What should I plant? (NJ)

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I planted flowers for my bees last year, I forget what they were but basically I went to the garden store and bought whatever had bees on it. Once planted though I found these plants got far more attention from local species of butterfly, gnat, fly, and solitary ground bees and wasps. I did see my bees on them but usually never anything more than 3 at a time. Compared with the number of flowers and other bugs pollinating them I wonder if there are better kinds of flowers meant for afas mellifera. I know some plants are picky about who pollinates them, so are there specific genery of plant I should be looking into? I tried Sunflowers too, one year but found more bumble bees on them than honey bees.
I live in New Jersey, and I'm not against growing vegetables or maybe buying a small fruit tree of some sort. My yard would be considered a not so lush lawn with wild violets over running most of the grass. The bees seem to adore these, along with several other plants that most would consider weeds. Along our fence we have wild honey suckle and a few other vine plants but the bees never touch these.
Thank you in advance.

[Michael Bush]

There have been MANY posts on the subject.  I'd start with a search.  Basically, though, bees regularly forage the 8,000 acres around you.  So trying to plant a honey crop isn't practical.  But planting to fill the gaps is helpful.  Early, late and drought blooming plants are what I'd shoot for.

I plan goldenrod, sweet clover, white clover, birdsfoot trefoil, alfalfa, chickory, milkweed, smartweed and asters.  They tell me that anise hissop is well worth planting.  I haven't gotten any yet.

[KONASDAD]

Anise hyssop. Awesome, hardy and easy and inexpensive. Can buy it at Berlin Mart on outside.Lavender and russian sage are good.Cosmos.Poppies. All easy.

[reinbeau]

Zinnias.  Sunflowers.  Herbs like oregano, thyme, chives, alliums, too many to list!  There's another thread around here where Cindi gives a wonderful list....Found it!  Copied below:

I spent many many hours last winter researching some of the best bee plants for pollen and nectar.  I have a list compiled that I am posting. Good luck.

The flowers that I found most attractive beyond your wildest dreams were:  phacelia tanacetifolia (blue tansy), borage officinalis, California poppy and the cornflower.  Smothered in bees all summer long (and the bombus too, along with other beneficials).  HOpe this gives you a great number of good bee plants to make some choices from.  There are many many more, but these are my choices.  Great day.  Cindi

BEE PLANT LIST
Centaurea Blue Boy Bachelors Button -- Bees and hover flies love
Borage officinalis -- Bees love it, cousin to comfrey, not affected by rain because of drooping blue flowers
Agastache (Anise Hyssop) --  loved by bees
Comfrey -- Bees love it
Centaurea Dwarf polkdot mix Bachelors Button -- Bees and hoverflies love it
Consolida (larkspur) Consolida ambigua  -- attracts beneficials
Eryngium planum Sea holly -- Bees are mad about this variety
Thyme T. Vulgaris -- a good honey plant for bees (thymus vulgaris)
Fireweed -- excellent honey, bees love it
Canary Creeper T. peregrinum -- bees love it, late late pollen plant
Cosmos –- valuable for late nectar source
Phacelia tanacetifolia (Purple Tansy) -- attracts bee from miles
Poppy giganthemum p. somniferum poppyseed poppy
California poppy “Apricot chiffon�eschscholzia californica -- bees love it
Catnip Nepeta Cataria -- a good bee plant
Lemon Balm Melissa officinanlis -- Perennial, bees love it
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Perennial, -- bees, hoverflies
Lovage Levisticum officinale -- bees love it
Spearmint Mentha spicata blooms late summer, --- bees, hummingbirds
Helipterum (Acroclinium) helipterum roseum  Sensation Giants Mix
Yellow rocket
Impatiens capensis grows wild around my house, great for late nectar/pollen, lasts til frost-kill
Great Blue Lobelia L. siphilitica perennial, dappled light, self-sows, flowers summer through autumn
Salvia Violet Queen S nemorosa  -- particularly attractive to butterflies & bees  Flowers 2nd year
Crimson clover Trifolium incarnatum outstanding cut flowers, -- annual, bees love it
Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum -- bees love it, turn under 10 days after flowering to avoid seed drop
White Dutch Clover Trifolium repens -- all beneficial insects

Enjoy and great day.  Cindi

[JBird]

