Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — good through zone 9, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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- For bees
Massachusetts · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Bees in Massachusetts
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Massachusetts, the right natives are shaped by Northeastern Coastal Forest & Cape and a cool, humid continental climate. Every species below, from Anise Hyssop and Foxglove Beardtongue to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Massachusetts and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
45 native species for Massachusetts
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — spreading 1–2 ft, blooming in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; 2–4 ft tall, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, 3–5 ft tall and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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, 2–3 ft wide and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 2–4 ft tall and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, happy in clay and loam soil and flowering in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, 15–25 ft tall and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 1–2 ft wide and flowering from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; lavender-pink flowers, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; for loam ground, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — 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.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, mauve-pink flowers and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–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, for sand, clay, rocky, and loam ground and flowering from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, happy in rocky and loam soil and flowering from Apr to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; 3–5 ft tall, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, golden yellow flowers and flowering from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, 6–10 ft tall and flowering in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, good through zone 9 and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies, hardy in zones 3–9 and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, foamy white flowers and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, 10–20 ft wide and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; good through zone 9, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
21 more also qualify: Showy Goldenrod, Wild Columbine, Butterfly Weed, Virginia Bluebells, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Winterberry, Swamp Milkweed, Scarlet Beebalm, Common Boneset, Bearberry, Ninebark, Creeping Phlox, Blue Vervain, New Jersey Tea, Wild Lupine, Red-Twig Dogwood, Common Milkweed, Spicebush, Fragrant Sumac, Inkberry Holly, American Elderberry.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Massachusetts
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.