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Fifteen ways to attract pollinators to your yard

Here are fifteen easy ways to assure you will have a plentiful supply of pollinators all season long. Although we’re half way through summer, it’s not too soon to start planning for next year.

  • Plant clover in your lawn. White Dutch clover planted in your lawn will attract dozens of pollinators. In addition, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen into a form the grass can use, resulting in a beautiful green lawn without the use of chemical fertilizers.
  • Plant at least some native species. Native plants attract native pollinators. Check with your local extension office if you are unsure of what is native.
  • Plant herbs. Herbs, especially those in the mint family, are very attractive to pollinators. This family includes thyme, oregano, sage, basil, peppermint, lavender, catnip and rosemary. As an added bonus, you get to use the herbs yourself.
  • Select plants with a wide range of bloom times. Native bees need food from spring until fall so plan to have something in bloom all season long.
  • Plant larval host plants. Some plants are not considered especially attractive in the garden but are necessary to certain species of pollinators. Milkweed, for instance, is vital to the larval stages of Monarch butterflies. Plant them in an inconspicuous place if you prefer, but have them available for the pollinators.
  • Avoid hybrid varieties. Many flowers that have been bread for beauty have lost the nectar or pollen that made them valuable to pollinators. Plants with double or triple rings of petals, or plants with unusual colors or variegated patterns are probably over-hybridized.
  • Leave open patches of mud. Many ground-nesting bees need open patches of mud for their homes or for building materials.
  • Provide a water source. It doesn’t need to be large or fancy. Just a wet spot under the end of a hose can help the insects.
  • Avoid excessive mulch. Too much mulch blocks entry to the ground. Ground-burrowing insects often cannot penetrate a heavy layer of mulch.
  • Add sea salt or wood ash to a bare patch of earth. Pollinators are often seen collecting minerals from salty or ashy areas. Your patch needn’t be large and it shouldn’t be overworked. If the insects need it, they will find it.
  • Provide nesting sites. Collections of reeds or holes drilled in blocks of wood provide great nesting sites. Tubes or blocks should be replaced periodically to limit disease build-up.
  • Leave dead trees and reeds standing. If a dead tree can safely be allowed to stand, it should be left as habit for bees, birds, and small rodents. Dead and standing reeds are a favorite of wild bees.
  • Leave an unmowed patch of grass and weeds in a protected spot. Tall grass provides protection, shade, and hunting grounds for many species of pollinators. Some pollinators—such as hover flies—feed on insects as well as nectar, so they do best in a place that provides an alternate food source.
  • Put a flower pot on every porch . . . and encourage your friends to do the same. The more plants that are available, the healthier our pollinators will be.
  • Use no pesticides. Until we reduce dependence on pesticides, items 1-14 are all for naught.

Rusty

Yellow bumble bee on blackberry
Yellow bumble bee on blackberry

How to attract bees to your garden

Here are eight simple ways to attract more bees—both native bees and honey bees—to your garden.

  • Plant species that bloom in sequence. Just like any animal, bees need a constant supply of food. A garden containing blossoms throughout spring, winter, and fall will attract the greatest number of bees.
  • Plant in clumps. It is easier to attract bees to a group of flowers than to a single flower. Each bee likes to collect pollen and/or nectar from many flowers of the same type.
  • To attract a diversity of bees, plant species of many shapes and colors. Some bees—such as honey bees—don’t see much on the red end of the spectrum, so go heavier on the blues, whites, and yellows.
  • Avoid highly inbred flowers. Clues to inbreeding include variegated flowers, flowers of unusual color, great size, long blooming period, or flowers known as “doubles” or “triples” with multiple sets of petals. In an effort to get particular effects, plant breeders often sacrifice the quality of nectar and pollen.
  • Leave bare patches of earth. Many bees live beneath the ground or use mud for building. Mud not covered with mulch is essential.
  • Maintain a “wild space” somewhere near your garden where grasses and weeds are allowed to grow to full height and remain undisturbed all winter long. Such an area provides habitat, nesting material, and shelter to wild bees.
  • Provide a water source. All living things need water, and bees are no exception.
  • Forget the pesticides and buy yourself a hoe. It’s better for them and better for you.
Crocus
Crocus

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

Native bee forage: bird’s eyes

Bird’s eyes (Gilia tricolor) is a perfect plant for your pollinator garden, planter box, rockery, or roadside. This annual plant is native to California, but will grow in most areas of the United States and southern Canada. The flowers have lavender and white trumpet-shaped petals that come together in a yellow throat, hence the species name “tricolor.”

