Bee forage plants are among the most important plants for wild bees, honey bees and bumblebees. They provide the insects with enough food throughout the year. 60 bee-friendly plants are introduced to you in this article.

20 ornamental flowers and perennials as bee forage plants

Numerous plants that can be cultivated in your own garden are described as bee-friendly. Bee forage plants provide various types of bumblebees and bees with the two most important nutrients that are necessary for the supply of the colony or solitary specimens:

  • pollen
  • nectar

To provide insects with a simple food source, consider growing flowering bee forage plants. Species that fit into virtually any garden include flowering plants and ornamental perennials, which also have a great effect on bees, such as dandelion (Taraxacum sect. ruderalia). Many of them attract with an aromatic scent. 20 suitable bee forage plants can be found in the following list:

1. Alpine goose cress (Arabis alpina)

  • Flowering time: mid-March to autumn or winter
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 10 to 40 cm

2. Mountain Aster (Aster amellus)

The mountain aster is very popular with flying insects.
  • Flowering period: July to mid-October
  • Flower color: blue-violet
  • Growth height: 10 to 70 cm

3. Blood cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum)

Source: Isidre blanc, GERANIUM SANGUINEUM - AGUDA - IB-722 (Gerani sanguini), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Flowering period: mid-May to late September
  • Flower color: reddish purple
  • Growth height: 15 to 60 cm

4. Christmas rose (Helleborus niger)

Christmas Rose - Snow Rose - Helleborus niger
  • Flowering time: November to May (strongly dependent on climate)
  • Flower color: white, red
  • Growth height: 10 to 40 cm

5. Spotted Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis)

  • Flowering time: March to mid-May
  • Flower color: red, later blue
  • Growth height: 10 to 40 cm

6. Smooth-leaf aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii)

Source: Rob Young from United Kingdom, Sapphire (Aster Novi-Belgii) (2873028696), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Flowering time: September to the end of October
  • Flower color: white, violet, crimson, lilac
  • Growth height: up to 200 cm

7. Autumn Anemone (Anemone hupehensis)

Autumn Anemone, Anemone hupehensis
  • Flowering period: July to mid-October
  • Flower color: white, pink, red, purple
  • Growth height: 5 to 12 cm

8. Evergreen candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

  • Flowering time: May
  • Flower color: white, later soft pink
  • Growth height: up to 30 cm

9. Little Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis)

  • Flowering time: early February to mid-March, rarely April
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 5 to 18 cm

10. Small grape hyacinth (Muscari botryoides)

Source: Algirdas at Lithuanian Wikipedia, Muscari botryoides, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Flowering time: April to mid-June
  • Flower color: blue
  • Growth height: up to 20 cm

11. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)

  • Flowering period: late May to late September
  • Flower color: intense blue or violet
  • Growth height: 15 to 90 cm

12. Crocus (Crocus)

  • Flowering period: February to March, September to November (depending on species)
  • Flower color: white, yellow, lilac, violet
  • Growth height: up to 15 cm

13. Lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis)

  • Flowering time: February to mid-April
  • Flower color: white, green, pink, light purple
  • Growth height: 25 to 40 cm

14. Eryngium (eryngium)

  • Flowering period: July to August
  • Flower color: blue, green, violet (depending on species)
  • Growth height: up to 100 cm

15. March cup (Leucojum vernum)

  • Flowering time: February to mid-April
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 15 to 30 cm

16. Snow heather (Erica carnea)

Source: Leo Michels, Erica carnea IP0803009, Edited by Plantopedia, CC0 1.0
  • Flowering period: January to mid-April
  • Flower color: light pink, pink, red
  • Growth height: up to 30 cm

17. Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

  • Flowering period: late June to late September
  • Flower color: yellow
  • Growth height: 100 to 300 cm

18. Turkish Poppy (Papaver orientale)

Turkish poppy, Papaver orientale
  • Flowering period: mid-May to late June
  • Flower color: intense red
  • Growth height: up to 100 cm

19. Winterling (Eranthis hyemalis)

Winter Agaric, Eranthis hyemalis
  • Flowering period: early February to mid-March
  • Flower color: yellow
  • Growth height: 5 to 20 cm

20. Two-Leaf Squill (Scilla bifolia)

  • Flowering time: early March to April
  • Flower color: blue, grey-blue
  • Growth height: 5 to 20 cm

Notice: Don't be surprised if the number of butterflies in your garden increases when you cultivate bee forage plants. Butterflies also benefit from plants that are bee friendly and provide large amounts of nectar.

20 bee-friendly shrubs and trees

Shrubs are one of the most popular bee forage plants in your own garden. Many trees and shrubs are bee-friendly and provide the insects with sufficient food throughout the appropriate season. Like the species already presented, they bloom at certain times of the year, so keep that in mind when planning. Grow different bee forage crops for each season from the beginning of spring to the end of autumn so the bees don't go hungry. These plants are recommended:

1. Apple (Malus domestica)

Malus, apple tree
  • Flowering time: May
  • Flower color: white, pale pink
  • Growth height: 800 to 1,500 cm

2. Bearded Beard (Caryopteris)

beard flower
  • Flowering period: August to late September
  • Flower color: blue, purple
  • Growth height: up to 70 cm

3. Bee tree (Tetradium daniellii)

Source: Krzysztof Golik, Tetradium daniellii in Jardin des plantes de Montpellier 03, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
  • Flowering period: early June to late August
  • Flower color: white, light brown
  • Growth height: up to 2,000 cm (depending on location)

4. Blackberry (Rubus sect. Rubus)

  • Flowering period: May to late August
  • Flower color: white, pink
  • Growth height: 50 to 300 cm

