Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; 2–3 ft wide, it blooms Apr through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
Nevada · Zones 4–9
Native Plants for Bees in Nevada
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 Nevada and the wider flora of the Great Basin and hardy through zones 4–9 — proven performers for Nevada's arid, wide day-night swings climate across Great Basin sagebrush & Mojave, not a generic list. Local standouts include Autumn Sage and Apache Plume. 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
22 native species for Nevada
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 4–9 · see this collection in other states.
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hardy in zones 5–9 and flowering from Apr to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; spreading 12–18 in, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, lemon gold flowers and flowering from Mar to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil, it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; hardy in zones 7–10, it blooms Mar through May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, for rocky and loam ground and flowering in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — for sand, rocky, and loam ground, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; spreading 1.5–3 ft, it blooms May through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — lavender-purple flowers, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — yellow, maroon center flowers, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — 1–2.5 ft tall, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — reaching 1.5–3 ft, blooming from Apr to Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — spreading 4–8 ft, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and flowering from Mar to Jun.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, 1.5–3 ft tall and flowering from Mar to May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — for sand, rocky, and loam ground, blooming from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; reaching 4–8 in, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; cold-hardy to zone 5, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — for sand, rocky, and loam ground, blooming in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — cold-hardy to zone 3, blooming in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, reaching 3–9 ft and flowering from Mar to May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Sourcing
Where to find these in Nevada
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.