The best trees for bees
A single mature tree can out-produce an entire border. If there is room for one, it is the most consequential thing that can be planted for bees.
92 plants · 40 bee relationships
The rule behind this list
Every plant in the catalogue recorded as a tree.
Why this group is worth having
Forage quantity scales with flowering area, and a tree presents more flowering surface in one place than any other structure a garden can hold. A mature lime, sycamore or horse chestnut in flower supports thousands of foragers at once, and almost every major honey crop in the world is a tree rather than a herb. Trees also concentrate the flow — a colony can fill supers from one tree in a fortnight, which no amount of border planting achieves.
What it will not do on its own
Trees flower briefly and unpredictably. A lime yields for two weeks and a wet spell during them removes the crop entirely, so a tree is a peak rather than a season. It also takes years to reach useful size, which makes it the right decision to make early and the wrong one to rely on this year.
Trees in the catalogue
- AppleMalus domesticaApril to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- CherryPrunus aviumMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- HawthornCrataegus monogynaMay to June. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Sweet chestnutCastanea sativaJune to July. Nectar high, pollen very high.Major honey crop
- LimeTilia cordataJune to July. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- EucalyptusEucalyptusJanuary to December. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Strawberry treeArbutus unedoOctober to December. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- SidrZiziphus spina-christiOctober to December. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- Ogeechee tupeloNyssa ogecheApril to May. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- SourwoodOxydendrum arboreumJune to August. Nectar very high, pollen low.Major honey crop
- Goat willowSalix capreaFebruary to April. Nectar high, pollen very high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- Crab appleMalus sylvestrisApril to May. Nectar high, pollen very high.Minor honey crop
- RowanSorbus aucupariaMay to June. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- Horse chestnutAesculus hippocastanumApril to May. Nectar very high, pollen very high.Minor honey crop
- SycamoreAcer pseudoplatanusApril to May. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- CarobCeratonia siliquaSeptember to November. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- AlmondPrunus dulcisFebruary to March. Nectar very high, pollen very high.Minor honey crop
- LemonCitrus limonMarch to June. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- JujubeZiziphus jujubaMay to July. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- QuillayQuillaja saponariaNovember to January. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- HollyIlex aquifoliumMay to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- Field mapleAcer campestreApril to May. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Black locustRobinia pseudoacaciaMay to June. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- Tulip treeLiriodendron tulipiferaMay to June. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- MesquiteProsopisApril to August. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Sweet orangeCitrus sinensisMarch to May. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- AvocadoPersea americanaFebruary to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- MacadamiaMacadamia integrifoliaAugust to October. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- KanukaKunzea ericoidesNovember to February. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- RewarewaKnightia excelsaOctober to December. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- PohutukawaMetrosideros excelsaNovember to January. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- JarrahEucalyptus marginataSeptember to January. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- LeatherwoodEucryphia lucidaJanuary to March. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Silver firAbies albaJune to September. Nectar none, pollen low.Major honey crop
- Norway sprucePicea abiesJune to September. Nectar none, pollen low.Major honey crop
- Scots pinePinus sylvestrisJuly to November. Nectar none, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- English oakQuercus roburApril to May. Nectar none, pollen low.Minor honey crop
- Cabbage palmSabal palmettoJune to August. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Bee bee treeTetradium danielliiJuly to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Japanese pagoda treeStyphnolobium japonicumJuly to September. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- PearPyrus communisMarch to May. Nectar low, pollen high.Not a honey source
- PlumPrunus domesticaMarch to April. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Black mangroveAvicennia germinansJune to August. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- Chinese tallowTriadica sebiferaApril to June. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- LogwoodHaematoxylum campechianumJanuary to April. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- American persimmonDiospyros virginianaMay to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- Southern beechFuscosporaJanuary to April. Nectar none, pollen low.Major honey crop
- LoquatEriobotrya japonicaNovember to February. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- KaranjPongamia pinnataMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- ChiuriDiploknema butyraceaDecember to February. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- SheaVitellaria paradoxaJanuary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- BaobabAdansonia digitataOctober to December. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- ArganArgania spinosaApril to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- MopaneColophospermum mopaneSeptember to December. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- CashewAnacardium occidentaleNovember to February. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- MahuaMadhuca longifoliaMarch to April. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- NeemAzadirachta indicaMarch to May. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- MangoMangifera indicaJanuary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Bird cherryPrunus padusApril to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- QuinceCydonia oblongaMay to June. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
