Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — 15–25 ft tall, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Maryland · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Bees in Maryland
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 Maryland and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 6–8 — proven performers for Maryland's humid, four-season climate across Piedmont & Chesapeake Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Foxglove Beardtongue. 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
51 native species for Maryland
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, for clay, rocky, and loam ground and flowering in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees — 4–7 ft wide, blooming in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — spreading 2–3 ft, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees; hardy in zones 5–9, it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft and flowering from Sep to Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; reaching 1–2.5 ft, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — spreading 2–3 ft, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; 12–18 in wide, it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; 2–4 ft tall, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; orange-red flowers, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees; good through zone 8, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, cold-hardy to zone 3 and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — 15–25 ft tall, blooming in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — 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.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; happy in clay and loam soil, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — spreading 12–18 in, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; spreading 12–18 in, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; pink flowers, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, purple-magenta flowers and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; spreading 1.5–3 ft, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; rosy purple flowers, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; good through zone 9, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
27 more also qualify: Cup Plant, Wild Bergamot, Butterfly Weed, Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Arrowwood Viburnum, Buttonbush, Eastern Redbud, Winterberry, Common Yarrow, Showy Goldenrod, Wild Bleeding Heart, Wild Geranium, Virginia Bluebells, Blue Vervain, American Elderberry, Common Boneset, Ninebark, Red-Twig Dogwood, Creeping Phlox, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, New Jersey Tea, Common Milkweed, Inkberry Holly, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maryland
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.