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