I live right around the corner from you, MrILoveTheAnts.  I've had great luck with several species of milkweed, especially Ascelpias tuberosa, commonly referred to as Butterfly Weed, although in fifteen+ years of growing this plant I've not once seen a butterfly on it!  Perhaps it got its name due to Monarch caterpillars commonly feeding upon it (and other milkweeds) in the late summer.   Anyway, great plant, bees love it, and, important to some folks (me included), it's a native plant to our area.  I too have Anise hyssop plants and the bees do go wild on it.  Lavender thrives in a hot and sunny spot and is well received by the bees.  Liatris is another plant that can be found at most garden centers that bees like.  Should you want to plant a few small trees for your bees, I heartily recommend either species of the genus Evodia.  A native of China, I've never seen a plant attract more insects with it flowers than these trees.  And any of the Lindens (genus Tilia) yield tons of nectar.  I've been growing a bunch of bleep willows (genus Salix) since they're an excellent source of early pollen.  One variety I've propagating flowers in a week or two (mid-March!).  Again, there are all sizes and forms of willow to fit almost any space.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Thanks everyone for the list of plants.

JBird: I think I know exactly where you live.

[Michael Bush]

>russian sage

The russian sage seems to bloom FOREVER and the bees work it when everything has dried up.

[tillie]

I love the bees on Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) hence my new avatar 

I see mine on the Butterfly weed:



On Cleome:



And on my roses:



Linda T in Atlanta

[Cindi]

Linda, you pictures did not show up on the forum.  Only the titles of the plants.  What happened?  Best of the best days.  Cindi

P.S.  A couple of more plants to add to the list of great bee plants are:

Giant white fleece flower   (Persicaria polymorpha)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)

I am sure this list could be continued by many people.

[abejaruco]

This is a late and drought blooming plant, the cynara humilis, the artichoke wild version. It is a yearly plant, so, no problem with cold winters. It is nice, humble, "rustic-artistic", medicinal, seeds for birds, nectar for bees. A "chollo".

[reinbeau]

Linda, you pictures did not show up on the forum.  Only the titles of the plants.  What happened?  Best of the best days.  Cindi

P.S.  A couple of more plants to add to the list of great bee plants are:

Giant white fleece flower   (Persicaria polymorpha)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)

I am sure this list could be continued by many people.

Linda's pictures did show up for me (they're gorgeous!).  Just a tip - sometimes when someone has posted a picture and you can't see it, pretend you're going to reply to the post by quoting it.  You'll see the URL for the picture.  Then just hit your 'back' button on your browser.  Nine times out of ten the picture will be there when you get back to the forum.  Don't know why, but it works for me 

If it doesn't work, they quote reply again, copy and past the URL in a new tab or window if you really want to see the pic. 

[Cindi]

Linda, you pictures did not show up on the forum.  Only the titles of the plants.  What happened?  Best of the best days.  Cindi

P.S.  A couple of more plants to add to the list of great bee plants are:

Giant white fleece flower   (Persicaria polymorpha)
Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)

I am sure this list could be continued by many people.

Linda's pictures did show up for me (they're gorgeous!).  Just a tip - sometimes when someone has posted a picture and you can't see it, pretend you're going to reply to the post by quoting it.  You'll see the URL for the picture.  Then just hit your 'back' button on your browser.  Nine times out of ten the picture will be there when you get back to the forum.  Don't know why, but it works for me 

If it doesn't work, they quote reply again, copy and past the URL in a new tab or window if you really want to see the pic. 

Ann, right on!!!  Gonna have to try that later, off to make kids ready for school.  Have the best day.  Cindi

[Cindi]

Abejaruco, that is astounding, what a beautiful plant, reminds me of a sea anenome.  Best of the day.  Cindi

[tillie]

I'm curious about hyssop and will plant it this year - amazing how many members of the mint family are attractive to bees.

Just for fun, on this page, the word for hyssop is written in 43 languages:

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Hyss_off.html

Linda T ready to plant in the dirt in Atlanta

[reinbeau]

Awesome site, Tillie, I've shared it with my herb society friends.  Thanx!

[Cindi]

Linda, well I kind of think that most members of the mint family are beloved by the bees.  I have spearamint, peppermint, they love it when it is flowering.  There are a myriad of mint family members.

It would also appear that many of the medicinal herbs the bees love too, maybe they know something that we know too.  Plant anise hyssop.  Cannot toute this plant enough.  Its family is very large as well.

If you get a chance, get some catnip seed.  The bees love this flower too, and the cats love the entire plant, but especially the flower buds. 

Get some borage and blue tansy, (phacelia tanacetifolia).  YOur bees will appreciate you more than you could ever imagine.  The bloom all summer and when they set seed during the summer and these germinate, the nectar flow continues for a long time. 

