Bee Friendly Flowers: 15 flowers for bees

Many flowers look nice, but they don't help the bee. We present 15 bee-friendly flowers that buzzers will love.

The support of bees is a matter of the heart for many gardeners, because the hard-working helpers not only produce the delicious honey, but also, as pollinators, make an important contribution to the spread and continued existence of numerous plant species. So that the bees are rewarded with enough food for their important work, it is worth taking care of a colorful blooming garden. But be careful: not every flower is a flower bee friendly plant - in fact, there are even a variety of flowers, which turn out to be real horror for the little animals. What makes a bee-friendly flower and which types of flowers are particularly good for you bee friendly garden suitable, you can find out here.

Flowers are always bee-friendly, aren't they? In fact, this assumption is a common misconception. Specially bred ornamental plants such as geraniums (pelargonium), roses (pink) or also dahlias (dahlias) can become a problem for the bees: the flowers attract the insects with their sweet scent, but block them with theirs However, lavishly filled flowers give way to the precious nectar or only produce such small quantities that bees cannot enough. Better for bees are flowers with simple, single flowers, which ideally have a long flowering period - so beneficial insects are supplied all year round.

Tip: seed mixes like that Plantura bee pasture transform your garden into a true bee paradise. The premium seeds contain a wide variety of bee-friendly flowers and herbs. This is how the useful insects get food from May to September.

1. yarrow

Large, yellow, white or pink umbels of flowers that compete with the sun to shine - no wonder that the yarrow (Achillea filipendulina) goes down so well with bees. With its numerous small flowers, the plant is not only an eye-catcher in the garden, but is also a real magnet for all kinds of things beneficials. In the garden, the plant, which can be up to 120 cm high, not only impresses with its appearance but also with its undemanding nature. An overview of most beautiful yarrow types and varieties can be found in our special article.

2. dahlias

dahlias (dahlias) are popular garden plants and especially because of the great variety of different Dahlia Varieties, shapes and colors known. But not only people are impressed by the beautiful flowers - bees can also enjoy the dahlias. However, not all dahlias are suitable for bees: while unfilled dahlias provide enough food for the hard-working helpers and are gladly accepted, many ornamental dahlia varieties are of no help to bees. Although they attract insects with their smell, the very full, almost spherical flowers do not let the bees access the nectar and pollen. For this reason, the somewhat simpler, unfilled dahlias are preferable to the cultivated forms in the bee garden.

3. Carpathian bellflower

The garden seems like a fairy tale when the Carpathianbluebell (Campanula carpatica) turns it into a white or violet sea of ​​flowers in summer. In addition to its beauty, the plant is very popular because of its undemanding and easy-care nature, so it can survive temperatures below freezing without damage. But also their long flowering period and their enormous willingness to bloom inspire people and bees again and again.

4. verbena

Flower boxes can also be made bee-friendly – ​​for example with the verbena (Verbena cultivars). The also as Verbena well-known flower is a true classic on the balcony and impresses above all with its variety of colors, but also with its enormous willingness to bloom. In addition, the verbena - in contrast to many other balcony plants - can boast of a high level of weather resistance and a particularly bee-friendly species. But the uncomplicated ornamental flower is not only suitable for the balcony: the plant is also not to be scoffed at as a bee-friendly ground cover.

5. snapdragons

The snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) is particularly common in cottage gardens. But the summer flower is also becoming increasingly popular in modern garden design. No wonder, after all, the snapdragon has only minimal care requirements and can be planted not only in the garden, but also in tubs and pots. However, the eye-catching, grape-shaped inflorescences that have a unique luminosity are particularly impressive - above all bumblebees like to feast on the nectar hidden inside, but the plant is also very popular with bees.

6. White sedum

The white sedum (Sedum album) is found in many gardens. No wonder, after all, the succulent plant needs almost no care, copes well with drought and heat and is also extremely frost hardy. The contrast between its simple, white to light pink flowers and dull red leaves makes the Sedum an elegant addition to any garden. But also as bee pasture the carpet-like growing perennial is perfectly suited.