- MedlarMespilus germanicaMay to June. Nectar high, pollen high.Not a honey source
- ApricotPrunus armeniacaFebruary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- PeachPrunus persicaMarch to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- Norway mapleAcer platanoidesApril to May. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- WhitebeamSorbus ariaMay to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- Winter-flowering cherryPrunus x subhirtellaNovember to March. Nectar moderate, pollen moderate.Not a honey source
- Tree of heavenAilanthus altissimaJune to July. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- Holm oakQuercus ilexApril to May. Nectar none, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- MoringaMoringa oleiferaJanuary to December. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- BabulVachellia niloticaAugust to November. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Talh acaciaVachellia seyalFebruary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- DurianDurio zibethinusFebruary to April. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- LycheeLitchi chinensisFebruary to April. Nectar very high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- RambutanNephelium lappaceumJanuary to March. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- Coconut palmCocos nuciferaJanuary to December. Nectar moderate, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- MangiumAcacia mangiumFebruary to May. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- TamarindTamarindus indicaApril to June. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- NiaouliMelaleuca quinquenerviaMarch to July. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Sweet thornVachellia karrooNovember to February. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Oil palmElaeis guineensisJanuary to December. Nectar low, pollen very high.Feeds the colony but rarely yields a surplus
- BushwillowCombretum speciesAugust to November. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Major honey crop
- TepezcohuiteMimosa tenuifloraNovember to February. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- AngicoAnadenanthera colubrinaSeptember to November. Nectar high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- TiacaCaldcluvia paniculataJanuary to March. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- ChañarGeoffroea decorticansSeptember to November. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- StringybarkEucalyptus macrorhyncha and related speciesDecember to March. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- PaperbarkMelaleuca speciesOctober to February. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Yellow gumEucalyptus leucoxylonMay to September. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Swamp mahoganyEucalyptus robustaMay to August. Nectar very high, pollen high.Major honey crop
- Five fingerPseudopanax arboreusMay to August. Nectar high, pollen high.Minor honey crop
- TowaiWeinmannia silvicolaOctober to December. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
- WilgaGeijera parvifloraJune to October. Nectar high, pollen moderate.Minor honey crop
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 | 23 | Yes | Yes |
| February | 28 | Yes | Yes |
| March | 31 | Yes | Yes |
| April | 39 | Yes | Yes |
| May | 40 | Yes | Yes |
| June | 32 | Yes | Yes |
| July | 22 | Yes | Yes |
| August | 20 | Yes | Yes |
| September | 19 | Yes | Yes |
| October | 20 | Yes | Yes |
| November | 26 | Yes | Yes |
| December | 22 | Yes | Yes |
Check these against your region before planting
11 plants in this group carry an invasiveness or legal restriction note somewhere in the world: Eucalyptus, Sycamore, Black locust, Mesquite, Chinese tallow, Norway maple, Tree of heaven, Babul, Mangium, Niaouli, Sweet thorn. HoneyHQ does not know where you are and will not guess, so it flags rather than filters.
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
- Wildflower honeyVaries with the season and the landscape. Pale spring crops are floral and light; late-summer crops darker, fruitier and stronger.
- Chestnut honeyAromatic, woody and unmistakably bitter — sweetness first, tannin second, and a long dry finish.
- Linden honeyFresh and cooling — mint, balsam and lime blossom, with a clean herbal sharpness no other pale honey has.
- Bashkir linden honeyIntensely aromatic with the mentholated, faintly medicinal lift characteristic of lime, over a clean sweetness — more perfumed than most people expect from so pale a honey.
- Urban honeyVaries enormously and is frequently more complex than a rural multifloral, because the flowering succession is longer and the species mix wider.
- Siberian taiga honeyComplex and warm with a herbal lift over caramel, and a density that comes directly from the low moisture — thick, concentrated and long on the palate.
- Basswood honeyIntensely aromatic with a mentholated, faintly medicinal lift over a clean sweetness — one of the most distinctive American honeys and among the most divisive.
- Eucalyptus honeyWoody and faintly medicinal, with caramel and a cool eucalypt lift. More savoury than its colour suggests.
- Jarrah honeyDark, malty and caramelised, with a coffee-and-treacle depth and much less of the medicinal edge a comparably dark honey usually carries.
- Ethiopian red honeyStrong and warm with a malty depth, a resinous eucalyptus lift and a faint smokiness from traditional harvesting — an assertive honey that stands up to fermentation.
- Messmate honeyStrong and resinous with a malty depth and a faintly medicinal eucalypt lift — assertive and unmistakably Australian.
- Blackbutt honeyWarm and caramelised with a light resinous edge — one of the milder eucalypt honeys and a good introduction to the group.
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?