Bumblebee-friendly plants: 10 for the garden

Bumblebees are valuable insects that should also have a place in your garden. The 10 best plants for bumblebees can be found here.

Bumblebees (Bomb sp.) belong to the family of Real bees (Apidae) and are therefore also closely related to our honeybees (Apis mellifera) related. The fat Brummer inhabit earth structures, high tree trunks or even abandoned bird nests. In Germany alone there are 36 different species - unfortunately 16 of them are now on the red list. In the years of growing industrial agriculture, the generous use of pesticides and harmful bees Last but not least, the dwindling variety of wild plants on arable land, our heavy-weight pollinators are becoming increasingly rare become. But even in many house gardens and balconies, bumblebees often do not find enough food. They especially need large quantities of protein-rich pollen for their larvae, and they cover their own energy needs with sugary nectar. And of course, bumblebees also need flowers that are large and sturdy enough to support their weight while also providing plenty of pollen and nectar. Even three to five days of hunger can mean death for the bumblebee people. That is why we put you here in a special way

Bumblebee friendly plants that might soon find a place in your garden.

With a balcony or your own garden, anyone can help maintain our furry pollinators. Here we have compiled the most popular flowering plants among bumblebees for you.

10. Real motherwort

The real motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and is also called a lion's tail or heart gold. The rather inconspicuous plant, which blooms in tufted, delicate pink inflorescences, originally comes from Siberia and was mainly used as a medicinal plant for all kinds of ailments in our cottage gardens. It prefers to grow in well-drained, sandy and light soils in full sun. The motherwort thrives particularly well in low-nutrient, airy herbal soil in the bucket. From June to September the motherwort flowers are very attractive to many insects - including bumblebees - and provide plenty of nectar.

9. Snapdragons

That Snapdragons (Anthirrhinum majus) is a popular, mostly annual flowering plant that covers the entire color spectrum from white to yellow, orange, wine red and deep purple. The bumblebee is the main pollinator of the snapdragon, because only when an insect with sufficient weight settles on the lower part of the flower does it open. Small dwarf species up to 25 centimeters high are suitable for the balcony, while larger, woody species are suitable for the home garden. The pretty plants survive mild winters and will sprout fresh in the next year. The snapdragon also reproduces very well from the seeds and provides bumblebees with plenty of food from June to September.

Tip: Seed mixes like that Plantura bee pasture - which is also ideal for bumblebees - contain a wide variety of bee-friendly plants. This saves you having to look for insect-friendly flowers for your garden.

8. Bellflower

The various bluebells (Campanula sp.) develop star-shaped, white to blue-violet flowers from June to September. Depending on requirements and the garden, there are bushy varieties that are only 10 to 20 centimeters low or, such as the giant bellflower (Campanula lactiflora), plants up to 150 centimeters high to choose from. The bellflower likes to be in full sun to partial shade and otherwise has hardly any demands on the location. Bumblebees like to avail themselves of their pollen and nectar.

7. Hollyhock

the Hollyhock (Alcea rosea) thrilled with their Wild roses- like large flowers of all colors. Nevertheless, it belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae) and is therefore with Marshmallow (Althaea sp.) and hibiscus (Hibiscus sp.). It can reach a height of up to two meters and be quite expansive. A hollyhock should not be missing in any home garden, because from July to September many wild bees and bumblebees visit the magnificent flowers. Hollyhocks are hardy and hardly require any location - they even tolerate chalky soil.

6. Globe thistle

the Globe thistle (Echinops sp.) actually belongs to the thistle family and reaches a height of 50 centimeters to two meters. It is perennial and forms an angular, strong stem, at the end of which many individual flowers come together to form a white to purple ball. During the flowering period between July and September, the pretty structures are literally swarmed by bees and butterflies. Ball thistles can be propagated by sowing or dividing the rhizomes. They prefer well drained, sandy, and even rocky soils in full sun.

5. lavender

A classic of bed design is the one that is particularly popular with bees and bumblebees lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) The fragrant, white to deep purple lip flowers stretch on thin, long stems towards the sun and provide nectar and pollen for busy pollinators from June to September. Lavender is available in a wide variety of varieties for balconies, beds and for planting under taller perennials. The height ranges from 20 to 80 centimeters. Lavender feels particularly comfortable in sunny locations on calcareous, loamy, humus-rich soils, as it requires very little water and hardly any nutrients.

4. Knapweed

the Knapweed (Centaurea sp.) is a broad group, including the Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and the mountain knapweed (Centaurea montana) belong. The ray florets can be admired in white and yellow or pale pink to deep blue. There are now also wine-red variants. The delicate flowers invite bumblebees to visit from May to August. The perennial medicinal plant reaches a height of 30 to 60 centimeters and thrives on almost all soils, but prefers sandy to loamy, sunny locations. If you regularly remove the withered flowers, the plant keeps pushing in new buds.

3. Poppy

The poppy (Papaver sp.) comes in many variants and colors. From bright white to deep red and purple, with semi-double or simple flowers, it hardly ever gets boring. Depending on the species, poppies can reach a height of 150 centimeters, but usually stay below that. The plant hardly offers any nectar from May to June, but a lot of pollen for bumblebees. At the same time, the flowers are fertilized and you can harvest your own poppy seeds and sow them again - or with the varieties gray poppy ’, blue poppy’ and ‘white poppy seed’, you can eat them yourself.

2. Adderhead

The blue-purple one Ordinary adder head (Echium vulgare) is a biennial or perennial plant that reaches 25 to 100 centimeters in height. The unusual name is derived from the shape of the flowers, which is reminiscent of the head of a snake with an outstretched, forked tongue. It prefers sunny locations and is very suitable for sandy, stony and dry locations such as rock gardens. The plant is considered a high-quality nectar supplier and is not only attractive for bumblebees, but also for all kinds of butterflies. The flowering period lasts a very long time, from May to October. The adder's head should therefore not be missing in an insect-friendly garden.

1. Sun bride

The Sun Bride (Helenium sp.) inspires with its wide range of colors from blood red to lemon yellow. The perennials, which are related to sunflowers, reach a height of 50 to 170 centimeters and bloom indispensably - with early varieties as early as mid-June and into late autumn. The basket flowers popular with bees and bumblebees were named after the sun god Helios. It is therefore not surprising that the sun bride likes to be in full sun. As a shallow root it needs a good water supply, as well as fertilization in spring at the start of the season. The prairie plants also prove themselves in the tub and delight not only bumblebees, but gardeners too.

If you not only want to do something good for the bees, but also especially for their smaller relatives, have a look at our special article about the 10 most bee-friendly plants past.