I still have honey from last year that has not begun to granulate.  I suspect that the flowers that I grew en masse for my girls are ones that do not crystalize too readily.  Still beautiful liquid golden honey.  Narry a sign of any crystals forming.  I like that.  Have a wonderful day.  Cindi

[abejaruco]

Really the site posted by Tillie is fascinating, I clicked on the Biblic origin of Hissop (I enjoy etymology) and I found a beautiful Granada´s page. Granada is one of the most beautiful trees you can see.
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Puni_gra.html

[Cindi]

Linda, I revisited your post and I see the pictures, they are absolutley beautiful.  The close up shots of bees are a very pleasing sight for the eyes.  Have an awesome day. Cindi

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Everyone is posting all their wonderful bee pictures, I though I'd join in.
This was a warm day last week and the bees were finding pollen somewhere. The wind kept causing them to crash against the hive when trying to land. 

[Cindi]

mrIlovetheants, what a beautiful picture, got more?  I think that people should put their pics on the forum, it brightens up the day and takes us to different parts of the world, in the human eye.  The imagination takes it further.  Beautiful.  Have a wonderful and beauty of a day.  Cindi

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Just these two but I don't think they are as nice.
I love how the orange pollen stands out against the dull colors of the dead plants and the hive.

[Cindi]

mrILoveTheAnts
Simply marvelous.  You are right about the beauty of the orange pollen, and it is indeed  exceedingly brightly coloured orange.  It is brilliant also against the dark chitan of the bees.  These bees are very, very dark, and beautiful.  Take some more pictures.  Best of the best day.  Cindi

[KONASDAD]

MrIloveAnts I live around corner from you and my bees were bringing in white pollen last week and today. Palest pollen I've ever seen . Some one told me it might be skunk cabbage. Soft maples had huge buds this morning , and some other softwoods are also ready to burst open. Cant wait. Bees are getting busy. Did an inspection saturday and a small patch of capped brood, plenty of stores too.

[Cindi]

Skunk cabbage, don't ya just love it!!  Chica boom.

I really want to try this green in the butter sautay (spelling?).  C.

[Kev]

Linda, well I kind of think that most members of the mint family are beloved by the bees.  I have spearamint, peppermint, they love it when it is flowering.  There are a myriad of mint family members.

Hey Cindi, or anyone else for that matter. Tell me more about mint. We grew some peppermint and dried the leaves for tea, but the taste was pretty weak. Is it the mint variety or some soil condition that makes for stronger dried mint?

kev

[reinbeau]

Hey Cindi, or anyone else for that matter. Tell me more about mint. We grew some peppermint and dried the leaves for tea, but the taste was pretty weak. Is it the mint variety or some soil condition that makes for stronger dried mint?

kev

Well, I'm not Cindi, but I am an Anyone Else, so I guess I qualify    Look for a mint labeled Spearmint.  That is somewhat stronger when used in tea.  I don't have a mint patch, I don't need one, my neighbor has it growing next to her garage and doesn't use it, so she told me to take what I want!  It's very invasive, it thrives in just about any soil but damp, acidic soil.  It will grow in partial shade but enjoys full sun and a free rootrun, you'll have more than you want if you're not careful!  Keep it contained by growing it in a barrel, or put a solid material ring down about 15" around the plant to keep it contained.  Or grow it where you don't care (at least you think so now!  )

[Kev]

Well, I'm not Cindi, but I am an Anyone Else, so I guess I qualify    Look for a mint labeled Spearmint.  That is somewhat stronger when used in tea.  Or grow it where you don't care (at least you think so now!  )

Thanks, Ann, the peppermint really tasted most like leaf. I'll try the spearmint this summer. I know its invasive. A friend of mine lost a corner of his garden to it.

kev

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Zinnias.  Sunflowers.  Herbs like oregano, thyme, chives, alliums, too many to list!  There's another thread around here where Cindi gives a wonderful list....Found it!  Copied below:

I spent many many hours last winter researching some of the best bee plants for pollen and nectar.  I have a list compiled that I am posting. Good luck.

