We all love a beautifully adorned garden, and the cherry on the cake is the beautiful flowers blooming in our garden. But haven’t we all lost our favorite plants and flowers in our garden?
Why does that happen to us? If that’s your question, you are in the right place. There is a phenomenon called pollination, and our gardens need pollination to survive.
So if you are looking for your garden to have some bountiful harvests, you might want to know that honey bees are ‘Nature’s best Pollinators.’
They cross-pollinate from one flower to another to produce seeds and fruits in the coming months, and that is how they have pollinated almost a sixth of the world’s crop.
Let’s take a look at the list of the plants to be included in our gardens that attract bees:
List Of Plants That Attract Bees
1. Blue Borage
Blue borage is also known as Starflower, and as the name suggests, it is a blue-colored upside-down hanging bright flower.
Since its color is so attractive, millions of bees form their hive around these. This flower replenishes its nectaries regularly, which forms the energy source for these bees. Not only is it a bee-attracting plant, but it also provides an added texture if put in a salad.
If you’re planning to plant blue borage in your garden, here’s a little tip and how you can do this. It requires a cooler temperature, around 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is a self-seeding plant germinating quite quickly, therefore for its long taproot, the soil depth needs to be at least 8 inches.
2. Sunflower
Sunflowers are known to have ample bright yellow outer petals, which are seemingly very attractive for bees.
As if it is calling out to the bees that ‘Look, I am here. Its flowers are sterile, containing thousands of tiny flowers at the center called florets.
These florets provide the sweet nectar and pollen grains that the bees require to pollinate sunflowers. Sunflowers hardly self-pollinate, and most of their seeds or flowers, i.e., up to 90 % are pollinated by bees.
To grow sunflowers, you need warm conditions and ‘full sunspots.’If you have sunflower seeds, you can directly sow them with compost acquisitions laden with sunshine.
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3. Lavender
Lavender is a fluorescent purple-colored flower. It is a highly scented plant that hits the bullseye for bees (bees can travel up to 6.5 miles from and to their beehives) as they have a great sense of smell.
It works like a charm for the bees when it is in full bloom as it gives off a magnetic appeal.
Especially bumblebee has a liking towards Lavenders. Due to its fragrance, the nectar seems sweeter to the bees, and pollen grains pollinate pretty swiftly.
Concerning lavender, bees have an extra advantage as these flowers give vast amounts of nectar in the morning of the very likes of the bees.
4. Goldenrod
They are golden yellow colored flowers known for having numerous small flowers which have nectar. They stand tall rather than lean over a plant.
Their seeds are too large and sticky; hence they can’t be dispersed through the wind. Therefore pollination by bees and other insects is essential for this plant, making it a fall pollinator plant.
Not only the nectar sipping and pollen-eating bees feed hungrily on goldenrod, but it’s one of the favorites of Monarch butterflies too.
With woody upright stems, their height varies from three to seven feet tall.
5. Crocus
Crocus is a pleasing purple-colored plant with an enticing scent that works wonders for bees.
Bees love crocus for another reason: they are the first flower to appear early on in spring. Hence it would help if you planted in autumn to get heaps of pollen and nectar for the bees.
As they are the first flower to bloom in spring, honey bees make them their central location to recover from the loss of stores in their hives and to gather enough honey for the season ahead. They grow best in Sunny spots and well-drained soil.
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6. Marjoram
Marjoram is commonly known as Oregano, also called the ‘Pizza herb.’
It is an irresistible fragrant herb. Not only bees, humans too get pulled by it. It produces a lot of nectar and is generally in flower during the peak of summer, which is the plus point for the bees.
A lot of mature hungry bees can feed themselves on Marjoram and also forage to take back food to their young nest or hives.
It is best to grow in Sunny sports, and it can tolerate a certain amount of dryness of the soil. It offers a double bonus as it has many antioxidant properties that you can add to your cooking.
7. Bee Balm
Bee Balm’s common name is Monarda. It is a bright-colored flower that comes in various colors such as pink, purple, red, and white.
It is a one-time investment plant because it’s known to be perennial, i.e., when planted once, it will bloom year after year.
It is rich in nectar when in full bloom. Its fragrant blossoms are hard to ignore by the bees.
Its aroma is said to be between that of mint and orange. Once planted, it can also provide you with antimicrobial properties, and you can use it in fruit salads, cookies, brownies, etc.
8. Cosmos
Cosmos are cheerful and showy flowers. Their open flowers are easy to attract bees. It also gives easy access to nectar.
They are self-sowing seeds, and their bloom lasts many months. Hence it is easy for bees to make it their hive spots. Rather than jumping from one flower to another, they find it easier to feed on one plant.
And Cosmos is just perfect for that. They grow well in full Sun positions acting like a solid magnet to these bees, which provide free of cost pollination services. They are easy to grow even in a challenging climate.
9. Peony
Peonies are sweet fragrant flowers having a rose, musk, or lemon-like smell. They look like fragile flowers, but they can survive the temperature up to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
They attract bees via their nectaries, and their buds drip in thick nectar, making them a perfect attractor of bees.
The flower petals of peonies are edible and can be added to your summer salad or in lemonades. They are known to live over for 100 years if kept in optimal conditions and still produce flowers. Not only flowers but several vegetable and fruit plants attract bees.
If you want to start a kitchen garden and a flower garden, you may choose some things from the following list.
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10. Tomato
It is a common vegetable plant and can be grown effortlessly in the garden. This plant attracts bumblebees.
They pollinate the tomatoes by vibrating their bodies so the pollen can flow. It is ideal for keeping the temperature for tomato plants between 21-27 degrees celsius.
11. Pumpkin
Pumpkins generally attract honeybees. In pumpkin plants, both male and female flowers are present. So honeybees pollinate this plant. Pumpkins are easy to plant, and it is a very healthy vegetable as well.
If you want to grow a pumpkin at home, you need to set the temperatures at seventy-degree Fahrenheit. Also, it is better to plant the seeds in the early monsoon.
12. Cucumber
Cucumber is a trendy vegetable as you can use it simply in daily food. Does cucumber attract bees?
Yes, they do. Generally, during summer, bees are attracted by the cucumber plants. Both cucumber and bees need each other.
You can grow this plant easily in your garden or home. Honeybees pollinate the cucumber plants during spring and summer.
Now, if you’re looking for some fruits that attract bees, you can find the information in this same article. Multiple seasonal fruits attract bees. Let’s see the top three fruits that attract bees.
13. Apple
We find apples in many gardens. Apple needs a unique environment to grow. Also, they need a cross-pollinator for which honeybees can help them.
Although, other flowers are more attractive compared to the apple to the bees. It is practical to transfer honeybees.
14. Peach
During the early fall, fruit plants like peach attach bees. Pollination always encourages more fruit production. If you have a peach garden, you should invite bees to pollinate peaches during the summer.
15. Cherry
Like Apple and Peach, the Cherry plants also attract bees. Mainly the cherry flowers attract honey bees. During the summer season, they pollinate cherry plants.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, bees face challenges these days due to abrupt changes in climate and harmful chemicals and pesticides.
So if you can ban the harmful pesticide in your garden or flower bed, these wild habitats like a bee can restore themselves.
Also, bees help to maintain the balance between ecological agriculture, at least in your area.
In this article, there is a list of the nine best plants that attract bees. You can check them out and pick some plants you like to grow in your garden. These flowers would increase the beauty of the garden along with a shade for the bees.