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Plant Guide
Looking for some bee-friendly plants to add to your garden? Our plant guide shows some that grow successfully in the front range area of Colorado.
(Click on any photo for an enlargement.)
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Sunflower
Courtesy of James Boyd.
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Aquilegia
A bumblebee enjoys the offering of this purple Columbine. © Kris Holthaus, NCBA
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Clematis recta
This 6 year old clematis in my front yard is a late summer to autumn blossoming vine that has overgrown the birdhouse that supports it. There are hundreds of small, fragrant white flowers (3/4") that are filled with honey bees. © Skip Cox, NCBA
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Eschscholzia
This small field of California poppies reseeds itself as summer goes on providing constant blooms that receives regular attention from the bees. © Skip Cox, NCBA
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Calamagrostis xacutiflora
A handy water source is important for bees. This bird bath in Karl Forester feather reed grass is attached to a drip line that refills the basin every morning. © Skip Cox, NCBA
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Echinaeca
A good accent for any bee garden is this purple coneflower, shown here being visited by a Yellow Swallowtail butterfly. Left to seed naturally, they provide winter food for such birds as the Goldfinch. © Skip Cox, NCBA
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Aesculus
I have two Buckeye trees in my yard. They are among the first blooms in the spring and are especially attractive to butterflies and bumblebees.
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Aesculus
I can usually count bumblebees on the Buckeye tree by the dozens.
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Caragana aborescens
Another early bloomer visited heavily by honeybees and bumblebees is this Siberian Pea Shrub.
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Aster
Kris Holthaus provides this photo of Asters entertaining a honey bee.
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Spirea
Another picture from Kris Holthaus showing the very popular spirea.
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RECOMMENDED HONEY PLANTS FOR THE FORT COLLINS AREA:
PERENNIALS:
Agastache - any
Agastache cana - double bubble mint
Ajuga - bugleweed
Asclepias tuberosa - butterfly weed
Alcea rosea - hollyhock
Asters
Centaurea montana - perennial bachelor button
Coronilla varia - crownvetch
Digitalis - foxglove
Echinops - globe thistle
Eryngium - sea holly
Euphorbia
Gaura
Lamium - nettle
Liatris - gayfeather
Limonium latifolium - sea lavender
Malva- mallow
Monarda - beebalm, any
Nepeta faassenii x 'Six Hills Giant'
Nepeta mussinii - catmint
Papaver -poppy, any
Penstemon - beardtongue, any
Perovskia - Russian sage
Phlox subulata
Polygonum - Border Jewel, or any
Prunella - self- heal
Salvia
Solidago - goldenrod
Sedums - stonecrop
Sedum spectabile
Sempervivum
Stachys lanata (lambs ear)
Teucrium - germander
Thyme - wooly
Veronica
Verbascum - mullein, any
WILDFLOWERS
Asters
Blue mustard
Chicory
Clovers
Datura
Eupatorium - esp. Joe Pye Weed
Goldenrod
Lythrum (illegal)
Milkweed
Mustard
Phacelia
Prickley pear
Rocky Mt. Bee Plant
Silphium speciosum (showy rosinweed)
Teasel
Thistle
Vervain
Wild cucumber
Yucca
HERBS
Anise hyssop
Borage
Catnip
Chives
Comfrey
Horehound
Hyssop
Lavender
Marjoram
Mints
Motherwort
Origanum
Sage
Santolina
Thyme
SHRUBS:
Buddleia
Caragana - esp. wild bees
Caryopteris
(blue mist spirea)
Chrysothamnus nauseosus
(rabbitbrush)
Cotoneasters
Cytisus - scotch broom
Euonymus
Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume)
Nanking Cherry
Privet
Rubus deliciosus (Boulder raspberry)
Serviceberry
Snakeweed
Sorbaria sorbifolia (ash leaf spirea)
Spirea
TREES:
Amur maple
Buckeye/Horse chestnut
Catalpa
Crab
European spindle tree
(Euonymus europeus)
Fruit trees
Golden Raintree
(Koelreuteria paniculata)
Hawthorn
Linden
Mayday tree (Prunus padus)
Pussywillow
Russian Olive
Wild Plum
Willows - for pollen
OTHER:
Berries: raspberries, strawberries, currants, etc.
Vines: silver lace vine (polygonum aubertii), virginia creeper
Cover crops: clovers, buckwheat
Alfalfa
Annuals: sunflowers, lavatera, cosmos, cleome, datura, larkspur, marigolds portulaca, morning glories, snapdragons, zinnias
Vegetables: squash, melons, cucumbers, onions (flowers)
Sweet clover
Honeydew - from willows
Spring bulbs - esp. allium
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