The best flowering plants for bees

Flowering perennials in the catalogue

• LavenderLavandula angustifoliaJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• ThymeThymusMay to August. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• White cloverTrifolium repensMay to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• HeatherCalluna vulgarisAugust to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• Wildflower meadowMixed native floraApril to September. Nectar very high, pollen very high.Major honey crop
• AlfalfaMedicago sativaJune to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• DandelionTaraxacum officinaleMarch to October. Nectar high, pollen very high.Minor honey crop
• Rosebay willowherbChamaenerion angustifoliumJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• Michaelmas daisySymphyotrichum novi-belgiiAugust to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• SageSalviaMay to October. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• MintMenthaJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• MarjoramOriganum vulgareJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• CatmintNepetaMay to October. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• ComfreySymphytum officinaleMay to September. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• VerbenaVerbena bonariensisJune to November. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• GoldenrodSolidagoAugust to October. Nectar very high, pollen very high.Major honey crop
• Red cloverTrifolium pratenseMay to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• Bird's-foot trefoilLotus corniculatusMay to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• KnapweedCentaurea nigraJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• Field scabiousKnautia arvensisJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• YarrowAchillea millefoliumJune to October. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• HelleboreHelleborusDecember to April. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
• SedumHylotelephium spectabileAugust to October. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• Hardy geraniumGeraniumMay to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• EchinaceaEchinacea purpureaJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• AsphodelAsphodelus ramosusMarch to May. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• LungwortPulmonaria officinalisFebruary to May. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• PrimrosePrimula vulgarisFebruary to May. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Dead-nettleLamiumJanuary to December. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• CowslipPrimula verisApril to May. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Lamb's earStachys byzantinaJune to August. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• BetonyBetonica officinalisJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• AgastacheAgastache foeniculumJuly to October. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• BergamotMonarda didymaJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• HyssopHyssopus officinalisJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• Globe thistleEchinops ritroJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• Sea hollyEryngiumJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• MeadowsweetFilipendula ulmariaJune to September. Nectar low, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Purple loosestrifeLythrum salicariaJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• Oxeye daisyLeucanthemum vulgareMay to September. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• FennelFoeniculum vulgareJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• Tufted vetchVicia craccaJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• ChicoryCichorium intybusJuly to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• RudbeckiaRudbeckia fulgidaAugust to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• HeleniumHelenium autumnaleJuly to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• Japanese anemoneAnemone × hybridaAugust to October. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• WallflowerErysimumMarch to November. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
• SainfoinOnobrychis viciifoliaMay to July. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• CranberryVaccinium macrocarponJune to July. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• HarebellCampanula rotundifoliaJuly to September. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
• CatsearHypochaeris radicataJune to September. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Small scabiousScabiosa columbariaJune to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Devil's-bit scabiousSuccisa pratensisJuly to October. Nectar very high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Sea asterTripolium pannonicumJuly to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• Japanese knotweedReynoutria japonicaAugust to October. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• HogweedHeracleum sphondyliumJune to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• SelfhealPrunella vulgarisJune to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• ColtsfootTussilago farfaraFebruary to April. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Lemon balmMelissa officinalisJune to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Bell heatherErica cinereaJune to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• Resin spurgeEuphorbia resiniferaMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• Bitter aloeAloe feroxJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
• Lesser celandineFicaria vernaFebruary to May. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Not a honey source
• BugleAjuga reptansApril to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• AubrietaAubrieta deltoideaMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• ColumbineAquilegia vulgarisMay to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Hemp agrimonyEupatorium cannabinumJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• Joe Pye weedEutrochium purpureumJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• Culver's rootVeronicastrum virginicumJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Blazing starLiatris spicataJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Woodland sageSalvia nemorosaJune to September. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Lesser calamintClinopodium nepetaJuly to November. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Russian sageSalvia yangiiJuly to October. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• St John's wortHypericum perforatumJune to September. Nectar none, pollen very high.Not a honey source
• ChivesAllium schoenoprasumMay to July. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• Winter savorySatureja montanaJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
• Globe artichokeCynara cardunculusJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
• Common fleabanePulicaria dysentericaJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
• AgapanthusAgapanthus praecoxJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Giant catmintNepeta racemosaMay to October. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
• Greek heathErica manipulifloraSeptember to December. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• MotherwortLeonurus cardiacaJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• TulsiOcimum tenuiflorumSeptember to February. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• Green cardamomElettaria cardamomumApril to July. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
• Common milkweedAsclepias syriacaJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen low.Minor honey crop
• Mountain mintPycnanthemum speciesJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus

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.

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.

• Western honey bee
• Bumblebees
• Leafcutter bees
• Anatolian honey bee
• White-tailed bumblebee
• Heath bumblebee
• Bilberry bumblebee
• Blunthorn bees
• African mountain honey bee
• Mining bees
• Mason bees
• Egyptian honey bee

Honeys from these plants

• Lavender honeyOvertly perfumed — lavender flower, warm hay and a soft fruity sweetness underneath. Aromatic in a way most honeys are not.
• Alcarria honeyDelicate and aromatic, with a clean herbal sweetness — the rosemary type is softer and more floral, the lavender type more perfumed and slightly camphoraceous.
• Rosmaninho honeyAromatic and resinous with a warm herbal sweetness and a faint eucalyptus lift — more robust and less perfumed than Provençal lavender honey.
• Thyme honeyWarm, herbal and savoury — thyme and dry stone, with a peppery lift and a very long finish.
• Alpine meadow honeyComplex and aromatic, with a herbal lift over warm caramel and a distinctly clean finish — the flavour of a great many plants rather than of any one.
• Hymettus honeyIntensely aromatic and herbal, with a warm thyme character, a resinous maquis edge and a long finish that carries a distinct savoury note.
• Savory honeyIntensely herbal with a distinct peppery, almost oregano-like bite over a warm sweetness — one of the more assertive Mediterranean aromatics.
• Narbonne rosemary honeyDelicate and clean with a soft herbal floral note and a texture that does much of the work — one of the classic pale European honeys.
• Dittany honeyIntensely aromatic and herbal with a distinct medicinal lift and a warm oregano character — closer to a herbal infusion than to a floral honey.
• Ak balMild, creamy and delicately floral with a faint herbal lift — the texture is much of the appeal, dense and smooth and dissolving rather than sticky.
• Tibetan highland honeyDense and strongly herbal with a resinous depth and a faintly smoky finish — a concentrated honey that reflects both a short intense season and traditional processing.
• Blue curls honeyExtremely delicate with a clean sweetness and a faint herbal lift — one of the mildest honeys there is, and prized for exactly that.