varieties of Echinacea, and they can all be great pollinators. Echinacea is a perennial plant that flowers from mid-summer to fall. It spreads by self-seeding and grows into large clumps. Divide clumps every three to four years, and save the seed heads for flower arrangements. Hummingbirds and bees love the nectar found in the flowers of Echinacea.
A familiar garden perennial, Echinacea attracts many different bee species, including the Green Metallic Bee, Bumble Bee, and HoneyBee. Echinacea is a great choice for pollination since it makes a good cut flower. Marigolds are also an excellent choice, as they produce plenty of pollen for beneficial insects. To attract bees, plant marigolds along with your Echinacea flowers.
Several species of Echinacea have medicinal properties. Echinacea flowers attract bees because of their bright colors and their ability to boost immune systems. However, some species of Echinacea have become endangered, as they have been used for centuries as a medicinal herb. They can help to fight infections, increase resistance to illness, and alleviate allergies. So if you’re looking for a way to attract bees to your yard, consider growing Echinacea.
Foxgloves
Bumblebees pollinate foxgloves in Europe and the Americas. The flowers’ cone-like structure protects the flower’s nectar from predators. The flower’s corolla is long and narrow, allowing only bumblebees with long tongues to reach the nectar. This characteristic has helped foxgloves gain a reputation for their pollination by bumblebees.
Common foxgloves are perennial and biennial plants that grow well in acidic soil. They have purple-pink flowers and are a major source of pollen for bees. In addition to their floral beauty, foxgloves are popular ornamental plants. Their bright flowers attract pollinators. This makes them good choices for garden borders. They can grow up to 2 metres tall.
One type of foxglove is the common foxglove, which blooms in late summer and early fall. It’s a perennial with a tapering spire of smaller flowers. Digitalis parviflora is the small flowered variety and originates from the Mediterranean region. Small flowered foxglove is a slender perennial that grows to a height of about two feet, which makes it a great choice for a garden. Moreover, it makes a striking winter silhouette. Hence, foxgloves are also used for prairie plantings.
Chives
While chives are a great vegetable for humans, they’re also a boon for bees. Chives are perennial and flower early in most climates and soil types. Their early flowering means they’re ready for pollination as soon as the weather warms up. And because they’re a perennial plant, chives will continue to produce nectar for years to come. Bees especially love the flavor of chives infused with butter, and they also make delicious pesto and salad dressings.
While chives don’t look like much, their tiny purple blossoms are a delight to bees. Not only are they edible, they’re also a great source of nectar for bees. They’re a perennial powerhouse that is easy to grow in any region. Chives are delicious in cooking and can even be blended with butter to eat as a topping for bread. Chives are also affordable, and you can find them online for as little as $4.99 a plant!
Sweet peas
If you are looking for a perennial that pollinates your garden, sweet peas are a great choice. The bi-colour flowers of this biennial flower open in July, gradually spreading around the entire plant. Although it does not have the sweet scent of its annual cousin, the perennial sweet pea is an excellent choice for your garden. It comes in varying shades of pink. The flowers of the common mallow attract honeybees. Honeybees love this plant’s wide, fragrant flowers.
Unlike other flowers, sweet peas can be grown even if you have very little space. You can grow them in large containers, or you can plant them in a container. The plants will thrive in a potting mix, such as Tui Pot Power or Container Mix. Sweet peas will need support in order to reach their full potential. The best way to support them is with bamboo cane sticks, which serve as supports for them as they grow.
Lavender
If you have lavender flowers in your garden, they may be an excellent source of nectar for bees. The lavender family includes Lavandula stoechas and Spanish lavender, both of which bloom from late winter through summer. Both lavenders thrive in full sun and require well-drained soil. In addition, lavender flowers are beneficial for bees because they attract and maintain the population of many bee species.
While lavender is known to be beneficial for the bee population, it is also attractive to wasps, which are predators that feed on the pollen and nectar of plants. Bees also help pollinate other flowers because they collect pollen and move it from one plant to another. When bees collect nectar from lavender flowers, the pollen sticks to their bodies. While this is not the ideal situation, the lavender plant relies on bees for reproduction.
The nectar from lavender flowers is small, containing just 0.002 microlitres. A honey bee’s honey stomach can only hold 50 microlitres, so lavender flowers would have to be visited 2,500 times by bees in order to fill it. This would require the bees to visit each flower for 3.5 seconds. The researchers based their study on data collected at the LASI by PhD student Nick Balfour. The study was conducted under the supervision of Professor Francis Ratnieks.