7. lavender

For a Mediterranean flair on the balcony or in the garden is the lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)always a good choice: The plant with the intoxicating smell and the impressive violet flowers, is not only popular because of its easy care, but also inspires as a medicinal plant, as well as with theirs edible flowers. In addition, lavender is a real bee friend, providing sufficient food from June to August.

8. Lantana

Orange, red or would you prefer bright yellow? For everyone who can't decide, this is it Lantana (Lantana camara) just the right plant. This plant has an unusual ability: its flowers change color between opening and fading and can sometimes look bright red, other times delicate orange. Even if bees can't muster enthusiasm for the plant's color-changing abilities, the Lantana is with you nevertheless very popular: Due to its large number of flowers, which appear from May to October, the plant is an ideal one food source.

9. fan flower

For a long time, hanging baskets were considered stuffy - today, however, the hanging plant pots are on the rise again and inspire with unusual shapes and materials. If you want to make your hanging basket not only beautiful, but also bee-friendly, you should go to the fan flower (Scaevola aemula) grab: Hardly to be surpassed in terms of abundance of flowers, the lovely hanging plant forms cascades of violet-blue flowers that can grow up to 1 m long. In addition, the fan flower is a real permanent bloomer: from May to the first frost, the plant delights people and bees.

10. blue pillow

Are rockeries bee friendly? If you grow the right plants in it, definitely. A good example of a bee-friendly rock garden perennial is the evergreen blue cushion (Aubrieta): In April and May, the plant develops so many small flowers that its green leaves can hardly be seen. Thanks to this abundance of flowers, beneficial insects in particular are big lovers of the plant. But the blue cushion is also extremely popular with people - there are hardly any flowers that show a more intense deep blue than the long-lived and robust rock garden dweller.

11. Nasturtium

Easy to care for, plentiful and beautiful - the Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus nanum) is a real jack of all trades in the garden. Not only does the plant enchant us with its unique funnel flowers, it can also be used wonderfully as a privacy screen and is a real treat for the palate with its peppery, hot aroma. Bees are also enthusiastic about the plant and like to fly to the plant from June to October.

12. snow heath

The has always provided enchanting splashes of color in the wintry garden snow heath (Erica carnea) with their white to bright pink bell-shaped flowers. As early as December, the beautiful plants show their unique flowers and thus not only provide for a great eye-catcher, but are also a particularly important source of food for bees beginning of spring. Coupled with its easy-care and extremely robust species, the evergreen snow heather is not only a particularly bee-friendly, but also a very gardener-friendly plant.

13. cornflowers

You used to see cornflowers (Cyanus segetum) bloom on almost every field edge, but today the unique field flower has become rare. But the plant has lost none of its charm to this day: especially the cornflower blue, which was specially named after it, that the plant proudly from June to September, tempts some gardeners to give the flower, once notorious as a field weed, a new home give. Luckily, after all, cornflowers are not only real beauties, they also serve the bees faithfully. Wild bees in particular are attracted by the high nectar content of the flower.

14. sunflower

Among the flowers it is probably one of the greatest. But their bee-friendly nature also makes them sunflower (Helianthus) a real classic. Due to its relatively late flowering period from July to September, the autumn flower an important focal point for bees just before the bees take refuge in their hive from the cold temperatures. But the bright yellow sunflower is also a real feast for the eyes for humans, which also delights us with its delicious seeds after flowering.

15. wild mallow

Already about 700 years ago the wild mallow (Malva sylvestris) for the first time monastery and cottage gardens. But even today, the plant, which also bears the name carrot mallow, is still extremely popular: with its finely veined Blossoms in soft pastel colors, the wild mallow creates a picturesque ambience and is also extremely beautiful easy-care. But beneficial insects are also enthusiastic about the delicate beauty: it houses a large amount of nectar and pollen, which is why bees and bumblebees benefit. But also native butterflies like to use the plant as a food source. If you want to try the beautiful plant yourself, you don't need to worry about poisoning: In fact, they are flowers edible and have a very mild taste.

Not only flowers can be bee-friendly, other plants can also help beneficial insects - the most bee-friendly plants for the garden can be found here. Like you one bee-friendly flower box you can read here.