Best Flowers To Attract Bees

Best Flowers To Attract Bees

One way you can do this is by trying to find them something they will much prefer to eat: flowers.

Luckily, there are many different breeds and sizes of flowers, each one possessing special properties that will lure in bees, (see also: The Bee’s Knees: Do Bees Possess Knees?)wasps, and flies.

This is due to the vivid coloring of the plant as well as the specific aroma they give off. But what flowers are the best for attracting bees specifically?

Which flowers will attract bees and look great in your garden? How can you find an affordable bee-luring flower? What properties of the flower attract the bee?

Well, we’ve compiled a list of some of the very best flowers to attract bees on the market, so you can turn your garden into a thriving bee hub.

EDITORS CHOICE

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OUR TOP PICK

RAISE ME UP: Seeds California Sea Lavender Mix Seafoam Statice Marsh Rosemary Annual Flowers

This is a great choice for anyone that is looking to completely revitalize their garden. It comes with striking blooms and a great pollen scent.

If you want eye, ear and nose candy, this is the ideal flower for you.This is what makes this flower so attractive to bees. 

They are brimming with delicious nectar, so if you have a few bunches of these then you can be sure the bees will be busy themselves with these flowers rather than your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Pros:

  • A vivid flower that will really brighten up any backyard.
  • You can dry this plant out and use it for cakes and baking.
  • This is very attractive to bees.

Cons:

  •  You can’t really plant a few of these seeds, so you’ll need to make sure you have the space.

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This next flower is another one with a delicious purple hue that will definitely get the bees buzzing around your garden.

This flower is brimming with nectar, so it will keep those bees busy for a few hours.

This flower is very easy to pair with others, so you can create a veritable painter’s palette of colors that are both vibrant and extremely eye-catching.

Because this flower is much paler in color, it will not clash with more dominant tones.

Pros:

  • This is a sumptuous color that will certainly boost the look of your garden.
  • It is easy to maintain, and you’ll get lovely blooms out of it.
  • A taste sensation for bees and other insects.

Cons:

  •  Can be quite delicate.

BEST VALUE

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This next flower contains so many colors that it will really sting the eyes. It comes with a deep red center and vividly purple leaves.

The center of these flowers is incredibly rich, great for bees to sup from during the long, dry summers.

These plants are extremely tall and can reach upwards of 36 inches in height. These flowers grow fantastically in full sunlight or even in partial shade.

They bloom during the summertime and through to the mid-fall.

Pros:

  • Nectar-rich – this is perfect for our bee brethren.
  •  Perfect for wildflower meadows.
  •  This will bloom for anywhere between 2 and 3 years.

Cons:

  •  These flowers might be too garish for your backyard.

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This chive flower comes with purple pom poms that make it an essential addition to any garden.

It grows quite tall and will bloom very early in the spring, so it is often the first flower that your bees want to visit.

You can also chop up this and have it in your soup or salad. These flowers add that little dash of flavor to a wide variety of foods. So basically, it is a great food source for both humans and insects!

Pros:

  • You can use a chive in a wide variety of foods including soup and butter.
  • This will grow wonderfully in full sunlight.
  • The first flower to bloom during the spring season.

Cons:

  • This flower might look strange planted by itself.

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Park Seed Panorama Mix Bee Balm Seeds, Ultra-Colorful Fragrant Flowers, Pack of 100 Seeds

As you can probably tell by the name, these flowers are pretty much designed to attract bees.

It is also very tasty for butterflies and hummingbirds too. So if you want your backyard filled with a menagerie of animals, then you should certainly try this flower.

This is also great for soaking in tea and adding a few select foods for that little bit of seasoning.

This is a very bright and vivid purple flower with twisting leaves that makes it immediately jump out at you.

Pros:

  • This plant can live upwards of 15 years.
  •  Attracts lots of different insects and birds
  • A fantastic bee magnet.

Cons:

  •  This plant might take a little longer to bloom.

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This flower is also known as the blazing star and you can see why. It has a vivid purple hue that really marks it out from other flowers on this list.

