INSECTARY PLANTS for HONEY BEES and BENEFICIAL INSECTS Everyone Is a Beekeeper!
INSECTARY PLANTS FOR HONEY BEES AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS Everyone is a beekeeper!
Tips for success: Choose heirloom varieties – a simple flower design allows easy access to quality nectar and pollen Cut back your plants for repeat blooms throughout the season Let herbs and vegetables bolt - valuable nectar and pollen are found in the flowers Plant in drifts - honey bees exhibit flower constancy and like to forage among a single type of flower Provide blooms throughout the season for a constant supply of high quality bee forage Strive for organic, pesticide free gardening practices - never spray pesticides when bees are foraging
The following list is a compilation of our favorite plants for pollinators in the Willamette Valley, organized by season of most benefit. Some plants are beneficial for nectar, pollen, or both. (B) - bulb, (A) - annual, (P) - perennial, (S) - shrub, (T) - tree *also great for beneficial insects (such as hoverflies, lacewings, ladybugs, parasitic wasps, etc.)
WINTER Elaeagnus multiflora - elaeagnus (S) Alnus spp. - alder (T) Erysimum spp. – Wallflower (P) Anemone spp. - anemone (P) Eschsholtzia californica - California poppy (A) Corylus americana - hazelnut (S) Fragaria spp. - strawberry (P) Corylus avellana - filbert (T) Fraxinus latifolia - ash (T) Crocus spp. - Crocus (B) Galium odoratum - sweet woodruff (P) Eranthis hyemalis - winter aconite (B) Hyacinth spp. - hyacinth (B) Erica spp. - heather (P) Ilex spp. - holly (T/S) Galanthus spp. - snowdrop (B) Ligustrum - privet (S) Hamamelis vernalis - witch hazel (S) Liriodendron spp. - tulip tree (T) Helleborus spp. - hellebore (P) Lobularia maritima - alyssum (A)* Helleborus foetidus - hellebore (P) Mahonia aquifolium - mahonia (S) Iberis spp. - candytuft (P) Malus floribunda - crab apple (T) Mahonia x media – winter mahonia (S) Muscari armeniacum - muscari (B) Oemleria cerasiformis - indian plum (S)* Papaver orientale - oriental poppy (P) Pieris japonica – Andromeda (S) Philadelphus coronarius - mock orange (S) Primula spp. – primrose (A/P) Physocarpus capitatus - ninebark (T) Salix spp. - early willows (S) Prunus spp. - cherry, plum, laurel (T) Sarcococca hookeriana - sweet box (S) Pyrus spp. - pear (T) Pyracantha coccinea - firethorn (S) SPRING Ribes sanguineum - flowering currant (S) Rhamnus purshiana - cascara, chittum (S) Acer spp. - maple (T) Robinia pseudoacacia - black locust (T) Allium spp. - onions, chives (B) Salvia splendens - salvia (A) Angelica archangelica - angelica (P) Scabiosa caucasica – pincushion flower (P) Berberis spp. - oregon grape (S) Scilla siberica - siberian squill (B) Ceanothus spp. - California lilac (S)* Sorbus spp. - mountain ash (T) Cercis canadensis - redbud (T) Vaccinium spp. - blueberry, huckleberry (P) Chaenomeles japonica - flowering quince (S) Vitis spp. - grape (P) Cheiranthus allioni - siberian wallflower (P)* Wisteria spp. - wisteria (S) Cotoneaster spp. - cotoneaster (S)
Crataegus spp. - hawthorne (T) Daboecia spp. – heath/heather (S) SUMMER Salvia spp. - salvia (P) Abelia x grandiflora - abelia (S) Salvia sclarea - clary sage (P) Achillea millefolium - yarrow (P)* Sophora japonica - japanese pagoda tree (T) Agastache foeniculum - anise hyssop (P)* Spirea spp. - spirea (S) Alcea rosa - hollyhock (P) Symphoricarpos albus - snowberry (S) Allium spp. - onions (A) Symphytum spp. - comfrey (P)* Alstroemeria spp. – Lily of the Incas (P) Tagetes tenuifolia - marigold, signet (A) Anaphalis margaritacea - pearly everlasting (P) Tanacetum parthenium - feverfew (P)* Anethum graveolens - dill (A)* Tilia spp. - linden, basswood (T) Anthriscus cerefolium - chervil (A)* Thymus spp. - thyme (P) Asclepias spp. – milkweed (P)* Veronica spp. – speedwell (P) Borago officinalis - borage (A)* Viburnum spp. - viburnum (S) Brassica spp. - brassica crops (A)* Zinnia elegans - zinnia (A) Callicarpa dichotoma - beautyberry (P) Campanula spp. - campanula (P) AUTUMN Caryopteris x clandonensis – bluebeard Abelia spp. – abelia (S) ‘Dark Knight’ (S) Aster spp. - aster (P) Catalpa spp. – catalpa (T) Chrysanthemum spp. - chrysanthemum (P) Centaurea spp. - bachelor button, cornflower Crocus spp. - fall crocus (B) Chrysanthemum x superbum - shasta daisy (P)* Cosmos bipinnatus - cosmos (P) Cladrastis lutea - yellow wood (T) Osmanthus spp. - osmanthus (S) Clethra spp. – summer sweet (S) Salvia spp. - fall salvias (P) Coriandrum sativum - cilantro (A)* Sedum spp. - stonecrop ‘Autumn Joy’ (P) Crataegus phaenopyrum - hawthorn (P) Solidago spp. - goldenrod (P)* Cucurbita spp. - squash (A)* Teucrium chamaedrys – germander (S) Echinacea purpurea - echinacea (P) Tropaeolum majus - nasturtium (A)* Erica spp. – heath/heather (S) Erynginum planum - eryngium (P) LAWNS AND COVER CROPS Helianthus annus - sunflower (P) Bellis perennis - lawn daisy (P)* Hyssop spp. - hyssop (P) Fagopyrum esceulentum - buckwheat Lavandula spp. - lavender (P)* Melilotus officinalis - yellow sweet clover (P)* Lonicera spp. - honeysuckle (S) Phacelia tanacetifolia - phacelia (A) Melissa officianalis - lemon balm (P)* Prunella vulgaris - heal-all (P)* Mentha spp. - mints (P) Trifolium incarnatum - crimson clover (P)* Monarda spp. - bee balm, bergamot (P) Trifolium repens - dutch white clover (P)* Nepeta spp. - catmint, catnip (P)* Vicia villosa - hairy vetch (P)* Nepeta mussinii - catmint (P) Nyssa sylvatica - tupelo (T) Ocimum basilicum - basil (A) Origanum vulgare - oregano (P) Oxydendrum arboreum - sour-wood (S) Penstemon spp. - penstemon (P) Perovskia abrotanoides - russian sage (P)* Phacelia tanacetifolia - phacelia (A) Pimpinella anisum - anise (A)* Rosa spp. - single roses (P) Rosmarinus officinalis - rosemary (P) Rubus spp. - blackberry (P) Rudbeckia spp. - coneflower (P)*