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Entomology Advisory Leaflet

January 2010

Plants For Bees

Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen. (Lunaria annua ); wallflower ( Erysimum spp.). Some of the plants listed below provide pollen only but these are nevertheless valuable to bees. HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS Pollen contains proteins and fats and large quantities are needed, especially during the Agastache foeniculum; Alyssum spp.; Anchusa spring when many bee larvae are being raised. azurea ; Arabis spp.; Aubrieta spp.; bellflowers (Campanula spp.); catmints ( Nepeta spp.); Some of the listed plants may not always prove cranesbill ( Geranium spp.); dahlia single-flowered attractive to bees and this is particularly true of cultivars; fleabane ( Erigeron spp.); Geum spp.; certain trees and shrubs which in some years globe artichoke ( Cynara cardunculus ); globe thistle may not produce nectar in sufficient quantity to (Echinops ritro ); golden rod ( Solidago spp.); attract bees. The extent to which nectar is Gypsophila paniculata ; Helenium spp.; hellebores secreted is influenced by factors such as (Helleborus spp.); ice plant ( Sedum spectabile ); temperature, humidity and soil moisture. Plants Jacob's ladder ( Polemonium caeruleum ); Japanese growing in sunny, sheltered places are more anemone ( Anemone × hybrida ); lambs’ ears likely to be visited by bees than those growing (Stachys byzantina ); leopard's bane ( Doronicum in shaded or windswept situations. Low- spp.); Liatris spicata ; lungwort ( Pulmonaria spp.); growing plants, such as annuals and herbaceous Michaelmas daisies ( Aster spp.); oriental poppy plants, are more attractive to bees if the plants (Papaver orientale ); Monarda punctata ; Persicaria are grown in large clumps or patches, rather amplexicaulis ; Rudbeckia spp.; Salvia × superba ; than being scattered and mixed up. Double- scabious ( Scabiosa spp.); sea hollies ( Eryngium flowered or pollen-free cultivars of plants listed spp.); Sidalcea malviflora ; thrift ( Armeria below should be avoided, since these are usually maritima ); Veronica longifolia ; white horehound ignored by bees. Some of the plants in the (Marrubium vulgare ); Verbena bonariensis . following lists cannot be grown in all parts of the British Isles because of unsuitable climatic or BULBS AND CORMS soil conditions. Allium spp.; autumn crocus ( Colchicum spp.);

Crocus spp.; fritillaries ( Fritillaria spp.); glory of ANNUALS the snow ( Chionodoxa spp.); grape hyacinth

(Muscari spp.); hyacinth ( Hyacinthus orientalis ); Borage ( Borago officinalis ); buckwheat ( Fagopyrum Siberian squill ( Scilla siberica ); snowdrops esculentum ); Californian poppy ( Eschscholzia (Galanthus spp.); snowflakes ( Leucojum /Acis spp.); californica ); candytuft ( Iberis spp.); China aster winter aconite ( Eranthis hyemalis ). (Callistephus chinensis ); clarkia ( Clarkia spp.); cornflower ( Centaurea cyanus ); cosmos ( Cosmos VEGETABLES AND CULINARY HERBS bipinnatus ); forget-me-not ( Myosotis spp.); Gilia capitata ; godetia (Clarkia spp.); heliotrope Asparagus; brassicas left to flower; broad bean; (Heliotropium arborescens ); love-in-a-mist ( Nigella hyssop ( Hyssopus officinalis ); marjoram ( Origanum damascena ); mignonette ( Reseda odorata ); spp.); marrow and other cucurbits; mint ( Mentha Nemophila menziesii ; Phacelia spp.; poached egg spp.); rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ); runner plant ( Limnanthes douglasii ); sunflower bean; sage ( Salvia officinalis ); thyme ( Thymus (Helianthus annuus ); sweet sultan ( Amberboa spp.). moschata ); zinnia ( Zinnia elegans ).