5. False Jasmine (Philadelphus coronarius)

Philadelphus coronarius
  • Flowering period: June to July
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: up to 400 cm

6. Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)

  • Flowering period: late May to September
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 200 to 400 cm

7. Common hazel (Corylus avellana)

Corylus avellana
  • Flowering time: February to March, more rarely from January
  • Flower color: yellowish
  • Growth height: 500 to 600 cm

8. Serviceberry (Amelanchier ovalis)

Source: Joan Simon from Barcelona, España, Amelanchier ovalis (5650554609), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: up to 250 cm

9. Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium)

  • Flowering period: March to late June
  • Flower color: yellow
  • Growth height: up to 180 cm

10. Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos)

rose marshmallow
  • Flowering time: June or July
  • Flower color: white, pink
  • Growth height: up to 200 cm

11. Raspberries (Rubus idaeus)

  • Flowering time: mid-May to August
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 60 to 200 cm

12. Japanese Cord Tree (Styphnolobium japonicum)

Source: Luis Fernández García, Styphnolobium-japonicum-20130915, Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Flowering period: August to the end of October
  • Flower color: creamy white
  • Growth height: up to 3,000 cm

13. Currants (Ribes)

  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flower color: white, yellow, pink, red, purple
  • Growth height: 100 to 150 cm

14. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)

Cornelian cherry, Cornus mas
  • Flowering time: early March to April
  • Flower color: golden yellow
  • Growth height: 400 to 800 cm

15. Privet (Ligustrum vulgare)

  • Flowering period: June to late July
  • Flower color: white, cream
  • Growth height: 150 to 450 cm

16. Sal willow (Salix caprea)

  • Flowering time: Beginning of March to April, more rarely at the end of February
  • Flower color: silver, yellow (male), greenish (female)
  • Growth height: 200 to 1,000 cm

17. Sloe (Prunus spinosa)

Blackthorn, Prunus spinosa
  • Flowering time: March to mid-April
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: up to 500 cm (depending on upbringing)

18. Gooseberries (Ribes uva-crispa)

  • Flowering time: April to mid-May
  • Flower color: green, red
  • Growth height: 60 to 150 cm

19. Sweet cherry (Prunus avium)

Prunus avium, wild cherry, sweet cherry
  • Flowering time: April to late May
  • Flower color: white
  • Growth height: 2,000 to 3,000 cm

20. Hawthorn (Crataegus)

Crataegus, Hawthorn
  • Flowering time: April to May
  • Flower color: white, pink, red
  • Growth height: 200 to 1,200 cm

Tip: If you are a fan of roses, you should only rely on undouble wild rose species to make them accessible to bees. Bee-friendly species include yellow rose (Rosa foetida), burnet rose (Rosa spinosissima), tufted rose (Rosa multiflora), cinnamon rose (Rosa majalis) and classics like dog rose (Rosa canina), potato rose (Rosa rugosa). ) or the apple rose (Rosa villosa).

6 climbing plants for bees

A wide variety of climbing plants can also be bee-friendly. As bee forage plants, they offer a great benefit to small gardens as they can be cultivated in all sorts of forms. Gladly seen is a screen that is visited by bees and bumblebees during the flowering period. 6 types can be used for this purpose:

1. Broad-leaved vetchling (Lathyrus latifolius)

  • Flowering time: June to the end of August
  • Flower color: pink, red
  • Growth height or length: 50 to 300 cm

2. Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

  • Flowering time: up to 1,000 cm (self-supporting), 2,000 to 3,000 cm (with climbing aid)
  • Flower color: light blue, bluish violet
  • Growth height or length:

3. Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium)

Source: Åsa Berndtsson, Kaprifol Lonicera caprifolium (20894240799), Edited by Plantopedia, CC BY 2.0
  • Flowering period: May to mid-July
  • Flower color: white to pink
  • Growth height or length: up to 200 cm

4. Ivy (Hedera helix)

  • Flowering period: September to late October or early November
  • Flower color: yellow-green
  • Growth height or length: 2,000 to 3,000 cm

5. Clematis (Clematis)

  • Flowering period: early June to August
  • Flower color: white, yellow, cream, green, pink, red, blue, purple (depending on species)
  • Growth height or length: 200 to 600 cm

6. Virginia creeper (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris)

  • Flowering period: June to late July
  • Flower color: yellow-green
  • Growth height or length: 500 to 4,000 cm

Notice: The cultivation of the dioecious bryony (Bryonia dioica) can also be an option. It is specially flown to by the broom bee (Andrena florea), which exclusively uses the species of the genus as a food source.

Bee-friendly: 14 herbs

Bees cannot only be attracted to trees or flowering plants. If you tend an herb garden, you can expect buzzing visitors as you let the crops flower. This is how classic medicinal plants and kitchen herbs are made bee-friendly. It's a good idea to always plant more plants than you need, so you can enjoy some of the specimens in bloom. If you want to attract bees with herbs, bet in the following ways:

Lovage, Levisticum officinale
  • Savory (Satureja hortensis)
  • Borage (Borago officinalis)
  • Dill (Anethum graveolens)
  • Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
  • Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
  • Lavender (Lavandula)
  • Lovage (Levisticum officinale)
  • Mint (Mentha)
  • Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
  • Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
  • Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
  • Sage (Salvia officinalis)
  • thyme (thymus)
  • Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

Borage in particular is known to be a real bee magnet and you should give it a try. A big advantage of herbs as bee food plants is the possibility to keep them in pots. Even urban gardens, terraces or balconies can be designed to be bee-friendly.

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Garden plants