Planting for Honey Bee Pollination: Best Plants for Bees

Beekeeping is a delicate balance between providing the best care for your honey bees and ensuring they have the proper nutrition. Whether you are a hobbyist with a few hives in your urban backyard, a suburban beekeeper, or a rural beekeeper with a larger parcel of land, one critical aspect of your honey bee care strategy should be ensuring that your bees have access to ample forage. The best plants for bees not only provide nectar and pollen, but they also help sustain the overall health of your hive, ensuring you get the best honey while supporting honey bee pollination.

Why Honey Bee Forage Is Essential for Beekeepers

Regardless of your location or scale of operation, honey bee forage should be a primary concern for any beekeeper. If you’ve ever wondered why honey produced in urban and suburban areas often tastes so distinct and delicious, the answer lies in the diverse forage available to bees. These regions often feature a variety of flowering plants such as marigolds, cosmos, coneflowers, dahlias, and butterfly bushes. Bees love these plants for the abundant nectar and pollen they provide, which helps ensure the production of high-quality honey and healthy bees.

In rural areas, while the forage options may be more limited to agricultural fields or larger properties, there is still a significant opportunity to enhance the quality of honey bee forage. Wildflowers, alfalfa, and various clover varieties are commonly found in rural settings and can be vital sources of nutrition for honey bees. If you're a rural beekeeper with some control over your land, planting these plants can significantly boost your bees' health and your honey production.

Best Plants for Bees: Nourishing Your Bees with the Right Forage

When it comes to planting for honey bee pollination, it's essential to choose plants that offer both nectar and pollen. By selecting the best plants for bees, you can ensure your hive will have a continuous source of nutrition throughout the seasons, promoting strong colonies and high-quality honey. Here are some of the best plants for bees that you can plant now to ensure a healthy forage supply for later:

1. Clover (Crimson, White, and Sweet Clover) – Clover is one of the most beneficial plants for honey bees. Varieties such as crimson, white, and sweet clover are highly favored by bees for their nectar and protein-rich pollen. Clover can support bees throughout the growing season, and it’s easy to plant on any size property. These plants are known for having a high protein content ranging from 17–33%, which is essential for the health of honey bees, as protein is crucial for brood development and colony strength.

As an added benefit, clover is also beneficial for the soil, as it is a nitrogen-fixing plant. This means it can help improve soil health while providing essential forage for your bees. Planting clover in late winter or early spring ensures that it is ready to bloom when your bees need it most.

2. Alfalfa – Alfalfa is a well-known crop that thrives in rural agricultural areas, and it’s a wonderful plant for honey bee pollination. This highly nutritious plant produces abundant nectar and pollen, making it an excellent food source for bees, especially when other plants are no longer in bloom. Alfalfa provides reliable forage for honey bees throughout the season, helping to sustain your colony during periods when other sources of forage may be scarce.
3. Lavender – Lavender is not only a beautiful, fragrant plant but also a fantastic nectar producer for bees. The bees are attracted to the sweet-smelling flowers, which produce large quantities of nectar. Lavender can be planted in both small and large spaces, making it a versatile option for all types of beekeepers. It also provides forage during the summer months when other plants may have finished blooming.
4. Sunflowers – Sunflowers are another excellent plant for honey bees. Their large, bright blooms attract bees from all around, and they provide both nectar and pollen. Sunflowers are also easy to grow and thrive in a variety of soil types. By planting sunflowers, you can provide a strong food source for your bees, particularly during the late summer months.
5. Borage – Borage, with its vibrant blue flowers, is a wonderful plant for attracting honey bees. It is known for its abundant nectar, which can attract bees from far and wide. Borage is easy to grow and is known to bloom throughout the summer, providing your bees with a steady source of food.
6. Wildflowers – Planting wildflowers is an excellent way to support honey bee pollination in rural areas. Wildflowers like goldenrod, dandelions, and purple loosestrife are particularly beneficial to honey bees, providing a variety of nectar and pollen sources throughout the year. By planting a mix of native wildflowers, you can ensure that your bees have a diverse and sustainable forage source, contributing to both honey production and colony health.

Create a Bee-Friendly Yard: How Leaving Areas Unmowed Supports Honey Bee Pollination

Leaving areas of your yard unmowed can naturally provide valuable forage for honey bees, supporting honey bee pollination. Tall grasses, wildflowers, and clover thrive in these spaces, offering bees abundant nectar and pollen. By reducing lawn maintenance, you create a more bee-friendly environment that encourages healthy colonies. This simple act not only boosts pollination but also contributes to local ecosystems, helping honey bees thrive and ensuring the continued production of honey and other vital crops.

 

Conclusion

Planting the best plants for bees now is an investment in the future health and productivity of your hive. By choosing a variety of flowering plants such as clover, alfalfa, lavender, and wildflowers, you can provide your bees with the necessary nutrition they need for honey bee pollination, which leads to thriving colonies and high-quality honey. Alongside planting, beekeepers must also focus on honey bee care, ensuring their hives are healthy and strong. By providing proper nutrition, managing pests, and creating a safe environment for your bees, you’ll contribute to the health of your hive and the essential work of pollination, all while producing the best honey possible.