Bee-Friendly Plants
You can make pollinator habitat in your own garden, backyard, or planters, by seeding plants that provide bees with nectar and pollen. Plant diversity is key in a pollinator garden. Because each pollinator has its own techniques for sourcing nectar and pollen, flowers should be as varied as the pollinators that visit them. Read on to learn how to choose bee-friendly plant species for your pollinator garden.
1. Plant a mix of native and heritage plants
As a rule of thumb, wild bees feed on native species, while honeybees use imported varieties. You can find out what native species in your area are best for bees here in Canada, and here in the US.
When planting for honeybees, it is important to choose heritage varieties, since many modern flower breeds have complex flower structures that make it impossible for honeybees to access pollen and nectar.
Planting a pollinator garden is one of the most important ways to support bee survival. Check out the guide to planting a pollinator garden in the next post!
It’s essential to choose plants that have not been treated with pesticides, insecticides, or neonicotinoids. Check with your local garden center, or buy from a local organic seed farm. The BC-based companies Westcoast Seeds and Salt Spring Seeds produce reliable, sustainably-grown seeds, and ship across Canada. If you live in the US, try Rene’s Garden Seeds or Adaptive Seeds.
Seed co-ops and exchanges are another way to source low-cost, pesticide-free seeds. In Canada, try the BC Eco Seed Co-op. In the US, check out Seed Savers Exchange.
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Video source: Smithsonian Channel
Study: Bees have favorite foods
Elizabeth Elle, a researcher at Simon Fraser University’s Pollination Ecology Lab, conducted a study to determine which wild and garden plants are most attractive to pollinators in Vancouver. The top twenty-five most attractive plants are displayed on the graphs below; all of these species would be good candidates for a pollinator garden in Vancouver. The graphs also illustrate that different species of bees have different preferences.
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Image Source: Elizabeth Elle, SFU Pollination Ecology Lab
2. Plant a range of flowers that will bloom from early spring to late fall
Not only is it important to provide a range of different food sources, but its also important to provide food throughout the year!
Here’s a chart of garden plants that grow well in a temperate climate, and their flowering times.
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Image Source: David Suzuki
5. Create visual "beacons"Â to attract pollinators
Sunflowers, with their large bright flowers that reach up into the air, act as visual beacons for bees, attracting them to your garden. You can also plant flowers in clusters, to increase visibility.
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Image source: http://captivatingpics.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/sunflower-bee1.jpg
4. Get planting!
Wildflower blends that are appropriate for your region are a great place to start, since they are non-invasive, support wild bees, and require little maintenance. If you live in BC, Westcoast Seeds has a great blend. If you want to expand your pollinator garden, check out our next blog post!
Further reading:
A guide to pollinator-friendly plants in Eastern Canada: https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/gardeningguides/pollinator-garden-a-toronto-master-gardeners-guide/
A list of non-invasive pollinator-friendly plants in BC:
A resource list for the Northeastern US: https://www.pollinator-pathway.org/native-pollinator-plants
Native plant lists for the US, organized by state: https://xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/pollinator-friendly-plant-lists
