Bee-Friendly Shade Plants: Attract Pollinators to Low-Light Gardens

Shade-Tolerant Plants for Bees

Bees prefer sun but visit shade blooms. Honeybees like yellow, white, blue, purple. Native bees (e.g., mason bees) prefer fruit blossoms and native perennials.

Shade Plants Bees Love

• Jacob's ladder
• Bleeding heart
• Bee balm
• Coral bells
• Hosta
• Columbine
• Hellebores
• Penstemon
• Viola
• Bellflowers
• Trollius
• Trillium
• Fuchsia
• Torenia
• Clethra
• Itea
• Mint
• Lamium
• Cranesbill
• Ligularia

Shade Plants for Butterflies & Moths

Butterflies like red, orange, pink, yellow; flat-topped flowers. Moths like tube flowers (hummingbird sphinx).

• Astilbe
• Fragaria
• Mint
• Balloon flower
• Yarrow
• Lemon balm
• Blue star amsonia
• Jasmine
• Verbena
• Honeysuckle
• Buddleia
• Clethra
• Fothergilla
• Ligularia
• Hydrangea

Morning sun dries wings; afternoon shade offers refuge. Mix sun and shade blooms for diverse pollinators.