Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — good through zone 7, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Idaho · Zones 4–6
Native Plants for Bees in Idaho
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Idaho, the right natives are shaped by Columbia Plateau & Northern Rockies and a semi-arid to montane climate. Every species below, from Pasque Flower and Blanketflower to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Idaho and the wider flora of the Mountain West and hardy through zones 4–6. 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.
The plants
18 native species for Idaho
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · see this collection in other states.
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; 1–2 ft wide, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — white (wild form) flowers, blooming from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — rose-pink tassels flowers, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, violet-blue flowers and flowering from Aug to Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, red & gold flowers and flowering from Apr to Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; for sand, rocky, and loam ground, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; for sand and rocky ground, it blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; white roses, pink plumes flowers, it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, 12–18 in wide and flowering from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies — for clay, rocky, and loam ground, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; spreading 12–18 in, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; 3–5 ft wide, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; cold-hardy to zone 3, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Fragrant Sumac
Rhus aromatica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — hardy in zones 3–7, blooming in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, 4–8 in tall and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Sourcing
Where to find these in Idaho
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.