Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies; reaching 2–4 ft, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Nebraska · Zones 4–6
Native Plants for Bees in Nebraska
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Nebraska, the right natives are shaped by Sandhills & mixedgrass prairie and a continental, semi-arid west climate. Every species below, from Wild Bergamot and Wild Columbine to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Nebraska and the wider flora of the Great Plains 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
42 native species for Nebraska
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–6 · 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, red & yellow flowers and flowering from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — 2–4 ft tall, blooming in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, 5–10 ft tall and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — reaching 3–4 ft, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, happy in sand, clay, and loam soil and flowering from Aug to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, 1.5–2.5 ft tall and flowering from Sep to Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — dusky pink nodding bells flowers, blooming in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — cold-hardy to zone 3, blooming in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — 1–2 ft wide, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; cold-hardy to zone 3, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — 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
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — cold-hardy to zone 3, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, good through zone 10 and flowering from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; deep blue flowers, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; cold-hardy to zone 3, it blooms May through Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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 and flowering from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; 1.5–2 ft wide, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
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; happy in clay and loam soil, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, spreading 2–4 ft and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; golden yellow flowers, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — 15–25 ft wide, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — reaching 2–4 ft, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
18 more also qualify: Purple Coneflower, Prairie Blazing Star, Foxglove Beardtongue, New England Aster, Pasque Flower, Common Boneset, Common Milkweed, Purple Prairie Clover, Rattlesnake Master, Compass Plant, Showy Milkweed, Ninebark, American Elderberry, Blue Vervain, Stiff Goldenrod, Fragrant Sumac, Red-Twig Dogwood, New Jersey Tea.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Nebraska
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.