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Want to make your garden a favorite spot for bees? Check out these 15 amazing flowers that are sure to attract bees and add some life to your outdoor space. Planting these beauties is not only a treat for the eyes but also a big help to our pollinator friends.
Lavender
Who does not love lavender? With its gorgeous purple blooms and soothing scent, it is a hit in any garden. It flowers from late spring to early summer, adding a splash of color when you need it most. Bees cannot resist lavender! The strong smell draws them in, and the flowers are full of sweet nectar.
Borage
Borage grows just once a year from mid-summer to early fall. It has cool, star-shaped flowers that are sky blue in color. Bees are big fans of borage because its flowers are like little nectar cafés. Borage drops its seeds after flowering, so you are likely to see it come back year after year.
Sunflower
These tall, cheerful plants are like the skyscrapers of the garden. Their bright yellow flowers are perfect for bees to gather nectar and pollen, making them a hive of activity in the summer. The large, inviting flower heads make it a perfect landing spot for bees to rest and feast.
Coneflower
The purple coneflower is a real bee magnet. Bees love wildflowers for their bright colors, and they flock to these plants for both the sweet nectar and the pollen. These flowers add a long-lasting splash of color to your garden. The coneflower needs minimal to no fertilizer, making it a low-maintenance choice for a bee-friendly garden.
Sage
Sage is a versatile plant that comes back year after year and sometimes just sticks around for a season. It has spikes of flowers that come in cool blues, purples, and even crisp whites. The flowers are shaped like little tubes, which are perfect for bees to dive into and grab some nectar and pollen.
Goldenrod
When autumn arrives, goldenrod takes center stage in the garden with its vibrant golden blooms. It is not just a feast for the eyes; it is a bee hotspot, too. As many flowers start to fade, goldenrod steps up, offering bees a sweet source of nectar when they need it most. This hardy perennial is a low-maintenance superstar.
Cosmos
Cosmos is another annual flower that is great for attracting bees. If you plant them in early summer, they usually start blooming in midsummer and until the first frost. These tall plants can have big, eye-catching flowers that come in white, pink, lavender, maroon, and, more recently, yellow.
Bee Balm
If you are planting bee balm, go for the lavender or white kinds instead of the red ones. The long, tube-shaped flowers really appeal to bees with long tongues, like honeybees and bumblebees, but they might not be as accessible to bees with shorter tongues, like miner bees and sweat bees.
Snapdragon
Snapdragons are like a magnet for bumblebees, thanks to their sweet smell. Bees push open the flowers to get to the yummy nectar inside. Snapdragons are perfect for adding some color to your garden in the cooler months of spring and fall. Moreover, they give bees a much-needed snack during those times.
Black-Eyed Susan
Black-eyed Susan is a native North American plant that is a hit with honeybees, who flock to its bright yellow flowers with brown centers. This tough perennial thrives in slightly acidic soil and either full sun or a bit of shade. To keep the flowers and bee nectar coming, just snip off the spent blooms.
Lamb’s Ear
Lamb’s ear is a plant with soft, fuzzy leaves that feels like a lamb’s ear. It is tough and can handle different kinds of soil and sunlight. It grows tall spikes of purple flowers that bees (and hummingbirds) love. Lamb’s ear does not need much water, and deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone.
Catmint
Catmint is a favorite among gardeners and bees because of its fragrant leaves and purple flowers. It is such a strong grower that you might find yourself with more than you need, but you can easily keep it in check by cutting off the old flowers. Giving the plants a trim will also help them flower again.
Lantana
Lantana might look like just a bunch of small flowers, but it is a big deal for pollinators like bees and butterflies. People usually grow lantana as an annual in their gardens or in pots, but some types can grow big, with orange and yellow flowers. Lantana is a tough plant that is perfect for coastal areas.
Grape Hyacinth
Grape hyacinth is a delightfully fragrant flower that brightens up the early spring garden, and bees absolutely love it. It gets its name from its bunches of blue flowers that look a bit like grapes. To enjoy their springtime color, plant grape hyacinth bulbs in the fall, choose a place that drains well and gets sunlight.
Sweet Alyssum
What brings bees buzzing around? The smell of honey. Sweet alyssum might be a small plant, but its clusters of tiny white, pink, or violet flowers have a sweet scent that bees cannot resist. You can use sweet alyssum as a low-growing plant in your garden, pairing it with taller flowers for a nice contrast.
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