Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — 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
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- For bees
West Virginia · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Bees in West Virginia
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 West Virginia and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zones 5–7 — proven performers for West Virginia's cool, humid, mountainous climate across Allegheny Mountains & Ridge-and-Valley, not a generic list. Local standouts include Serviceberry and Scarlet Beebalm. 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
58 native species for West Virginia
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — for clay and loam ground, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — lavender-blue flowers, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — lavender-pink flowers, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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; happy in clay and loam soil, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, 25–50 ft tall and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, cold-hardy to zone 4 and flowering in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; for clay and loam ground, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, lavender-purple flowers and flowering in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; cold-hardy to zone 3, it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; 5–8 ft tall, it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
One the bees find first — 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
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; spreading 2–3 ft, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — 1.5–2 ft wide, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, 1.5–2 ft tall and flowering from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — white pincushions flowers, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, good through zone 9 and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; chartreuse-gold flowers, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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, hardy in zones 4–8 and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; 4–7 ft tall, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One the bees find first — 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
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; reaching 12–18 in, it blooms Apr through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
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; for clay and loam ground, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — spreading 12–18 in, blooming from Mar to May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
34 more also qualify: Foamflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Arrowwood Viburnum, Culver's Root, Winterberry, Great Blue Lobelia, Prairie Smoke, Anise Hyssop, Oakleaf Hydrangea, Butterfly Weed, Aromatic Aster, Cup Plant, Common Yarrow, Smooth Hydrangea, Flowering Dogwood, Wild Bergamot, New England Aster, Red-Twig Dogwood, Creeping Phlox, Ninebark, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, Inkberry Holly, Spicebush, Bearberry, Purple Prairie Clover, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Compass Plant, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Stiff Goldenrod, New Jersey Tea.
Sourcing
Where to find these in West Virginia
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.