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Wildflowers and Natives to
Attract Bees and Pollinators
Planting wildflowers and natives will not only attract bees and butterflies, but also other pollinators and wildlife.
Native plants and wildflowers are especially adapted to the climate and conditions of a country, and suit the indigenous wildlife, without upsetting the balance of nature. Wildflowers and native plants are therefore some of the best plants for bees, and ideally, every ‘bee garden’ should have at least a few of the wildflower plants on these lists.
Many a native wildflower landscape has been lost due to farming practices and building development.
In the UK, for example, only 2% of wildflower meadows remain. We have become obsessed with tidying up, but allowing a few weeds and wildflowers to flourish, or creating a small wildflower habitat in your border could help address this imbalance – if only on a small scale.
You may feel that your efforts will not count, but ordinary people as well as councils, are becoming more aware of the need to make space for wildlife.
Your efforts could help enhance a nectar corridor, or provide a valuable ‘feeding station’, however small, for wildlife.
Here is a list of great wildflower plants that attract butterflies and bees:
SPRING & SUMMER WILDFLOWERS FOR BEES
Red Campion (pictured left)
Bird’s Foot Trefoil (long season)
Bugle (Ajuga)
Comfrey
Selfheal
Poppy
Cowslip
Vetches
Dandelion
Dead-nettle (red and white
Foxglove
Yellow Rattle
Cat’s ear
Angelica
Red Bartsia
Ground Ivy
Woundwort
Betony
SUMMER & AUTUMN WILDFLOWERS FOR BEES
Clovers (red & white)
Bird’s Foot Trefoil
Bramble
Comfrey
Burdock
Teasels
Knapweed
Vetches
Cornflower
Thistles
Field Scabious
Viper’s Bugloss
Cat’s ear
Angelica
Red Bartsia
Sainfoin
AUTUMN & WINTER WILDFLOWER PLANTS FOR BEES
Ivy
Devils’ bit scabious
Discover more garden plants for bees
You'll find comprehensive lists of plants, with additional information, on this page.
Create a Bee Garden!
Handy tips and ideas for creating a garden for bees and other pollinators.
Bee Plants for Problem Places
Whether you have drought, clay soil or shade, there are plants for bees to suit different conditions.
Free Plants
Gardening to help bees need not cost a fortune. Here you'll find some money-saving tips.
Bee Pollination
Learn about the importance of the different kinds of bees for pollination.
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