TREES AND SHRUBS BIENNIALS

Almond ( Prunus dulcis ); apple, including French honeysuckle ( Hedysarum coronarium ); ornamental Malus ; barberry ( Berberis spp.); hollyhock - single flowered ( Alcea rosea ); honesty

blackberry; blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ); Boston unedo ); sy camore ( Acer pseudoplatanus ); sweet bay ivy ( Parthenocissus tricuspidata); box ( Buxus (Laurus nobilis ); Tetradium daniellii ; Virginia sempervirens ); brooms ( Cytisus spp.); Caryopteris ; creeper ( Parthenocissus quinquefolia ); Weigela Ceanothus spp. (Spring-flowering types); cherry, florida and hybrids; willows, male forms, including single-flowered ornamental types; especially goat willow ( Salix caprea ). cherry laurel ( Prunus laurocerasus ); Christmas box (Sarcococca spp.); Clematis cirrhosa ; Cotoneaster WILD FLOWERS spp.; currants, red, black, white and ornamental Ribes spp.; daisy bush ( Olearia spp.); Daphne Bindweed ( Convolvulus arvensis ); birdsfoot trefoil

mezereum ; dogwood ( Cornus alba ); Enkianthus (Lotus corniculatus ); burdock ( Arctium lappa ); campanulatus ; Escallonia hybrids; false acacia charlock ( Sinapis arvensis ); chickweed ( Stellaria (Robinia pseudoacacia ); firethorn ( Pyracantha media ); clovers ( Trifolium spp.); coltsfoot cultivars); Fuchsia spp.; gooseberry; gorse ( Ulex (Tussilago farfara ); dandelion ( Taraxacum spp.); hawthorns ( Crataegus spp.); hazel ( Corylus officinale ); devil's bit scabious ( Succisa pratensis ); avellana ); heather ( Calluna vulgaris ); heathers field scabious ( Knautia arvensis ); figworts (Erica spp.); Hebe spp.; holly ( Ilex aquifolium ); (Scrophularia spp.); hemp agrimony ( Eupatorium horse chestnuts ( Aesculus spp.); Hypericum spp.; cannabinum ); Himalayan balsam* ( Impatiens Indian bean tree ( Catalpa bignonioides ); ivy glandulifera *); hogweed ( Heracleum sphondylium ); (Hedera helix ); Japanese quince ( Chaenomeles horseshoe vetch ( Hippocrepis comosa ); knapweeds speciosa and C. × superba ); Judas tree ( Cercis (Centaurea spp.); knotgrasses ( Polygonum spp.); siliquastrum ); Koelreuteria paniculata ; lavender lesser celandine ( Ranunculus ficaria ); mallows (Lavandula spp.); lime ( Tilia spp. but T. ‘Petiolaris’ (Malva spp.); marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris ); and sometimes T. tomentosa , T. tomentosa meadow clary ( Salvia pratensis ); meadowsweet ‘Orbicularis’ and T. cordata nectar is toxic to (Filipendula ulmaria ); poppies ( Papaver spp.); bumble bees); loganberry; Lonicera × purpusii ; purple loosestrife ( Lythrum salicaria ); red Mahonia aquifolium ; maples ( Acer spp.); deadnettle ( Lamium purpureum ); rose bay mountain ash ( Sorbus aucuparia ); orange ball willowherb ( Chamerion angustifolium ); teasel buddleia ( Buddleja globosa ); pear and ornamental (Dipsacus fullonum ); thistles ( Cirsium spp.); Pyrus spp.; Perovskia atriplicifolia ; plums; toadflax ( Linaria vulgaris ); traveller's joy ( Clematis Potentilla fruticosa ; raspberry; rock rose vitalba ); valerian ( Valeriana officinalis ); viper's (Helianthemum spp.); rose – single-flowered bugloss ( Echium vulgare ); white bryony ( Bryonia species and cultivars ( Rosa spp.); snowberry dioica ); white melilot ( Melilotus albus ); yellow (Symphoricarpos spp.); strawberry tree ( Arbutus melilot ( M. officinalis ); yellow trefoil ( Trifolium dubium ). *Himalayan balsam ( Impatiens glandulifera ) is a non -native garden escape plant that is now widely established along the banks of rivers, streams, canals and lakes. It is an annual plant that seeds excessively freely and often forms tall dense stands that prevent the growth of other native water-side plants. Although the flowers of this plant are of benefit to bees in late summer, it should not be deliberately sown because of its invasive habits and detrimental effects on other plants.