37 Flowering Plants That Will Attract Honeybees (2024)

African Blue Basil is an ornamental basil. Although it is edible, it doesn’t have the same pleasing flavor as other types… unless you’re a bee! Bees love this plant and will seek it out and favor it even in a garden full of other, more fragrant flowers. It has lavender flowers that form in clusters at the ends of the stems.

Although it is supposed to be perennial above hardiness zone 10, I live in zone 8 and was delighted to see that my African Blue Basil is growing back this spring.

We had an especially long, hard freeze for this climate, which is a testament to the hardiness of these plants. This basil blooms throughout the summer and fall, and it is always covered in pollinators of all types. It is a true must-have for any pollinator garden.

Alfalfa

	botanical name Medicago sativa
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 2-9

Alfalfa is a plant that depends on the honeybee as much as they depend upon it. Honeybees are one of two main pollinators for alfalfa crops.

Because of its prolific nature, alfalfa is a main staple in the diet of honeybees as well. Because it continues to bloom during the hotter months of the summer, it is a great source of pollen and nectar when many other flowers are finished blooming for the year.

Alfalfa is very drought tolerant and produces lots of bright purple flowers, which bees can see from quite a distance. It is also considered a cover crop, as it improves the quality of the soil, so it is a great crop to rotate through your vegetable beds to revive the soil.

Alsike Clover

	botanical name trifolium hybridum
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Bees will visit most types of clover, but Alsike is probably their favorite and is also great for other plants in the garden. Clover plants are nitrogen fixers, which means that they gather nitrogen to the soil.

This makes them an excellent cover crop, in addition to their bountiful supply of nectar, which the bees go wild for.

Alsike clover is considered the best clover for honey. They bloom for a very long time. Flowers begin to appear in the spring and last through the summer. This clover does well in wetter soil types and is exceptionally cold-tolerant.

Anise Hyssop

	botanical name Agastache foeniculum
	sun requirements Full Sun to Part Sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Anise Hyssop is another plant that I see covered with bees on a daily basis. Much like African Blue Basil, this plant has a very long blooming season. The leaves have a wonderful scent, and it makes wonderful filler in a cut flower bouquet. Its pale purple flowers are very attractive to many different types of bees.

Anise hyssop is not to be confused with other types of anise. You won’t harvest any of those tasty pods for baking from this plant, but it will draw bees from far and wide.

It is cold hardy and reseeds itself readily, so it needs to be thinned out in the spring unless you want a yard full of it, and these offshoots are easy to transplant.

Aster

	botanical name Aster
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’-6’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Another purple flower that blooms well into the hottest summer months and into the fall, aster is a pollinator favorite. It draws bees and butterflies with its promise of an ample nectar supply. In addition to bees, I see monarch butterflies visiting my aster daily as they prepare for their winter migration.

There are around 90 species of the plant that are native to North America, making them not only a pretty, delicate ornamental but also a major food source for pollinators.

They are versatile in their environmental needs, and they readily reseed, so they will come back every year.

Autumn Fire Sedum

	botanical name Sedum telephium ‘Autumn Fire’
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 15”-18”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Plants in the sedum family are considered succulents, and these perennials produce beautiful clusters of pink flowers late in the year, all the way up to the first freeze of the winter. Their pink flowers are not easy for bees to see, but they will find their way here and be generously rewarded by this late bloomer.

While there are many varieties of sedum, this one is a particular favorite of pollinators because it provides a lot of nectar at a time when food is scarce. Planting this will help honeybees stock up for winter.

Bee Balm

	botanical name Monarda
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’-4’
	hardiness zones 1’-4’

Bee balm is one of the biggest growers in my garden. This plant will quickly fill in space and produce wonderful flower heads covered in small tubular flowers that are very attractive to pollinators.

They come in white, pink, red, and purple, with purple being the obvious choice for bees and red being a huge hummingbird attractor.

Although bee balm will survive in part shade, it will flower best in full sun. The leaves are prone to fungal infection, so be sure to plant them where they will get plenty of air movement. It can be planted in spring or fall, with spring being the best time to divide and transplant.

Black Cherry

	botanical name Prunus serotina
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 50’-80’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Black Cherry is a beautiful large tree that is native to North America and is a huge bloomer in the spring. Like other cherry trees, this one is a member of the rose family, and its delicate white flowers are bountiful in late spring and very attractive to bees.

The flowers bloom on long racemes, each one producing scores of tiny blooms. It is a very cold hardy tree and produces plenty of lovely fall color as well.

