It’s said that bees are responsible for one of every three bites of food we eat! Fruits and vegetables that we eat and many plants used to feed livestock are all pollinated by bees. Not to mention, honey is delicious and consuming local honey can help combat allergies. Here are some plants we have in stock now that benefit bees.
Annual Flowers
Annuals will continue to bloom all summer when well taken care of. Make sure to feed and water them adequately for the longest bloom period.
Cosmos
Cosmos are easy-to-grow and require full sun. They are grown for their showy, vibrant flowers and are blooming right now! They are decorative, happy flowers. Apart from benefiting bees, they also attract butterflies and birds.
Zinnia
Zinnias are easy-to-grow and grow quickly. They bloom heavily and require full sun. In Colorado, they bloom in mid-July. They attract butterflies and make amazing cut flowers. They are grown primarily for their large, showy and layered flowers. They work well as borders, in containers and mixed flower gardens. Zinnias do it all!
Perennial Flowers
Agastache
We have several varieties with unique looks and colors. We even have a variety that smells like root beer! They typically bloom from the summer through the fall and attract hummingbirds. They are are showy, fragrant and long-blooming. Agastache is the perfect choice for a pollinator-friendly and xeric gardens. They are deer and rabbit resistant.
Echinacea
Echinacea requires full sun and makes good cut flowers. Named one of Sunset Magazine’s Top 20 favorite perennials because they are hardy and vibrantly showy. The blooms are long lasting and the seeds in the cone at the center of the flowers are a good food source for birds.
Penstemon
Penstemon comes in different colors and looks. They require full sun and thrive in dry conditions; Requires little water. They attract hummingbirds and are hardy. They are perfect for adding color and texture to a landscape. Although Penstemon is used today primarily for aesthetics, Native Americans used it for a variety of medicinal remedies.
Trees/Shrubs
Russian Sage
Russian sage makes a lavender cloud formation. Good for adding texture and color to a landscape. It is fragrant, vigorous and hardy. Russian Sage loves heat and is drought tolerant. Deer and pest resistant.
Currant
This deciduous shrub is fast growing and produces edible berries that are perfect for jams and pastries.
Apple Trees
Apple trees offer a good, early source of food for bees as well as food for humans! They have lovely blossoms in the spring.
Roses
Choose varieties of roses that have more open blooms. The tight, tubular rose blooms makes it difficult for the bees to access the pollen and nectar on the inside. Roses come in many colors, growing habits and are fragrant. We carry over 80 varieties of roses!
Veggies
Not only do these plants offer good food for bees, they offer a delicious crop for humans as well! Win win!
Cucumber
Winter Squash
Seed Mixes
We carry Beauty Beyond Belief seeds. There are seed packs that are regional specific for our climate and there are also packages mixed specifically to benefit pollinators. We carry Honey Source Wildflower Mix which is a long blooming mix of annuals and perennials put together just for our Honey Bee friends! We also have Bee Rescue Wildflower Mix which is a colorful combination of wildflowers that provides nectar and pollen for full season support of native and introduced bee species.