The flowers that I found most attractive beyond your wildest dreams were:  phacelia tanacetifolia (blue tansy), borage officinalis, California poppy and the cornflower.  Smothered in bees all summer long (and the bombus too, along with other beneficials).  HOpe this gives you a great number of good bee plants to make some choices from.  There are many many more, but these are my choices.  Great day.  Cindi

BEE PLANT LIST
Centaurea Blue Boy Bachelors Button -- Bees and hover flies love
Borage officinalis -- Bees love it, cousin to comfrey, not affected by rain because of drooping blue flowers
Agastache (Anise Hyssop) --  loved by bees
Comfrey -- Bees love it
Centaurea Dwarf polkdot mix Bachelors Button -- Bees and hoverflies love it
Consolida (larkspur) Consolida ambigua  -- attracts beneficials
Eryngium planum Sea holly -- Bees are mad about this variety
Thyme T. Vulgaris -- a good honey plant for bees (thymus vulgaris)
Fireweed -- excellent honey, bees love it
Canary Creeper T. peregrinum -- bees love it, late late pollen plant
Cosmos –- valuable for late nectar source
Phacelia tanacetifolia (Purple Tansy) -- attracts bee from miles
Poppy giganthemum p. somniferum poppyseed poppy
California poppy “Apricot chiffon�eschscholzia californica -- bees love it
Catnip Nepeta Cataria -- a good bee plant
Lemon Balm Melissa officinanlis -- Perennial, bees love it
Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Perennial, -- bees, hoverflies
Lovage Levisticum officinale -- bees love it
Spearmint Mentha spicata blooms late summer, --- bees, hummingbirds
Helipterum (Acroclinium) helipterum roseum  Sensation Giants Mix
Yellow rocket
Impatiens capensis grows wild around my house, great for late nectar/pollen, lasts til frost-kill
Great Blue Lobelia L. siphilitica perennial, dappled light, self-sows, flowers summer through autumn
Salvia Violet Queen S nemorosa  -- particularly attractive to butterflies & bees  Flowers 2nd year
Crimson clover Trifolium incarnatum outstanding cut flowers, -- annual, bees love it
Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum -- bees love it, turn under 10 days after flowering to avoid seed drop
White Dutch Clover Trifolium repens -- all beneficial insects

Enjoy and great day.  Cindi

I can't find anything on this list sold anywhere at the local plant stores, am I looking in the wrong places or is there a regional thing to consider.

[MarkR]

I'd say you're looking in the wrong places, they're mostly pretty common stuff you can get at a nursery or greenhouse.  Perhaps you're looking a little early (usually here in VA, the nurseries don't put out herbs and flowers like these before mid April, beginning of May), but they'll be there before too long.

Mark

[Cindi]

Mr.ILovetheAnts, I agree with MarkR, these are fairly commonplace plants.  It is yet early in my neck of the woods.  Around the end of April to mid May is when many plants are available here too.  I know our nurseries do not have yet many perennials, they will be coming soon though.  It is still very cold, I wouldn't even dream of putting any stuff out yet.  Waste of time.  Even bigger waster of money.  Good luck, look around in a couple of weeks.  Best of the best day.  Cindi

P.S. I am grateful that my list of plants is still hanging around and can be used by many people for bee forage planting.  I spent many, many hours studying and researching to find common plants (and some uncommon plants) that are great for bees to enjoy. 

[reinbeau]

I can't find anything on this list sold anywhere at the local plant stores, am I looking in the wrong places or is there a regional thing to consider.

Many on the list are herb, many others are annuals.  None of these are at nurseries yet, I'm sure.  Wait a month and there will be plenty there!  Also, some of them are more common on the west coast than they are around here (east coast).

I'll outline them below:

Annual Flower-Centaurea Blue Boy Bachelors Button -- Bees and hover flies love
Annual Herb-Borage officinalis -- Bees love it, cousin to comfrey, not affected by rain because of drooping blue flowers
Perennial Herb-Agastache (Anise Hyssop) --  loved by bees
Perennial Herb -Comfrey -- Bees love it
Annual (??)Flower-Centaurea Dwarf polkdot mix Bachelors Button -- Bees and hoverflies love it
Annual Flower -Consolida (larkspur) Consolida ambigua  -- attracts beneficials
Perennial Herb -Eryngium planum Sea holly -- Bees are mad about this variety
Perennial Herb- Thyme T. Vulgaris -- a good honey plant for bees (thymus vulgaris)
Perennial Herb - Fireweed -- excellent honey, bees love it (west coast plant)
*Annual vine -Canary Creeper T. peregrinum -- bees love it, late late pollen plant (related to nasturtium)
Annual Flower - Cosmos –- valuable for late nectar source
Annual Flower - Phacelia tanacetifolia (Purple Tansy) -- attracts bee from miles
Annual Flower -Poppy giganthemum p. somniferum poppyseed poppy
Annual Flower -California poppy “Apricot chiffon�eschscholzia californica -- bees love it
Perennial Herb -Catnip Nepeta Cataria -- a good bee plant
Perennial Herb -Lemon Balm Melissa officinanlis -- Perennial, bees love it
Perennial Herb -Hyssop Hyssopus officinalis Perennial, -- bees, hoverflies
Perennial Herb -Lovage Levisticum officinale -- bees love it (so do I, it's great in potato salad!)
Perennial Herb -Spearmint Mentha spicata blooms late summer, --- bees, hummingbirds
*Annual Flower -Helipterum (Acroclinium) helipterum roseum  Sensation Giants Mix
Yellow rocket
*Annual Flower -Impatiens capensis grows wild around my house, great for late nectar/pollen, lasts til frost-kill (Jewelweed, wild just about everywhere there's woodlands and water)
Perennial Flower -Great Blue Lobelia L. siphilitica perennial, dappled light, self-sows, flowers summer through autumn
Perennial Flower-Salvia Violet Queen S nemorosa  -- particularly attractive to butterflies & bees  Flowers 2nd year
*Annual Flower -Crimson clover Trifolium incarnatum outstanding cut flowers, -- annual, bees love it
*Annual Flower -Buckwheat Fagopyrum esculentum -- bees love it, turn under 10 days after flowering to avoid seed drop
*Perennial - White Dutch Clover Trifolium repens -- all beneficial insects

