Plants For Bees

Plants For Bees

by Anita Deeley at BeverlyBees.com

Keep reading to learn all about the best plants for bees, the time of year they are available and how to plant a bee friendly garden. All these plants are great bee forage and the best pollen and nectar producers for bees and native pollinators in the Northeastern United States.  There may be additional bee plants in your area. This page is a work in progress so check back soon for updates.

How To Plant A Bee Friendly Garden

Attract honeybees into your yard by planting a bee friendly garden. Your vegetables will thank you! Click Here To Learn How To Plant A Bee Friendly Garden.

Honeybees enjoying the wildflower garden.
Learn how to plant your garden to attract bees and what plants bees enjoy.

Late Winter and Early Spring Forage For Bees

These bee plants bloom in late winter and early spring. They are great sources of pollen and nectar when not much else is available for bees to forage on.  Pollen is essential for brood rearing this time of year when bees are coming out of a long winter and need to rebuild their population for the honey flow.

Snowdrops: Winter Forage For Bees

Learn how to plant snowdrops and what their benefits are to honey bees and native pollinators. Click here to learn how to Plant Snowdrops For Bees.

Blooms: Feb/March   Bee Forage: Pollen & Nectar  Pollen Color: Yellow Orange

One of my bees on a patch of snowdrops in early March.
Snowdrops are a late winter blooming plant that provide both pollen and nectar for bees. Learn more about planting snowdrops here.

Eastern Skunk Cabbage: A Heater For Bees

It’s flower may be stinky, but Eastern Skunk Cabbage is a wonderful flower for bees and native pollinators.  It provides pollen, shelter and warmth for foraging bees.

Blooms: Feb-April   Bee Forage: Pollen  Pollen Color: Light Yellow

"Skunk cabbage in bloom" by Benny Mazur
Learn the little known secret of Skunk Cabbage here. “Skunk cabbage in bloom” by Benny Mazur via Creative Commons.

Siberian Squill: Beautiful Blue Pollen

Siberian Squill’s steel-blue pollen is stunning, it is a wonderful early spring food source for bees and easy to grow.

Blooms: March/April   Bee Forage: Pollen & Nectar   Pollen Color: Blue

Honeybee on Siberian Squill
Siberian Squill is easy to grow and can be planted right in your lawn.

Crocus: Early Spring Forage For Bees

Spring blooming crocuses provide one of the first pollen sources of the year in many locations at a time when not much food is available for bees to gather.

Blooms: March/April   Bee Forage: Pollen  Pollen Color: Orange Yellow

Photo by photogirl7.1 via creative commons license.
Crocus come in several colors and are a great pollen source for bees! Photo by photogirl7.1 via creative commons license.

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