Plants for Year-Round Pollinator Foraging

Plants for Year-round Bee Forage, from the University of Georgia Honeybee Program

As you're starting to think about Spring planting, think about planting more plants for our pollinators. This is an incomplete list of both wild and commercially available plants that are important sources of pollen and nectar for pollinators 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.   

It's important to note that the use of wild or native plants are the most advantageous to native pollinators, as they have co-evolved together. Native plants tend to be more nutritious and less toxic to the native insect, spider and bird populations. 

Feb- Red Maple, Acer rubrum, native

Feb/Mar- Redbud tree, Cercis canadensis, native

                  Titi shrub, Cyrillic racemiflora, native coast

Mar- Native Blueberry shrub, Vaccinium elliottii, native

Mar/Apr- Henbit per. herb, Lamium amplexicaule, native

                  Jessamine shrub, Gelsemium sempervirens, nat.

Apr- Tupelo tree, Nysa sylvatica, coastal, rivers, native

         Apple tree, Malus app., Commercial and native

         Black Locust tree, Rubinia pseudoacacia, native piedmont and upper south

         Blackberry shrub, Rubus argutus, native, esp in piedmont

Apr/May- Common Ajuga, per. herb Ajuga reptant, comm.

                  Crimson clover, annual Trillium incarnatum, comm. forage

                  Dutch clover, per., Trifolium repens, comm., native

                  Red clover, per., Trifolium pratense, comm. forage

                  Skip Laurel shrub, Prunus laurocerasus, comm.

                 Tulip poplar tree, Liriodendron tuplifera, native

May- Gallberry shrub, Ilex glabra, native, coastal plain

          Honeysuckle shrub, Lonicera fragrant-sima, native

          Privet shrub, Ligustrum sinense, native esp. Piedmont

       Rhododendron shrub, Rhododendron catawbiense, natives in mountains and commercial elsewhere.

May/June- Cabbage Palmetto, per.Sabal palmetto, native,     coastal plain

                    Persimmon shrub/ tree, Diospyros virginiana, native

                    Tallow tree, Sapium sebifrum, comm.

Jume- Heavenly Bamboo shrub, Nandina domestica, comm.

Jun/Jul- Bee balm, per. herb, Monad didyma, native and comm.

                Chaste tree, Vitex agnuscastus, comm.     

                Sourwood tree, Oxydendrum arboreum, native Piedmont

                Sumac shrub/ tree, Rhus copallina, native Piedmont

               Sunflower, ann., Helianthus app., Comm. and native

Jun/Aug- Brazilian verbena, ann/per., Verbena bonariensis, comm.

                  Butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii, comm.

                  Crapemyrtle shrub/ tree Lagerstroemia indica, var. "Natchez", comm.

                  Glossy Abelia shrub, Abelia grandiflora, comm.

                  Mountain Mint, per. herb, Pycanthemum incanum, comm.

                  Purple coneflower, per. herb, Echinacea purpea, comm.

                  Wood Mint, per. herb, Blephilia app. Native

Jun/Sep- Sweet Pepperbush, Clethora alnifolia, native, coastal plain

Jul- Buttonbush, shrub/tree Cephalanthus accidentalis, native

Jul/Sept- American Germander, per. herb, Teucrium canadense, native

                 Cup Rosinweed, per. herb, Siliphium perfoliatum, native

                 Milweed, per. herb, Asclepius spp., native

                Partridge Pea, ann. herb, Cassia fasciculata, native

                Redroot, per. herb, Lachnanthes caroliana, native, wetlands

Aug- Meadow Beauty, per. herb, Rhesia spp., native

Aug/Sep- Bush Clovers, shrub, Lespedeza bicolor and L. thunbergii, comm.

Aug/Oct- Brazilian Pepper shrub, Echinus terebinthifolius, native

                  Mexican Sage, per. herb, Salvia leucantha, comm.

                  Mexican Sunflower, ann., Sithonia rotundifolia, comm.

                  Pineapple Sage, ann./ per. herb, Salvia elegans, comm.

                  Thoroughwort, per. herb, Eupatorium hyssopifolium, native

Aug/Nov- Asters, per. herb, Aster spp., native

                  Colorado River Hemp, shrub, Sesbania exaltata, comm, native

Sep/Oct- Goldenrod, per herb, Solidagosp. native

                 Kenaf, ann., Hibiscus Cannabinus, comm.

plantingseedsforpollinators #pollinators #wildflowers #native #commericalflowers #seeds #gardening #honeybees #bees #planting #savethebees