The really cool thing, however, is that these flowers are loaded with deep blue pollen. The pollen is a good source of protein that is known to attract native bees, honey bees, hover flies, and lady bugs. The fragrant flowers bloom from March through May, depending on your location.

Bird’s eyes require little maintenance and will grow on poor-quality soil as long as it is well-drained. The plants do particularly well in hot and dry areas, but thrive easily in cooler climates as well. The plants will re-seed themselves but are not invasive. If you are interested in dry arrangements, bird’s eyes are known for holding their color, even after drying.

I haven’t grown many of these before (just those in a mix) but when I saw the blue pollen I quickly ordered a packet (actually a whole ounce) which I’m told is about 64,000 seeds. Hmm . . . that ought to do it.

Rusty

Bird's eyes showing blue pollen. Flickr photo by The Marmot.
Bird's eyes showing blue pollen. Flickr photo by The Marmot.

Five favorite plants for the bee garden

Since this is the season when gardening catalogs flood my mailbox, I can’t help but think about next year’s pollinator garden. My five favorite pollinator plants are all species that attract a wide variety of wildlife. In addition, they all are relatively easy to care for and don’t require a lot of water.

Agastache comes in various forms and colors and is attractive to many bees and butterflies. You can plant an entire garden of just Agastache using purples, oranges, reds, and pinks. These perennials flower over many weeks and are unappealing to deer and rabbits. My favorites include the hybrid “Blue Fortune” which is especially attractive to native bees and “New Mexico Hummingbird Mint” which draws butterflies and bumble bees as well as hummingbirds.

Perovskia, or Russian Sage, is a real pollinator-pleaser. Some of the varieties such as “Blue Spire” become absolutely coated with bees of all descriptions. It has dark blue flowers on spikes that reach about 4 feet high. Deer and rabbits walk right by, while the bees hang on in ecstasy.

Oregano was a surprise to me. I originally planted it for the leaves, but I’ve found that whenever I need a picture of a wild bee I’m sure to find one—or many—hanging out on the oregano plants. Oregano comes in many varieties and the small flowers range from pink to white.

Ceanothus, or California lilac, is a fragrant and colorful evergreen shrub. The first time I ever really noticed one was in front of a public building in Tacoma. I walked by and saw that it was covered—I mean absolutely infested—with honey bees. I cut a twig and took it to a local nursery for identification. These shrubs are very drought tolerant and the flowers are the color of blue that honey bees love. Ceanothus is also freely visited by other species including bumble bees and sweat bees.

Goldenrod is an especially good bee plant because it blooms very late in the year when bees are having a hard time finding forage. The bright yellow flowers attract many species of bee, especially bumble bees. Since goldenrod is tall it makes an excellent plant for the back of a garden or along a wall or fence. This past fall I often saw seven or eight bumble bees on one inflorescence. Goldenrod is another plant that requires little care and little water.

Even if you only have room for a pot or two, you will be surprised at the number of pollinators you can attract with these plants. Other plants with similar characteristics will work as well, including lavender, salvia, penstemon, and catmint.

Rusty
HoneyBeeSuite

Goldenrod: a late-summer feast for the bees

Goldenrod is one of those plants that everyone knows, but no one can identify—or so it seems. The genus Solidago—to which all the goldenrods belong—is extremely variable. The flowers, the leaves, even the general silhouette of the plant can vary markedly depending on where you live. The ones here on the west coast have baffled me for years.

But there is one thing you can be sure of: the bees love it. The one small patch I have is absolutely loaded with bees—mostly bumble bees, but also small native bees and butterflies. I’ve seen each inflorescence heavy with five or six large bumble bees at once. I never get tired of watching them.

Goldenrod belongs to the Asteraceae family—the very large plant family that includes dandelions and daisies, tansy and thistles, artichokes and sunflowers—along with about 22,750 other species. Although most are herbaceous plants, some are shrubs, vines, and even trees.

About 100 species of goldenrod are native to North America. Since they flower late in the summer, they are an important source of both nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and some wasps. Nectar is most plentiful in years when there is abundant moisture before bloom time, and when bloom time remains warm and sunny. The honey is said to be light to medium amber with a spicy taste.

If you want to attract a variety of bees to your pollinator garden, goldenrod is a perfect choice. Use a tall species as a back border or a shorter species mixed in with Russian sage, purple agastache, or blue asters. Goldenrod likes full sun but is not picky about the soil as long as it drains freely and does not remain wet.

Rusty

Foraging bumble bees. Photo by the author.
Foraging bumble bees. Photo by the author.
Bumble bee on goldenrod. Photo by the author.
Bumble bee on goldenrod. Photo by the author.

Sipping sweetness through a straw. Photo by the author.
Sipping sweetness through a straw. Photo by the author.