Are double flowers bad for bees?
Short answerMostly true
Mostly, yes. In a double-flowered cultivar the extra petals are usually converted stamens or nectaries, so the plant offers little or no pollen and often no accessible nectar — and the dense petals physically block access to whatever remains. The flower that looks most generous is frequently the emptiest.
Where the belief comes from
The observation is straightforwardly correct and long-standing among gardeners. Where it overreaches is in treating 'double' as a single category: semi-doubles vary considerably, and a few doubles retain accessible nectar even without pollen.
What doubling actually is
A double flower is one in which the reproductive parts have been converted into petals — a mutation selected for and propagated deliberately. Stamens become petals, which removes the pollen. In many cases the nectaries go the same way or are simply buried under so many petal layers that no insect can reach them.
The consequences are visible in the garden. A single-flowered dahlia is covered in bees in September; a pompom dahlia three feet away has none on it at all, all season. The same contrast holds for roses, marigolds, chrysanthemums, asters, camellias and hellebores.
How to shop around it
- Look for a visible centre. If you can see stamens and a disc, insects can reach them.
- 'Single' and 'semi-double' on a label are worth seeking out; 'fully double' and 'pompom' are worth avoiding.
- The RHS Plants for Pollinators mark is a reasonable shortcut in the UK, and it excludes most doubles for exactly this reason.
- Where you want the look of a double, plant it — and put a single-flowered plant of something else beside it. Nobody has to garden only for bees.
Sources
- HoneyHQ editorial synthesis — HEKNO Ltd · HoneyHQ synthesis
How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.
Work it out for yourself
- Bee-friendly garden planner
What should I plant in the space I actually have?
- Plant recommendation tool
Which plant fills this specific gap?
- Seasonal bee planner
It is this season and I want to do this — what should I plant?