It has a bottle shape with hundreds of purple bristles sticking out of the bottle-shaped spire.

This has a fuzzy type of foliage that will exude a powerful aroma that is quite simply irresistible to so many bees.

This one really grows to full bloom during the summer, so you might have to wait for a few months until you see it in all its glory.

Pros:

  • A bright and vivid plant that will attract plenty of insects.
  • Tall and striking, you’ll see it for hundreds of yards.
  • This grows well in full sunlight.

Cons:

  • You might have to wait for the summer for this one to bloom.

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As you are all probably aware, mint has a very fragrant aroma. It is used in everything from toothpaste to chocolate, yet you can’t beat the smell of the real thing growing in your garden… and neither can the bees.

It comes with purple lavender bloom which might not be that impressive, but you can be sure the bees will love it.

This will help not only to pollinate your garden but it will help to grow all the plants in other gardens in the vicinity.

Pros:

  • This is very pungent and irresistible to bees.
  • They can be dried and served in many dishes.
  • This grows very quickly, so should be restricted to pots.

Cons:

  • Not the most attractive flower on this list.

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Now, this is one of the best-looking plants that we have on this list. It comes with a deep purple flower pattern in the middle, which is very vivid and alluring to all sorts of creatures.

This will be in full bloom all year round, although the bees will only be around during the warmer climate.

This is great for a border flower, the vivid colors provide great fringing for your whole garden.

This is also great as a smaller plant that will counterpoint the larger plants in your window box. This plant grows well in either full or partial sunlight.

Pros:

  • Plenty of colors – this has lots of vivid hues.
  • Great for an all-year-round plant.
  • You can plant it in a pot or a window box.

Cons:

  • Might be a little delicate.

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When you are planting flowers in your garden, it will be all about the dynamics. You’ll want flowers that grow across as well as upwards.

A foxglove is great for the vertical effect, these trumpet-shaped flowers have speckles on the inside for added drama.

You can often find bees scrabbling around the inside of foxgloves as they are trying to gain access to the delicious nectar inside.

You can get many different colors of foxglove, from purple to white to apricot.

Pros:

  • A beautiful flower that is hard to match.
  • You can be sure that bees and even hummingbirds will give these a good going-over.
  • A great flower for a wildlife garden.

Cons:

  • Might take a little longer to bloom.

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RAISE ME UP: Seeds Aster Winter Cherry Red-White Annual Flowers

This is another flower that will really boost the look of your garden and make it feel all the more lively.

This will attract bees, butterflies, moths, finches, chickadees, cardinals, nuthatches, and plenty of other birds.

There are hundreds and hundreds of Aster species, so you’ll be spoiled for choice when you are buying seeds at the shops.

They have plenty of striking colors including vivid blue, red, and white.

Pros:

  • This plant will bloom for around 2 years or more.
  •  Appeals to bees, birds and butterflies alike.
  • There are hundreds of species to choose from.

Cons:

  • Might grow too quickly for small gardens.

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Seed Needs, Wild Creeping Thyme Seeds for Planting (Thymus serpyllum) Heirloom & Open Pollinated - Great for Use as Groundcover (2 Packs)

This is a plant that grows all year round, so if you want that permanent base color for your backyard, then this is the one for you.

You can even use this one for cooking, using it to add that splash or aroma to your soup or salad.

This plant will grow nice and low to the ground, which is great if you are looking to cover up an unsightly part of your garden.

You can get this plant in a few different varieties, including white and pink.

Pros:

  • This is a great plant that will bloom in late summer.
  • This attracts both bees and wasps, keeping them away from your home!
  • This plant really thrives in direct sunlight.

Cons:

  • Grows very rapidly, which might not be great for a small garden.

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Survival Garden Seeds - Victoria Blue Sage Seed for Planting - Packet with Instructions to Plant and Grow Mealycup Sage or Salvia Farinacea in Your Home Vegetable Garden - Non-GMO Heirloom Variety

This is a plant that is related to mint and gives off a very similar smell. They come in a tubular shape that has spikes sticking out of the top of them.