The honey produced by bees that feed on black cherry is dark in color and has a thinner consistency. Be careful about this tree around livestock, though, as its leaves contain a form of cyanide, which is toxic to animals and people.

Blackberries

	botanical name Rubus subj. Rubus
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 5-8

I love a plant that feeds both my family and my bees. Blackberries, and most other berries for that matter, are very attractive to bees and other pollinators. This is one of the plants that I see alive with honeybees in the spring.

The masses of small white flowers provide a plentiful and accessible food source for the bees, and they also encourage the production of tons of delicious berries.

Planting blackberries with other food crops will increase the yield of the companion crop, as bees will come for the blackberries and stay for other sources of pollen and nectar.

Black-Eyed Susan

	botanical name Rudbeckia hirta
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 18”-6’
	hardiness zones 3-10

Black-eyed Susans are a wonderful source of nectar for all types of pollinators. Both honeybees and other native bees can commonly be found feasting on the hundreds of tiny flowers produced in the dark center of these relatives of sunflowers.

That’s right, the dark center of these flowers is a maze of up to 300 tiny individual flowers, which provide bees with a wonderful and accessible nectar source.

Although bees typically avoid the colors black and brown, these interesting flowers produce an ultraviolet pigment, which bees can detect and are very attracted to.

Black-eyed Susans are very drought-tolerant, and sturdy plants that require very little maintenance. They are a great addition to the pollinator garden.

Blanket Flower

	botanical name Gaillardia
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 12”-18”
	hardiness zones 3-9

These pretty pops of color will warm your heart when they show up in early summer. Although they are not related to daisies, they bear a strong resemblance to that group of flowering plants.

It is on the Perfect for Pollinators list at the Royal Horticultural Society and is commonly seen teeming with honeybees in the early afternoon.

Blanket flower is an annual, but it freely reseeds itself, so you needn’t worry about replanting every year. They are happiest in full sun and well-drained soil, and they are very drought-tolerant once established. They are native to North America and commonly found growing wild throughout the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast.

Borage

	botanical name Borago officinalis
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 3-10

This herbaceous perennial is a wonder in the garden. Its pretty blue flowers attract pollinators far and wide so much so, that it is commonly used as a companion plant in vegetable gardens. Not only does it attract pollinators like honeybees, it actually deters some common garden pests.

Borage has been known to boost honey production, so it has been a commonly grown plant for many beekeepers.

It has a long blooming period, from late spring through the fall, making it a wonderful food source for honeybees throughout the warm months. Borage is also commonly used as a medicinal herb for humans.

Butterfly Bush

	botanical name Buddleja
	sun requirements Full Sun to Part Shade
	height up to 15’
	hardiness zones 5-11

Butterfly bush isn’t just for butterflies. Honeybees love this pretty perennial, too! Bees will be most attracted to those flowering in shades of purple, violet, and blue, although orange and yellow will draw honeybees as well. These colors are more visible to them than deeper pinks and reds.

Bees do a wonderful job of pollinating butterfly bush helping to reseed itself and spread, creating more food for themselves and butterflies. The Blue Chip variety produces wonderful blue-violet, vanilla-scented flowers that bees find very appealing.

Clematis

	botanical name Clematis
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 8’-12’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Clematis is a pretty, flowering vine in the buttercup family. It is fast growing and produces plenty of flowers in colors of white, pink, red, blue and purple.

It will grow in partial shade, however. As with most flowering plants, the more sun it gets, the more flowers it will produce. These make a wonderful trellis plant.

Clematis is well-loved by all types of bees, and honeybees in particular, will revisit this vine again and again. Bees are particularly attracted to the varieties which have downward-turned flowers. Diana’s Delight is a definite honeybee attractor, with its purple-blue flowers.

Common Dandelion

	botanical name Taraxacum officinale
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 2”-15”
	hardiness zones 3-9

Before you pull these so-called flowering weeds from your lawn, consider leaving a few for the bees. Not only are dandelions a great source of food for honeybees, they are also edible for humans.

Dandelion greens are an excellent source of vitamin C. While they are generally considered to be nuisance weeds, they are early bloomers and provide the bees with a food source before many plants are in bloom.

By late May, it is ok to mow these flowers away, but in the earlier spring months, it is great to leave them for the bees. The pristine lawns that are prized today do not leave much room for these important plants. Would you believe that at one time, these plants were favored as a ground cover for their usefulness? It’s true!

