Plants for Year-Round Bee Forage
This is an incomplete list of both wild and commercially-available plants that are important sources of pollen and nectar for bees in the South. It is important for bees, especially bumble bees, to have an unbroken succession of bloom all summer to build up their local populations. If you want to encourage bee populations, grow or encourage plants from this list so that bloom is more-or-less continuous on your property.
|
Bloom Season |
Common Name |
Type |
Scientific Name |
Availability |
|
|
Feb |
Red Maple |
tree |
Acer rubrum |
Feral |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c; H. York, Jesup, Georgia, pers. obs. |
|
Feb-Mar |
Redbud |
tree |
Cercis canadensis |
Feral |
Goltz 1987c; Cane 1993 |
|
Titi |
shrub |
Cyrilla racemiflora |
Feral, coastal plain |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987b; H. York, pers. obs. |
|
|
Mar |
Native Blueberry |
shrub |
Vaccinium elliottii |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Cane 1993 |
|
Mar-Apr |
Canola |
ann. |
Brassica napus |
Commercial oilseed |
K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
Henbit |
per. herb |
Lamium amplexicaule |
Feral |
Cane 1993 |
|
|
Jessamine |
shrub |
Gelsemium sempervirens |
Feral |
Cane 1993 |
|
|
Apr |
Tupelo |
tree |
Nyssa sylvatica |
Feral, coastal plain river bottoms |
Delaplane 1991 |
|
Apr-May |
Apple |
tree |
Malus spp. |
Commercial, feral |
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
Black Locust |
tree |
Robinia |
Feral, piedmont and upper south |
Mitchell 1962; Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987a |
|
|
Blackberry |
shrub |
Rubus argutus |
Feral, esp. in piedmont |
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987b; B. Engle, The Rock, Georgia & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Common Ajuga |
per. herb |
Ajuga reptans |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Crimson Clover |
ann. |
Trifolium incarnatum |
Commercial forage |
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Dutch Clover |
per. |
Trifolium repens |
Commercial, feral |
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Red Clover |
per. |
Trifolium pratense |
Commercial forage |
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Skip Laurel |
shrub |
Prunus laurocerasus, var. 'Schipkaensis' |
Commercial ornamental |
K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Tulip Poplar |
tree |
Liriodendron tulipifera |
Feral |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c |
|
|
May |
Gallberry |
shrub |
Ilex glabra |
Feral, coastal plain |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987b; H. York, pers. obs. |
|
Honeysuckle |
shrub |
Lonicera fragrantis-sima |
Feral |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Privet |
shrub |
Ligustrum sinense |
Feral, esp. in piedmont |
B. Engle & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Rhododendron |
shrub/tree |
Rhododendron catawbiense |
Feral, esp. in mountains, commercial ornamental |
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
May-Jun |
Cabbage Palmetto |
per. |
Sabal palmetto |
Feral, coastal plain |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c |
|
Persimmon |
shrub/tree |
Diospyros virginiana |
Feral |
B. Engle & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Tallow Tree |
tree |
Sapium sebifrum |
Commercial ornamental |
Goltz 1987c |
|
|
Jun |
Heavenly Bamboo |
shrub |
Nandina domestica |
Commercial ornamental |
G.W. Krewer, Univ. Georgia, pers. obs. |
|
Jun-Jul |
Bee Balm |
per. |
Monarda didyma |
Commercial ornamental, feral |
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987d; P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
Chaste Tree |
shrub/tree |
Vitex agnus-castus |
Commercial ornamental |
G.W. Krewer & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Sourwood |
tree |
Oxydendrum arboreum |
Feral, esp. in mountains |
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c |
|
|
Sumac |
shrub/tree |
Rhus copallina |
Feral, piedmont and upper south |
Goltz 1987b; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs. |
|
|
Sunflower |
ann. or per. |
Helianthus spp. |
Commercial ornamental and oilseed |
Mitchell 1962; W.J. McLaurin, pers. obs. |
|
|
Jun-Aug |
Brazilian Verbena |
ann. or per. |
Verbena bonariensis |
Commercial ornamental |
Mitchell 1962; S. Scarborough, Baxley, Georgia, & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
Butterfly Bush |
shrub |
Buddleia davidii |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Crapemyrtle |
shrub/tree |
Lagerstroemia indica, var. 'Natchez' |
Commercial ornamental |
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs. |
|
|
Glossy Abelia |
shrub |
Abelia grandiflora |
Commercial ornamental |
Mitchell 1962; S. Scarborough & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Mountain Mint |
per. herb |
Pycnanthemum incanum |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Purple |
per. herb |
Echinacea purpurea |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Summer Phlox |
per. herb |
Phlox paniculata |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Wood Mint |
per. herb |
Blephilia spp. |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962 |
|
|
Jun-Sep |
Sweet |
shrub |
Clethra alnifolia |
Feral, coastal plain |
D. Wade, Alma, Georgia & G.W. Krewer, pers. obs. |
|
Jul |
Buttonbush |
shrub/tree |
Cephalanthus occidentalis |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987b |
|
Jul-Sep |
American Germander |
per. herb |
Teucrium canadense |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962 |
|
Cup Rosinweed |
per. herb |
Silphium perfoliatum |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962 |
|
|
Milkweed |
per. herb |
Asclepias spp. |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1986a |
|
|
Partridge Pea |
ann. herb |
Cassia fasciculata |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Cane 1993 |
|
|
Redroot |
per. herb |
Lachnanthes caroliana |
Feral, wetlands |
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs. |
|
|
Aug |
Meadow Beauty |
per. herb |
Rhexia spp. |
Feral |
D. Wade, pers. obs. |
|
Aug-Sep |
Bush Clovers |
shrub |
Lespedeza bicolor and L. thunbergii |
Commercial ornamental and forage |
Cane 1993 |
|
Aug-Oct |
Brazilian Pepper |
shrub |
Schinus terebinth-ifolius |
Feral |
Goltz 1987b |
|
Mexican Sage |
per. herb |
Salvia leucantha |
Commercial ornamental |
C. Reed, Douglas, Georgia & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Mexican Sunflower |
ann. |
Tithonia rotundifolia |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Pineapple Sage |
ann. or per. |
Salvia elegans |
Commercial ornamental |
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
|
Thoroughwort |
per. herb |
Eupatorium hyssopifolium |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962 |
|
|
Aug-Nov |
Asters |
per. herb |
Aster spp. |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1986c; B. Engle & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs. |
|
Colorado River Hemp |
shrub |
Sesbania exaltata |
Commercial, feral |
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs. |
|
|
Sep-Oct |
Goldenrod |
per. herb |
Solidago spp. |
Feral |
Mitchell 1962; Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1986b |
|
Kenaf |
ann. |
Hibiscus cannabinus |
Commercial fiber |
B. Baldwin, Miss. State Univ., pers. obs. |
Pollination / UGA Honey Bee Program / UGA Entomology Department
