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 Delaware and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Delaware's mild, humid climate across Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens & Piedmont, not a generic list. Local standouts include Spotted Joe-Pye Weed and Foamflower. 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 zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Eutrochium maculatum
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — happy in clay and loam soil, blooming from Jul to Sep.
Tiarella cordifolia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — for loam ground, blooming in Apr and May.
Phlox divaricata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; cold-hardy to zone 3, it flowers in Apr and May.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — spreading 2–3 ft, blooming in Sep and Oct.
Lobelia siphilitica
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — cold-hardy to zone 4, blooming in Aug and Sep.
Dicentra eximia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — rose pink flowers, blooming from Apr to Aug.
Cercis canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 20–30 ft tall and flowering in Mar and Apr.
Pycnanthemum muticum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; silvery bracts flowers, it blooms Jul through Sep.
Rudbeckia hirta
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, spreading 12–18 in and flowering from Jun to Sep.
Viburnum dentatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — spreading 6–10 ft, blooming in May and Jun.
Ilex verticillata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; spreading 5–8 ft, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; 5–10 ft tall, it blooms Jun through Aug.
Veronicastrum virginicum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming from Jun to Aug.
Solidago speciosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; reaching 2–4 ft, it flowers in Sep and Oct.
Bignonia capreolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, reaching 25–50 ft and flowering in Apr and May.
Aquilegia canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; 1–2.5 ft tall, it blooms Apr through Jun.
Echinacea purpurea
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; good through zone 9, it blooms Jun through Sep.
Callicarpa americana
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees — good through zone 10, blooming in Jun and Jul.
Liatris spicata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; 2–4 ft tall, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
Achillea millefolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil and flowering from May to Aug.
Monarda didyma
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; reaching 2.5–4 ft, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
Coreopsis lanceolata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — bright gold flowers, blooming from May to Jul.
Penstemon digitalis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and flowering in May and Jun.
Hydrangea arborescens
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; good through zone 9, it blooms Jun through Aug.
27 more also qualify: Serviceberry, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Aromatic Aster, Obedient Plant, Swamp Milkweed, Virginia Bluebells, Wild Bergamot, Wild Geranium, Golden Alexanders, Prairie Blazing Star, Butterfly Weed, Flowering Dogwood, Cup Plant, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Stiff Goldenrod, American Elderberry, Wild Lupine, Fragrant Sumac, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Spicebush, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly.
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.