The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. Every species here is genuinely native to Connecticut and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Connecticut's cool, humid continental climate across Northeastern Coastal Forest, not a generic list. Local standouts include New England Aster and Arrowwood Viburnum. 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.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — happy in clay and loam soil, blooming in Sep and Oct.
Viburnum dentatum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, happy in clay and loam soil and flowering in May and Jun.
Mertensia virginica
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; spreading 12–18 in, it blooms Mar through May.
Tiarella cordifolia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; hardy in zones 3–8, it flowers in Apr and May.
Coreopsis lanceolata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 1.5–2 ft, it blooms May through Jul.
Pycnanthemum muticum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, reaching 2–3 ft and flowering from Jul to Sep.
Geranium maculatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — for loam ground, blooming from Apr to Jun.
Liatris spicata
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — magenta flowers, blooming in Jul and Aug.
Monarda fistulosa
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies; 1.5–2 ft wide, it blooms Jun through Aug.
Amelanchier canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, 10–20 ft wide and flowering in Apr and May.
Cercis canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — rose-magenta flowers, blooming in Mar and Apr.
Zizia aurea
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and flowering from Apr to Jun.
Echinacea purpurea
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 2–4 ft and flowering from Jun to Sep.
Hydrangea arborescens
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — 3–5 ft wide, blooming from Jun to Aug.
Achillea millefolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — 1.5–2 ft wide, blooming from May to Aug.
Ilex verticillata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — reaching 5–10 ft, blooming in Jun and Jul.
Penstemon digitalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; cold-hardy to zone 3, it flowers in May and Jun.
Agastache foeniculum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, lavender-blue flowers and flowering from Jun to Sep.
Cornus florida
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; white bracts flowers, it flowers in Apr and May.
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; white candelabra flowers, it blooms Jun through Aug.
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — white pincushions flowers, blooming from Jun to Aug.
Phlox divaricata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — spreading 12–18 in, blooming in Apr and May.
Rudbeckia hirta
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, 12–18 in wide and flowering from Jun to Sep.
Aquilegia canadensis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; spreading 12–18 in, it blooms Apr through Jun.
21 more also qualify: Scarlet Beebalm, Obedient Plant, Showy Goldenrod, Great Blue Lobelia, Butterfly Weed, Wild Bleeding Heart, Swamp Milkweed, Spotted Joe-Pye Weed, Common Boneset, Inkberry Holly, Wild Lupine, Ninebark, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, American Elderberry, Bearberry, Creeping Phlox, New Jersey Tea.
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.