Coral Bells

	botanical name Heuchera
	sun requirements Part Sun
	height up to 3’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Coral Bells are a great way to place pollinator plants in spaces that are not quite as sunny. These partial shade plants have pretty scalloped leaves in shades of red, purple, and green and produce tall spikes with panicles of deep red flowers. They perform best when they receive 4-6 hours of daily sun.

Newer hybrid varieties of Coral Bells send up fresh flower spikes on an almost weekly basis, creating a veritable buffet for pollinating insects. They provide a valuable nectar source for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Cowpen Daisy

	botanical name Verbesina encelioides
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 2’-3’
	hardiness zones 3-10

Native to 30 North American states, Cowpen Daisies are an important source of pollen in the fall. Honeybees store pollen for the winter. This source of protein sustains the hive and helps give them the best start in the spring when the spring nectar floor begins.

It might be difficult to find this plant in nurseries, as it is a native plant in most areas of the United States, and therefore it’s not always considered desirable.

However, if you happen upon some, snatch it up, and the pollinators will flock to it. The cheerful yellow flowers are a favorite among bees and butterflies alike.

Dutch White Clover

	botanical name Trifolium repens
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 6”-12”
	hardiness zones 3-10

This white flowering plant will do great things for your yard. While it can be unpopular for those who prefer a manicured lawn, clover lawns are very popular among die-hard pollinator gardeners. About ⅓ of my lawn consists of this pretty plant, and the honeybees just adore it.

Clover is very cold tolerant, and once established, it is drought tolerant as well. Clovers are nitrogen fixers, as well as great food for the bees.

This means that they draw nitrogen into the soil, enriching the soil for neighboring plants. All of these benefits are wrapped in a lovely little package, as Dutch White clover rarely grows taller than 6”, making it a wonderful alternative to a traditional lawn.

Fireweed

	botanical name Chamaenerion angustifolium
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 4’-6’
	hardiness zones 2-7

Fireweed honey is known as the champagne pf honeys with its pale color and delicate flavor with just a hint of spice. It is the main honey-producing crop in Alaska, where it grows prolifically. Its pink and purple flowers are very attractive to honeybees and other native bees as well.

Fireweed gets its name from its tendency to proliferate in areas that have been damaged by wildfire. The seeds lay dormant and are encouraged to germinate after wildfires have passed, though. It is a member of the Evening Primrose family and is very cold-tolerant.

Foxglove

	botanical name Digitalis
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 18”-60”
	hardiness zones 4-9

Foxgloves are some of the prettiest flowers in the garden, in my humble opinion. These biennial plants don’t look like much in their first year, forming a low mound of long green leaves, with no flowers appearing until the second summer. When they do send up flower spikes, they are lovely and impressive.

Tall racemes atop graceful stems can bear dozens of tubular-shaped flowers.

Bees like to crawl inside of these large bell-shaped blooms, where they collect nectar and pollen, moving on to pollinate successive blooms. Bumblebees are particularly fond of foxgloves. Flowers come in shades of pink, purple, and white, as well as yellow and red.

Garden Speedwell

	botanical name Veronica longifolia
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 2’-4’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Speedwells are beautiful and showy plants that produce a bounty of graceful purple flower spikes throughout the summer months.

Their vertical growth habit makes them a wonderful texture to add to the flower bed, and they attract tons of pollinators, including honeybees and butterflies. They are able to grow and flower in full sun and part shade and like rich, moist soil types.

Aside from their value to pollinators, Garden Speedwells are just plain lovely and add tons of color to your flower beds. Their gently curving spires stand tall above the crowd. Regular deadheading will lengthen the bloom time for these plants, making them flower into the early fall.

Globe Thistle

	botanical name Echinops
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 36”-48”
	hardiness zones 3-8

If you love to watch bees of all kinds, and don’t mind a plant that reseeds bountifully, plant some Globe Thistle in your garden and watch the pollinators flock to them.

Globe Thistle’s tall stems are topped with spiky blue-violet flowers that are, you guessed it, spherical. The spikes that grow on these round heads each open to a small tubular, nectar-filled flower.

The perfect roundness of these flower heads is a wonderful visual addition to the garden, and you will relish the influx of bees that they bring to the yard. These interesting blooms last for about 6-8 weeks. They require very little water and plenty of sunlight.

Goldenrod

	botanical name Solidago
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’-4’
	hardiness zones 2-8

I have wonderful childhood memories of gathering armfuls of goldenrod with my mother in the early fall months. These golden tipped, pollen rich plants provide a very important source of protein for overwintering honeybees. Not to mention they are dramatic and gorgeous in a cut flower arrangement.