* = not likely to find in nursery, however, seeds are available
Hope this helps you in your quest!

[Cindi]

Ann, beautifully done!!!!  You amended the list that I composed in such a great way.  It is so much more defining with the plants "life" cycle defined.  Thank you, that is getting close to a perfect list, between you and I.  Good job.

Now I have to copy it and save it to my original document.  It is indispensible when trying to make choices.  Have the best day, girl.  Cindi

[KONASDAD]

You're too early for here. You can find anise hyssop at Berlin Mart in about two or three weeks. A member on this site owns Patty's Farm Market which has some hyssop and other plants on Rt 561 in Gibbsboro. Seeds are available for many of the suggested plants on EBAY. I bought and will plant, some borage and canary flowers as recommended by others. Home depot (and other nurseries) also sells Russian Sage, a more formal perennial that blooms from July 4rth to frost. The bees work this when other plants have dried up for the day. Late in afternoon usually. If you want some butterfly bushes, which bees like in late afternoon as well, PM me as mine reseed all over and I must have a half-dozen or so for the taking.

[Romahawk]

Looking at the above list of plants it says (Perennial Herb -Comfrey -- Bees love it)... I have lots of Comfrey planted around my place and the only bees I ever see on it are bumble bees and it also attracts humming birds, I don't recall ever seeing honeybees around it though. I shall have to keep an eye on it this year, it usually blooms several times as I keep chopping it down.

[tillie]

It's like Monarda - crimson bee balm - bumblebees all over it and rarely a honeybee....   And it's a beautiful plant and comes back every year.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/wildflowers/monarda_didyma.html

Linda T

[Cindi]

One comment about Monarda and comfrrey.  I grow them both.

I would be very interested in comments to come about this.  I agree, the bombus loves these two, I have not personally seen honeybees on the monarda, but have on the comfrey.  My sister contends that the honeybees are attracted to monarda (it is also called bee balm), she has seen them.

Now buckwheat is attractive to the honeybee only in the morning and late afternoon.  I presume that is when the nectar flows, only during these two times daily.

Perhaps it is a similar event with comfrey and monarda.

Look back on the time of day, (if that is possible to go back to exact times of day) and see if this is true with these two plants as well (meaning, how buckwheat only emits strong nectar during specific times during day).

There may be other forum members that are expertise in horticulture and can provide us with some interesting information.  Await answers.  Best of a great day.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

Since it's now spring again I thought I'd give this thread a little bump for anyone new or anyone interested in gardening for their bees.  As of 1:58 am (EDST) Thursday, Spring has Sprung!  Yea!

[doak]

I try to plant things I like that do well in my area.
But don't have enough space for it all.
doak

[Kimbrell]

Hey Reinbeau,
The mint we have at my house is growing alongside a creek (in very wet soil).  My area is also known for its acid soil.  It must be a different kind of mint.  I have used mine in tea-very refreshing on a hot summer day!

[qa33010]

   Once all the flooding and saturated soil is dried up a little I'm putting in zinnias.  They love them all summer long as well as the sunflower volunteers from the feeders.  Bumblers liked my Morning Glorys but the honey bees stayed away.

[reinbeau]

Hey Reinbeau,
The mint we have at my house is growing alongside a creek (in very wet soil).  My area is also known for its acid soil.  It must be a different kind of mint.  I have used mine in tea-very refreshing on a hot summer day!

That is probably Bog Mint, or Mentha aquatica.  In general the garden type mints do not like a heavy, wet, acidic soil.