* Denotes a medicinal plant for bees
BOLD denotes special
interest for bumblebee plants (buzz pollinated, longer corollas or special
relationships, ie trip pollination)
Native and Near Native Shrubs: Willow (Salix spp.) maybe the most important
plant for honeybees and significant for bumblebee queens, Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) is another good one for
weavers, Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
also an essential bee plant because it blooms over a period of months, Black Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) Loads of nectar, berries used for dye, Hairy
Manzanita (Arctostaphylos columbiana)
June Gap:
Ninebark (Physocarpus spp.) native
species is Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus
capitatus), Spirea spp., native
is Spirea douglassi, Mock Orange (Philadelphus
lewisii), Native Roses
Edible/Drinkable Shrubs: Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), Oregon Grape (Berberis spp.), Kinnikinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), Blueberries (Vaccinium spp.), Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium
ovatum), Wood’s Rose (Rosa Woodsii), Prickly Rose (R. acicularis),
Blueberry Vaccinium spp., Potentilla spp.
Sumac (Rhus spp.),
Blue Elderberry (Sambucus cerulea), Currants (Ribes spp.) clove currant and red-flowering don’t plant European
black currants, Raspberry (Rubus spp.)
Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus), High Bush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum), Labrador tea (Rhododendron
groenlandicum),
Native and Near-Native Trees: Arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), Chokecherry, Crabapple
the native is Pacific Crabapple (Malus
fusca), Pincherry, Saskatoon, Western Mountain Ash (Sorbus scopulina)
Native Vines: Virgin’s Bower Clematis (Clematis
ligustifolium) beware of invasive look-alikes, Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera
ciliosa)
Exotic Trees: Redbuds (Cercis spp.), Hawthorn (Crataegus
spp.), Linden (Tilia spp.) avoid silver linden (Tilia tomentosa); Stone Fruit Trees:
apple, cherry, peach, apricot, pear, quince, and plum
Exotic Shrubs: Spirea spp., Climbing roses, Potentilla
spp. important late-blooming shrub
Edible Native Perennials: Native violets, Nodding
onion (Allium cernuum) and other native alliums
Early Shade-tolerant Perennials: Bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.) toxic, Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum spp.), Canadian Columbine (Aquilegia
canadensis) and other Aquilegia spp.
toxic,
Native and Near
Native Perennials: Spring-gold (Lomatium
utriculatum) an early-blooming umbel esp. important for short-tongued bees
like the Western Bumblebee
Deltoid Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza
deltoidea), Large-leafed Avens (Geum
macrifolium) and other Geum spp.
Broad-leafed Shooting
Star (Dodecatheon hendersonii), Milk Vetch (Astragalus spp.), Native Silvery Lupin (Lupinus argenteus) and other Lupinus
spp., Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia spp.),
Broomrape (Orobanche spp.) Yellow
Rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Native Larkspurs (Delphium menziesii ) HIGH
toxicity warning
Penstemon spp.,
Canadian Milk Vetch (Astragalus Canadensis and other native spp.), Blue
Gentian (Gentiana spp.), Monkey Flower (Mimulus sp.)
Camassia spp., Woodland
Strawberry (Fragraria vesca), Yarrow
(Achillea Millefolium), Potentilla spp. native species and cultivars
are great, Common Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia and other native and exotic spp.),
Plains Prickly Pear (Opuntia
polyacantha), Gumweed (Grindelia spp.), Rocky Mountain Bee
Plant (Cleome serrulata), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Erigeron spp., Native Lilies (Erythronium spp.), Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium spp.), Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium spp.)
Near Native Annual: Bienenfreunde aka Lacy
Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) very important bee pasture plant for
nectar and pollen—stagger-plant this throughout the growing season. Good for
honeybees and bumblebees.
Late-Blooming Native and
Near-Native Asteraceae: Joe
Pye Weed (Eutrochium spp.) Blanket
Flower (Gaillardia spp.), Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritaceae), Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.), Goldenrod (Solidago spp.), Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.), Coneflowers (Ratibida spp.), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.), Gold Star (Crocidium multicaule)
Medicinal Exotic Perennials: *Turtlehead: (Chelone
glabra), *Sage (Salvia spp.)
*Meadow Sage (Salvia pratensis),
*Oregano, *Thyme, *Dragonhead (Dracocephalum
spp.), *Lavender (Lavandula spp.)
Exotic Perennials: Catmint (Nepeta cultivars) N. cataria
can be invasive. Very important long-blooming plant for honeybees and
bumblebees
California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) can be
weedy, Liatris spp., Comfrey (Symphytum spp.), Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), Cardoon
(Cynara cardunculus) comes with an invasive warning, Hollyhocks
(and other Malva spp.), Wine Cup (Callirhoe
involucrata), Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), Sea Holly (Eryngeum spp.), Globe
Thistle (Echinops ritro), Caterpillar Flower (Phacelia bolerandi)
works in dappled shade, Masterwort (Astrantia major), Sneezeweed (Helenium
autumnale), Verbena spp.,
Exotic Annuals: Borage
(Borago officinalis) NB for nectar,
Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) can
be weedy, Moroccan Toadflax (Linaria
maroccana) plant instead of invasive toadflax spp., Blue Shrimp Plant (Cerinthe major), Globe
Gilia (Gilia capitata), Zinnias (choose the large ones) Calendula (Calendula officinalis) long-blooming and
open access,
Edible Exotic Annuals: Scarlet Runner Beans, squash (Cucurbitae)
Medicinal Exotic Annuals: *Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), *Tobacco (Nicotiana rustica),
*Nightshades (Tomato,
Pepper, Eggplant, Potato),
Exotic Tubers: Dahlias (Avoid doubles)
Extra Edibles: Let some of your veggies bloom for
bees: radishes, kale, leeks, carrots, parsnips
Extra bee-friendly herbage: cilantro, fennel and
dill
Warning: Don’t
plant Sainfoin (Onobrychis spp.)—I
have recently found out that it is invasive in certain areas.
Sources and Recommended
Reading:
Victory Gardens for
Bees: A DIY Guide to Saving the Bees by Lori Weidenhammer
Gardens Aflame: Garry
Oak Meadows of BC’s South Coast by Maleea Acker, published by New Star
Books
Common Pollinators of
British Columbia: A Visual Identification Guide created by Border Free Bees
and the Environmental Youth Alliance (available as a pdf online).
Bees: An
Identification and Native Plant Foraging Guide by Heather Holm. (Best for
Eastern US, but some good info on more widespread native plants for bees.)
The Bees in Your
Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees by Joseph S. Wilson and Olivia J.
Messinger Carril.
Conserving Bumble
Bees: Guidelines for Creating and Managing Habitat for America’s Declining
Pollinators by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. (This is
available online for free.)
Bumblebees of the
Western United States by Koch, Strange, and Williams
Bumblebees of North
America: An Identification Guide by Williams, Thorp, Richardson and Colla,
Princeton University Press, 2014.
Information on how to
avoid neonicatinoids:
http://northcoastgardening.com/2015/02/nurseries-neonicotinoid/
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