15 Native Flowers That Feed Native Bees: Build a Pollinator Buffet

Pollinator decline headlines often focus on honeybees, but 4,000+ native bee species provide free pollination—if we give them habitat. Many are oligolectic (specialists on one plant species), with tiny foraging windows. Planting diverse, regionally native flowers supports maximum pollinator diversity. Here are 15 native wildflowers to start your native bee garden.

1. Lead Plant (Amorpha canescens)

Supports 50+ bee species, 100+ insects. Dry sun, MI to AR, west to NM, WY, SD. 2 feet tall/wide, small shrub form. No spring cutback needed.

2. False Aster (Boltonia asteroides)

40+ bee species, 100+ insects. Slightly moist to medium soil, full sun to part shade. 3–4 feet, large mounding, late summer–fall flowers. ND to OK, east to AL, IL.

Photo by Joshua Mayer

3. Smooth Aster (Symphyotrichum laeve)

30+ bee species, 70+ insects. Mountain West, Central/Northern Plains, scattered East. Medium-dry soil, max sun. 2–3 feet. Midautumn showstopper.

4. New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

30+ bee species, 70+ insects. Very drought-tolerant, 1–3 feet, midsummer bloom. MN to TX to Atlantic, FL to ME. Small shrub—don't move once established.

5. Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

40+ bee species, 100+ insects. Dry shade solution! 1–2 feet, heavy midautumn bloom. MN to east TX and all points east.

6. Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

80+ bee species, 100+ insects—bee magnetism royalty (also rabbit favorite). Early-mid summer, 1–2 feet. MT to NM, east IN to LA. Full sun to light shade, dry soil. Fixes nitrogen.

7. Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

40+ bee species, 100+ insects. MN to east TX, OH/VA to FL. Slightly wet to slightly dry. 4 feet tall, 2 feet wide. Unique mid-late summer blooms.

8. Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

70+ bee species, 150+ insects. Rockies east. Full to part sun, slightly moist to dry. 1–2 feet. Blooms nonstop summer. Colonizes disturbed areas.

9. Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

70+ bee species, 120+ insects. All but FL and CA. Slightly moist to dry, full sun. 3–5 feet, spreads 3 feet. Mid-late summer bloom (later south, sooner north).

10. Stiff Goldenrod (Solidago rigida)

50+ bee species, 100+ insects. Flat-topped, full sun, medium-dry. 3–4 feet tall, 1 foot wide. NM to MT, east to IN, IL, scattered East. Early bloomer (Aug–Sept).

11. Virginia Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)

50+ bee species, 100+ insects. Central Plains, northern/eastern Midwest, Northeast. Well-behaved mint. Full sun, moist to medium. 2–3 feet. Midsummer, weeks of bloom.

12. Hoary Vervain (Verbena stricta)

60+ bee species, 100+ insects. Dry, hot soil. Southwest IA center: WY, CO to OK, east to AR, OH, MI, north to MN, Dakotas. 1–2 feet. June–Aug bloom. Self-sows in open soil.

13. Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea)

70+ bee species, 130+ insects. Dakotas to TX and east. Full sun, moist to dry. 2–3 feet. Late spring–early summer. Host for black swallowtail. Nice fall color.

14. Pacific Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)

CA, OR, WA. Midsummer–fall bloom. Adaptable: dry slopes to moist coast/marshes. 1–3 feet, spreads by rhizomes.

15. Wild Lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus)

Western relative of New Jersey tea. CA to OR. 3–18 feet—treat as shrub/small tree. Glorious fragrant spring show for early insects.

For more pollinator-plant data: Illinois Wildflowers.

More: How to Find the Right Native Plants for Your Yard | Gardening for the Bees, and Why It's a Good Thing | How to Design a Garden for Native Bees