Bee-friendly plants

Bee-friendly plants are some of the most important plants in the garden. Bees need flowers for sustenance, and flowers need bees for pollination. A garden should include flowers which will provide food that bees need.

Most double flowers are of little use to bees because their structure is too elaborate. Some flowers are bred without male and female parts. Other flowers have so many petals that bees are unable to get to the nectar and pollen to collect it. For example, a single dahlia would be popular with may bees, whereas they may choose to ignore double dahlias.

Bees are attracted to many single-flowered members of the rose family. This includes crab apple, hawthorn, and potentilla. The flowers of angelica, fennel and sedums are also attractive.

Bees are also attracted to tubular shaped flowers such as those found on foxgloves, heathers, penstemons, and snapdragons.