The best bulbs for bees
The cheapest improvement available to most gardens. Bulbs flower before anything else and occupy ground that will be shaded and idle by June.
The rule behind this list
Every plant in the catalogue recorded as a bulb.
Why this group is worth having
Crocus, snowdrop, squill and winter aconite flower between January and March, which is when a bumblebee queen coming out of hibernation needs pollen to found a colony and there is almost none available. They are also spatially free — they complete their above-ground life before the border closes over, so they can be planted through existing planting without displacing anything. Very little else in gardening offers that.
What it will not do on its own
Quantities per flower are small, and the contribution is over by May. Bulbs improve the hardest month rather than the whole year, and a plan built only on them has nothing between June and September.
By season
Bulbs in the catalogue
- SnowdropGalanthus nivalisJanuary to March. Nectar low, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
- CrocusCrocusJanuary to April. Nectar moderate, pollen very high.Not a honey source
- Winter aconiteEranthis hyemalisJanuary to March. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
- AlliumAlliumApril to August. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- BluebellHyacinthoides non-scriptaApril to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Grape hyacinthMuscari armeniacumMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- DahliaDahliaJuly to November. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- Hardy cyclamenCyclamen coumDecember to March. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
- Siberian squillScilla sibericaFebruary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
- Grecian windflowerAnemone blandaMarch to April. Nectar low, pollen high.Not a honey source
- Wild garlicAllium ursinumApril to June. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
What this group covers
12 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 | 4 | Yes | Yes |
| February | 5 | Yes | Yes |
| March | 7 | Yes | Yes |
| April | 7 | Yes | Yes |
| May | 4 | Yes | Yes |
| June | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| July | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| August | 2 | Yes | Yes |
| September | 1 | Yes | Yes |
| October | 1 | Yes | Yes |
| November | 1 | Yes | Yes |
| December | 1 | Yes | Yes |
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 things to plant
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?