In many places where Goldenrod is native, it is considered a weed, as it seeds itself and spreads readily. But it is simply stunning as a background plant in a flower garden, and it will definitely bring the honeys to your yard.

Joe-pye Weed

	botanical name Eutrochium purpureum
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 4’-6’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Joe-pye weed is a great plant for any lover of wildlife. In addition to being very attractive to pollinators, it is a host plant for the larvae of several types of moths, and birds enjoy the seeds produced by pollinated flowers.

It blooms late in the summer and continues into the fall, making it a wonderful treat for honeybees late in the year.

Joe-pye is not particular and can thrive in full or partial sunlight. It is not picky about soil pH and doesn’t even mind soil that has poor drainage. The flowers come in pink, white, and purple, and the honey produced by these flowers is a beautiful, deep amber shade.

Lavender

	botanical name Lavandula
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’-3’
	hardiness zones 5-9

I’ve heard many people claim that lavender is difficult to grow, but my personal experience is that with enough neglect, you will be beating it back with a weed whacker.

Lavender likes a lot of sun just enough water, and zero fertilizer. It is semi-evergreen, so in most places, it will look nice throughout the winter, and the flowers smell amazing.

Bees flock to lavender. They love it so much that I rub the essential oil on my bee keeping gloves to keep them happy as I move through their hives. Lavender makes delicious honey and is a wonderful addition in the kitchen.

Milkweed

	botanical name Asclepias
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height up to 5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Milkweed is not typically a flower that one plants to look at the milkweed. Rather, it is a very attractive plant to several kinds of pollinators, honeybees included.

Milkweed flowers are very rich in nectar, although honeybees will typically discard the pollen. Their many small, tubular flowers provide bees with a lot of energy.

In addition to their attractiveness to honeybees, milkweed plants are the larval host for the monarch butterfly. Plant these in your garden, and you are certain to have some beautiful visitors. Milkweed is toxic to humans and animals though. So, keep out of reach of curious pets.

Pincushion Flower

	botanical name Scabiosa columbaria
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 6”-12
	hardiness zones 3-8

Scabiosa, also known as pincushion flower for the pin-like appearance of their stamens, are a wonderful addition to the pollinator garden.

These plants are virtually disease-proof, and deer will leave them alone altogether. Pollinators, however, adore them, and honeybees are especially drawn to the blue varieties.

Pincushion Flower doesn’t like very hot climates, so south of hardiness zone 8 they are unlikely to thrive. They begin blooming in late spring, and with consistent deadheading, they can continue to produce flowers until the first frost. The flowers carry a lot of nectar, so they are very attractive to bees and butterflies.

Purple Coneflower

	botanical name Echinacea
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Purple Coneflower is an interesting plant that has been found useful for many purposes over the years. Not the least of which is to attract pollinators.

The flowers are made up of a central cone surrounded by purple petals, which are actually infertile flowers in and of themselves. The actual fertile flowers are small and cover the central cone-like small spikes. This is where the plentiful nectar resides and where you will find the honeybees hanging out.

Echinacea are very easy to grow and require little care. They are very attractive to many types of bees as well as butterflies because they are a great source of both pollen and nectar. They typically bloom during the summer dearth, making them a valuable food source for honeybees.

Russian Sage

	botanical name Perovskia atriplicifolia
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’-5’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Russian Sage, rather than being an actual sage, is actually a member of the mint family of perennial herbs. It resembles salvia in that it is composed of tall spikes topped with clusters of purple flowers. It prefers soil with good drainage and a lot of sunlight to keep it blooming and keep it standing upright.

This pollinator favorite is a wonderful nectar provider, which means it helps the honeybees make their honey. It is not desirable to deer or rabbits, so it is a reliable food source for pollinators. The flowers begin blooming in mid-summer and continue until the first frost.

Sunflowers

	botanical name Helianthus
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height Up to 10’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Recent studies have shown that sunflowers near beehives assist in controlling the population of varroa mites, which are the single greatest killer of honeybee colonies.

As if this were not enough of a reason to plant them, they are also chock full of nectar and pollen, so they provide both energy and protein to the colony.

The pollen from sunflowers protects the immune systems of bees, so planting them means helping to sustain the dwindling number of bees. Because bees do not see red, steer more toward yellow and white varieties to get the greatest number of honeybee visitors.

