Asparagus family plants for bees
Bluebells, grape hyacinth and squill — spring bulbs that flower under trees before the canopy closes, in ground nothing else is using.
Why this family matters
These are woodland and grassland bulbs that complete their whole above-ground life in the eight weeks before deciduous trees come into leaf. That makes them free forage in spatial terms: they occupy ground that will be shaded and unproductive by June. Siberian squill in particular flowers in February and produces genuinely blue pollen, which makes it one of the easiest ways to watch a bee's pollen load change colour by source.
When it flowers
Siberian squill February to April, grape hyacinth March to May, bluebell April and May. The whole family's contribution is over by June.
Which bees it serves
Bluebells are worked by bumblebees and by the hairy-footed flower bee; short-tongued bees frequently rob them at the base rather than entering. Grape hyacinth and squill are open enough for honey bees and are among the first substantial pollen sources of the year.
Worth knowing before you plant it
Spanish bluebell hybridises with the native British bluebell and is displacing it. If you are planting bluebells in Britain, the provenance matters more than the price.
Asparagus family plants in the catalogue
What this group covers
4 of 12 months have something in flower. Nectar and pollen are counted separately and a month counts only where at least one plant offers that resource at moderate value or better — a plant in flower is not the same as a plant worth visiting.
| Month | In flower | Nectar | Pollen |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | nothing | No | No |
| February | 1 | Yes | Yes |
| March | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| April | 3 | Yes | Yes |
| May | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| June | nothing | No | No |
| July | nothing | No | No |
| August | nothing | No | No |
| September | nothing | No | No |
| October | nothing | No | No |
| November | nothing | No | No |
| December | nothing | No | No |
What this group does not cover
Nothing in flower: January, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Planting only from this group would leave those months empty.
Bees these plants are recorded with
Taken from the relationships on each plant record. These are the well-attested associations rather than an exhaustive list of visitors, so treat the number as a floor.
Honeys from these plants
Other families
- Daisy family
- Mint family
- Rose family
- Pea family
- Honeysuckle family
- Heather family
- Buttercup family
- Myrtle family
- Cabbage family
- Borage family
- Carrot family
- Mallow family
- Onion family
- Buckthorn family
- Maple and horse chestnut family
- Sapodilla family
- Plantain family
- Citrus family
- Protea family
- Primrose family
- Currant family
- Elder and viburnum family
- Pine family
- Cashew and mango family
- Palm family
- Ivy family
- Oak and chestnut family
- Leatherwood family
- Spurge family
Plan with these
- Flowering calendar
What should I plant so that something is always in flower for bees?
- Bee-friendly garden planner
What should I plant in the space I actually have?
- Plant recommendation tool
Which plant fills this specific gap?