Bee-Friendly Flowers

Bees need our help!

Many different wild bees are in decline; bumblebees and solitary bees (those that don’t live in colonies) in particular could do with our assistance. So, if you are selling outdoor plants this summer, you can help to increase and maintain our precious bee population by selling bee-friendly plants.

Best Flowering Plants for Bees

Choose flowers where the pollen is easy to access, such as leucanthemum, astrantia, cornflower, clematis, allium, scabious and echinacea, avoiding those with double or multi-petaled flowers.

Did you know:

• The buff-tailed bumblebee travels anywhere between 14 – 40 miles per day, burning 14 calories a mile.

• Purple, yellow and orange flowers attract bees more than other colours.

• The solitary bee makes up 90% of the bee species found in Britain.

• Providing shallow drinking bowls, or fill a deeper bowl with stones so they have somewhere to perch.

• You can encourage bees to your garden by growing a wide range of plants.

• You should avoid using any garden pesticides.

• Providing nesting sites will support your local bee population.

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Su Whale is a florist and freelance writer with over thirty years' experience in the floristry industry. She is the author and publisher of three best-selling books: Cut Flowers, 4th edition (2020) Cut Foliage, 2nd Edition, (2021) and Houseplants (2019), all bookshelf essentials for the professional florist.