Sweet Almond Bush

	botanical name Aloysia virgata
	sun requirements Full Sun to Part Shade
	height 5’+
	hardiness zones 8-11

If you happen to live in hardiness zone 8 or farther south, this is an absolute must for your pollinator garden. Sweet Almond Bush is a shrubby plant that will act as a perennial in zones 8-9, dying back to the ground during the winter.

I can tell you from experience that it will grow back bigger and better every year. This is one of those plants that doesn’t quit.

The long, thin panicles of white flowers are extremely attractive to pollinators. They bloom throughout the summer and fall. They also emit a heavenly fragrance that I would compare to confederate jasmine or gardenia in terms of intensity, but the actual scent is like that of fine almond-scented soap. It’s the kind of plant that you just can’t resist taking a sniff of any time you walk by.

Sweet Basil

	botanical name Ocimum basilicum
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’-2’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Basil is one of the most widely used herbs in the cuisines of many different cultures. It’s delicious fragrance and flavor lend themselves to nearly every single dish that comes out of Italy, and it’s also a favorite in South Asian dishes. Humans aren’t alone in our love for this sweet-smelling herb. Honeybees go crazy for it.

When left to bolt, Sweet Basil produces small, light purple flowers that provide a highly desirable source of nectar and pollen for honeybees. Sadly, once it flowers, Sweet Basil is less desirable for human consumption, but there is no harm in growing an extra Basil plant for the bees.

Virginia Strawberry

	botanical name Fragaria virginiana
	sun requirements Part Shade to Shade
	height 4”
	hardiness zones 5-9

If you’ve ever seen these little plants you might think of them as weeds, but Virginia Strawberry is the type of wild strawberry from which our cultivated strawberries were hybridized from. They are small plants, and they grow primarily in the shade, which is great because not many pollinator plants do.

The small white flowers of Virginia Strawberry are very attractive to pollinators and have a very long blooming season. These cute little plants will bloom beginning in March all the way through to November. These are also the larval food of the Gray Hairstreak butterfly.

Wild Golden Glow

	botanical name Rudbeckia laciniata
	sun requirements Full Sun to Full Shade
	height 3’-4’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Wild Golden Glow is an amazingly versatile member of the Rudbeckia family. They are closely related to the Black-eyed Susan. These plants will grow in full shade or full sin, although their preference is somewhere in the middle.

Golden Glow is rhizomatous, so it tends to spread and can become invasive if you plant it in small spaces. Plan to give this one some space to spread out.

Like all species of Rudbeckia, this is a pollinator favorite. It is a great source of pollen and nectar, and planting this in your garden will draw all sorts of bees, butterflies, and beetles. It has the appearance of small sunflowers growing on a sort of shrub. It’s really a wonderfully cheerful plant that needs very little care.

Wingstem

	botanical name Verbesina alternifolia
	sun requirements Full to Part Sun
	height 3’-8’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Native to Illinois, the wingstem is a rhizomatic plant that attracts a wide variety of pollinators. It is bale to thrive in full sun or part shade and produces interesting yellow flowers with a spherical structure in the center which houses plenty of nectar. This plant can grow up to 8’ tall and produce hundreds of flowers.

Wingstem is a woodland plant that likes rich, moist soil. It spreads quickly, so this one needs to be planted in a space that can handle that. It reproduces both by the underground rhizomes as well as seeds that has a high germination rate.

Witch Hazel

	botanical name Hamamelis
	sun requirements Full Sun to Filtered Shade
	height up to 30’
	hardiness zones 5-9

You might recognize this plant for its use in skincare products. It is commonly used for its gentle astringent and antiseptic properties. It is also a fall-blooming tree that produces plenty of nectar and pollen, food for honeybees when little else is blooming.

While its yellow flowers can get lost in its fall foliage, the bees will be very attracted to this brightly colored tree.

Some varieties also produce orange or red flowers, but the most common color is yellow. Fall blooming plants are vital for honeybees who collect the pollen and nectar to store for winter.

Yarrow

	botanical name Achillea millefolium
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’
	hardiness zones 2-10

With its delicate fern-like leaves and clusters of brightly colored flowers, yarrow rounds out our list as a honeybee favorite.

Yarrow plants produce lots of flowers that come in the form of broad, flat clusters, which are very appealing to pollinators for their ease of harvest. Yarrow comes in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, red, pink, and purple.

As always, bees will be most attracted to the purple varieties, but white and yellow are also appealing colors that will draw honeybees. The red variety is very attractive to butterflies. Yarrow grows quickly, becoming a thick, bushy mass of lacy foliage and pops of nectar and pollen-rich blooms.