This plant is very resistant to the hot weather and will be able to survive severe droughts.

This kind of plant is great for ornamental gardens, delivering a lush and vibrant explosion of color.

This plant can self-propagate, which means that it doesn’t need to be pollinated to flourish.

Pros:

  • This blooms brightly in the full sunlight.
  • This plant is highly resistant to droughts.
  • You can be sure that bees and butterflies will be visiting this one.

Cons:

  • This might be a bit too long for smaller gardens.

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This next garden flower is popular in cottage gardens, with lilac blooms that grow very tall in all weather.

This plant blooms all year round and you can be sure you’ll be seeing plenty of bees and butterflies burying themselves in the tubes to sample the nectar.

These flowers come in varying shapes and colors. You can get them in deep blue or purple, or you can get all the colors and have them arranged in a wider color palette. This is a plant that thrives in full sunlight.

Pros:

  • This grows all through the summer.
  • If you are looking for a plant that will add some lovely blooms to your backyard, then this is a great option.
  • There is plenty of nectar in these plants for the bees and butterflies.

Cons:

  • This might be another delicate flower.

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This flower is bright blue in color and will shine brilliantly in the sunlight of your garden.

This comes with a hairy long stem with a magnificent blue bud on the end. This flower can also be used as a garnish for many salads and food dishes.

This flower will bloom very nicely during the summer and you can be sure that plenty of bees will flock to them.

Pros:

  • This flower will help you to treat many skin complaints.
  • This comes with outlandish foliage and plenty of nectar for the bees to drink.
  •  It is a flower that will draw plenty of pollinators towards it.

Cons:

  • The stems might be too long for your garden.

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Here we have some more plants that look like they have dropped from space. They come with spiny globes that you can be sure will give the bees and butterflies plenty of nectar to sup on during even the driest of summer months.

Pros:

  • One of the most unique-looking plants you will ever see.
  • Vivid and blue, this is a fantastic addition to any garden.
  • This one really flourishes under full sun exposure.

Cons:

  • This comes with spines that can cut deep.

Buyer’s Guide

When you are thinking of buying flowers to attract bees into your garden, there will only be one criterion: they should produce lots of nectar. 

This will draw the bees to your garden, especially during the summer weather. Here are some things you should be looking out for:

How Much Pollen Should They Produce?

Pollen-producing flowers are the only things that really attract bees to your garden. If you want your garden to be teeming with wildlife, make sure that you have dense clusters of summer-blooming flowers in your garden at all times.

How Colorful Are They?

These are not just bowls of sugar on a bird table, they are decorative objects too. You’ll need to make sure that you have colorful flowers that will cover any drab concrete and lead the viewer's eye from one end of the garden to the other.

When Do They Bloom?

There are two types of flowers: perennial and annual. The perennial flowers are the ones that grow all year round, so they will be perfect for bees, who only come out during the summer.

However, if you are going for annual flowers, make sure they bloom during the early spring and summer months so the bees can really savor them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Best Color Of Flower To Attract Bees?

There are plenty of colors that will draw bees into your garden. These include purple, violet and deep blue flowers, as these are the ones that produce the most pollen.

What Type Of Flowers Don’t Attract Bees?

Here are some of the flowers that bees tend not to like:

  • Red lilies
  • Red hot poker
  • Yarrow paprika
  • Hummingbird mint
  • Cardinal flower
  •  Roses
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Maltese cross

What Are The Best Plants For Attracting Bees?

There are plenty of plants that are great for attracting bees, but the best ones are marigolds, lavender, tulips, foxgloves, chives, chicory, and pussy willow.

Conclusion

We hope that this guide to great flowers that you can attract bees with has helped you narrow it down to just the ones that you think would be the most suitable for your garden. 

It is important that you have the right amount of space for some of your plants, as they will need room to flourish in certain environments.

Some of these plants will grow all year round and will bloom in every type of light. However, you’ll need to check which plants can be left in full sunlight and which ones can’t.

Thomas Callaghan
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