The Best Flowers for Attracting Bees and Other Pollinators

Almost all of us love looking at and smelling flowers, but there are some caveats that come with growing them. One of those is the fact that some flowers can attract bees, and there are a few reasons why people really don’t want that. There are plenty of people who are allergic to bee stings, and some are just downright terrified of the creatures.

However, bees and other pollinators are incredibly important to our ecosystem. After all, more than one-third of the crops on Earth depend on animal pollinators. That means many of us have to do our part to make sure that bees and other pollinators are able to do their job and keep things moving. If you want to contribute to pollination, here are the best flowers for attracting those creatures, including bees.

Sunflower

If you’ve seen a sunflower in real life, there’s a good chance that you’ve seen a few bees hanging around it, especially honeybees. While sunflowers are self-pollinating plants, having insects around can help speed up the process. Outside of honeybees, butterflies and hoverflies are other pollinators that love to find their way to sunflowers. Sunflowers are fairly easy to grow, too, with more than 80 countries able to grow them, including a large portion of the middle United States.

Lavender

Bumblebees are perhaps the favorite bee for most humans, and fans of these types of bees should fill their gardens with lavender because bumblebees love them. Lavender is best suited for areas that lack humidity. This is why in the United States, most of the lavender that you’ll see grows in the western states where air moisture is almost non-existent.

Borage

These bright blue flowers that look like they have a tiny bit of mold bring in quite a few pollinators, though around three-quarters of them are species of bees. Borage, while native to the Mediterranean part of the world, can actually be grown just about anywhere. In the United States, borage has been shown to grow in most regions whether or not there’s high humidity.

Crocus

If you like bright colors while also attracting pollinators to your garden, then the crocus is a great selection. Known for being one of the favorites of honeybees, the crocus can bloom into a wide range of colors from orange to cream and yellow. Crocus grows best in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, though it does thrive in the United States, as well. Interestingly enough, states that have colder climates can end up being the best place for crocus to grow.

Bee Balm

You probably don’t need more than one guess to figure out what type of pollinator bee balm flowers attract the most. Because of its need for constant sunshine, bee balm is best suited for regions in the southern parts of the United States, especially in the southwest. Arizona is perhaps the area where you’ll see the most natural bee balm, while New Mexico, Nevada, and California also have plenty.

Fuchsia

One of the most popular flowers for bees to make their way to, the fuchsia is a very unique-looking one with purple, pink, and white colors that really stand out in any garden. You’ll have to go outside of the United States to find the most abundant areas for fuchsia. Central and South America are home to some of the biggest fields of this flower, while the Andes Mountains are where they grow as commonly as weeds thanks to the cool and moist air.

Goldenrod

The Goldenrod flower is an absolute magnet for pollinators, including beetles, butterflies, bees, and more.  Unlike Fuchsia, you’ll be able to find Goldenrod growing abundantly in the United States. More specifically, the Great Plains region all the way to the east coast is where Goldenrod grows best, especially in swampy, mountainous, or wooded areas.

Daisy

The extremely common daisy brings in its fair share of bees, while also attracting butterflies that like to spot up for an extended period of time. Almost everyone has come across plenty of daisies in their lifetime, and that’s because they grow commonly on every continent (sans Antarctica). Daisies do need a lot of sunshine but are still able to grow even in areas where there isn’t all that much.

Marigold

The marigold is a colorful flower that starts to resemble the colors of the sun when it’s fully in bloom with orange, red, and yellow hues. Honeybees love marigolds, and they’re also helpful in getting rid of pests when placed near vegetables. Marigold thrives when there isn’t much moisture in the air. As a result, you’ll find them most frequently in Mexico and Central America, as well as parts of the southwestern United States. In the summertime, though, marigolds can still grow in northern areas with lower humidity levels.

Liatris

This beautiful purple flower with a spiky bloom is great for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. Also known as the gayfeather, the liatris flower attracts pollinators on a year-round basis. Liatris is most commonly found in the central part of the United States, ranging as far north as parts of North Dakota and as south as Florida. These flowers tend to grow stronger in more humid regions, so you’ll see them in brighter colors in the southeast.