Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, white pincushions flowers and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Missouri · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Bees in Missouri
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 Missouri and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for Missouri's humid continental to subtropical climate across Ozarks, glades & prairie, not a generic list. Local standouts include Buttonbush and Wild Columbine. 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
61 native species for Missouri
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; 12–18 in wide, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, 2–4 ft wide and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, good through zone 9 and flowering from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies — cold-hardy to zone 3, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming from Sep to Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
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
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, reaching 3–5 ft and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — magenta flowers, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; spreading 15–25 ft, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
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, royal purple flowers and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; hardy in zones 3–7, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, golden yellow flowers and flowering from Aug to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and flowering from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — cold-hardy to zone 4, blooming in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, scarlet red flowers and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; reaching 4–7 ft, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — yellow, maroon center flowers, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, lavender-blue flowers and flowering from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — 12–18 in tall, blooming from Apr to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
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; 2–3 ft tall, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 3–4 ft, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; spreading 5–8 ft, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, reaching 25–50 ft and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
37 more also qualify: Prairie Blazing Star, Black-Eyed Susan, Wild Geranium, Arrowwood Viburnum, Woodland Phlox, Virginia Bluebells, American Beautyberry, Obedient Plant, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Flowering Dogwood, Foamflower, Foxglove Beardtongue, Purple Coneflower, Showy Goldenrod, Golden Alexanders, Culver's Root, Serviceberry, Prairie Smoke, Butterfly Weed, Spicebush, Red-Twig Dogwood, Showy Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Bearberry, Ninebark, Compass Plant, Rattlesnake Master, Common Milkweed, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, Inkberry Holly, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, Creeping Phlox.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Missouri
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.