California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, spreading 6–15 ft and flowering from Mar to May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
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Collection
Native Plants for Bees
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice.
Tip: open your state below for the version of this list filtered to plants native to your region and hardy in your zone.
The plants
76 native species in this collection.
Most of our native bees are solitary and unfussy, but they depend on a steady supply of pollen-rich, single (not double) flowers. Open daisy and umbel shapes are easiest for short-tongued bees, while tubular flowers reward the long-tongued bumblebees. Skip pesticides entirely and leave some bare, undisturbed ground and pithy stems where ground- and stem-nesting bees raise their young.
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, it blooms Mar through Jun.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, lemon gold flowers and flowering from Mar to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — 20–30 ft tall, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, spreading 12–18 in and flowering from Mar to May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil and flowering in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; rose-pink tassels flowers, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, spreading 12–18 in and flowering from Mar to May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; white roses, pink plumes flowers, it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, it blooms Apr through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; 25–50 ft tall, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — reaching 15–25 ft, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, for loam ground and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — chartreuse-gold flowers, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; spreading 12–18 in, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; 15–25 ft tall, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — reaching 1.5–3 ft, blooming from Apr to Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; reaching 12–18 in, it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; happy in rocky and loam soil, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; 1.5–2 ft tall, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, hardy in zones 3–8 and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; cold-hardy to zone 3, it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — reaching 1–2 ft, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; reaching 1.5–3 ft, it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Browse by state
For bees, near you.
Native ranges differ across the country — open your state for the list that actually applies to your yard.
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Sourcing
Where to find for bees plants
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.