Plants for Bumble Bees

Bumble Bee Season

• Urban bumble bees are most active in the spring and early summer. After this time, bee flights are shorter and less frequent as the insects settle into nesting activities. The best plants to attract bumblebees, therefore, are those that flower in the spring and early summer when bumble bee-flying among plants is at its height. Unfortunately, gardeners often mistakenly encourage the growth of cultivated flowers, which are less habitable to bees, and pull instead the flowering plants that they consider to be weeds. Leaving flowering dandelions for bee visitors and then removing the weeds before they go to seed, is advisable for gardeners and bees alike.

Diversity

• Bumble bees are attracted to gardens that contain a variety of nectar- and pollen-rich plants. Positioning like species in clumps conserves bee energy and facilitates the pollination process. Wildflowers may be used as border plants or allowed to flourish in nearby meadows. Flowering hedges, trees and herbs are also wonderful bumblebee attractants that aid in the cross-pollination of your fruit and vegetable plants. Vary flower shapes to attract both bees that prefer open blossoms and those that like to burrow into a tubular flower.

Recommended Spring Plants

• Bumblebees love wild lilacs, a perennial plant that is a good source of both pollen and nectar. The phacelia, a perennial native to California that produces small, white flowers, is another bumble bee favorite due to its dual pollen and nectar production. The tansy phacelia is an annual plant that attracts bumble bees with its ready supply of nectar and distinctive purple-colored pollen. Perennial weeds that attract bumblebees include rosinweed, goldenrod and Joe Pye weed.

Bumble Bee-Friendly Fruits and Vegetables

• Many homegrown fruits and vegetables provide pollen and nectar for bumble bees while relying on the bees for pollination. Some bumble bee-friendly plants that offer bountiful food crops include apples, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries. Bee-dependent vegetable crops include onions, carrots, peas, cucumbers, peppers and many, many more. Attracting bumble bees to your urban garden is a natural way to improve crop production while providing a beneficial environment for humans and insects alike.