Bee-Friendly Plants

The Purple Echinacea is a coneflower that is a sturdy perennial that is native to the Midwest, Southeast and naturalized throughout the Northeast. One of the most popular wildflowers, the Purple Coneflower can withstand dry conditions, though it performs best in cooler seasons, without irrigation. This variety readily reseeds itself.

The Common Asclepias, also known as Butterfly Weed or Common Milkweed, is the only plant that Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on! This variety provides an abundant food source for Monarchs, but have been declining in the recent years due in part to suburban development and the increased efficiency of herbicides. The Common Asclepias spreads readily by seed and underground rhizomes and its taproot can withstand drought. This Butterfly Weed is one of the easiest and fastest to establish of the Milkweeds. Enjoy watching beautiful Monarchs visit on a daily basis!

The Stiff Goldenrod Solidago produces stunning, large and slightly flat golden flowers that are bee attracting powerhouses! These beautiful golden flowers bloom later in summer and into early fall. In fall, the leaves will turn a beautiful shade of red.

Aromatic Aster, also known as Aster oblongifolius or Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, is a hardy native perennial with a dense, bushy habit. Abundant lavender-purple flowers with yellow centers bloom in autumn, providing valuable late-season nectar for pollinators. The foliage releases a pleasant fragrance when brushed. Well suited to borders and native plantings, this compact aster thrives in full sun and well-drained soil and becomes drought tolerant once established.

Spotted Bee Balm (Monarda punctata), also called dotted horsemint, is a North American native perennial with stacked flower whorls, yellow-spotted blooms, and showy pink to lavender bracts. Its aromatic foliage and long midsummer-to-fall display add distinctive color and texture to meadows, pollinator gardens, and cut-flower plantings. Plants thrive in full sun and lean, well-drained soil, becoming drought tolerant once established. Nectar-rich flowers welcome native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and beneficial insects, while deer resistance and low-maintenance growth make this variety an easy habitat-building choice.

The Panorama Red is a great cutting plant for center pieces. Produce vibrant red blooms from July to August on 3' foot plants. Vivid red bee balm made for cutting gardens. Three-foot plants flower generously from July through August. Fragrant foliage offers natural deer and rabbit resistance.

The Sweet Joe Pye Weed Eutrochium, also know as Purple Joe Pye Weed, is easy to grow and its vanilla-scented flowers are irresistible for Monarchs, Swallowtails and many other butterflies. If you want to attract butterflies to your garden, this is the plant variety for you! The Sweet Joe Pye Weed can reach up to 7 feet high and does great in shady locations. This beautiful flower blooms pale pink to pale purple flowers from July to September.

Cheyenne Spirit coneflower produces a vivid mix of red, orange, yellow, and purple daisy-like blooms with prominent centers. Compact, upright plants reach about 18–24 inches and flower from midsummer into early fall. The long-lasting blooms attract bees and butterflies and work beautifully in beds, borders, containers, and wildlife-friendly plantings. This resilient perennial thrives in full sun and well-drained soil and tolerates drought once established.

Lance Leaf Coreopsis seeds come from a hardy, drought-tolerant perennial known for its bright, daisy-like yellow flowers with a reddish center. This plant thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, making it an excellent choice for adding color to gardens, especially in xeriscaping or low-maintenance landscapes. Growing up to 2–3 feet tall, Lance Leaf Coreopsis attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies, while its long bloom period—typically from early summer to fall—provides continuous interest in the garden. The seeds are easy to sow and germinate quickly, making it a great option for both beginner and experienced gardeners.

Asclepias incarnata ‘Ice Ballet’, often called White Swamp Milkweed, is a selected form of the native Swamp Milkweed long found along wetlands, marsh edges, and moist prairies across North America, where it has served for generations as an essential host plant for monarch caterpillars. This cultivar stands out for its showy clusters of pure white, vanilla-scented flowers that bloom in midsummer, contrasting beautifully with its upright stems and narrow, deep-green leaves.

The Marmalade Rudbeckia is a dwarf variety that has large, golden-orange flowers that will bloom from summer to early fall! This flower grows to be two feet tall, and flowers are up to five inches across. It is a versatile plant that can be used in flower beds, borders, cutting gardens and large containers.

Looking like a plucked daisy, this Rudbeckia sports long, thin green sepals and a giant, pointy deep purple to black cone (the size and shape of a large strawberry)! Wonderfully attention-getting in the garden, 'Green Wizard' is also welcome as an Everlasting, where its ultra-strong stems support these stylish cones for months on end, adding interesting texture and tall vertical effect to bouquets, centerpieces, and decorations of all types.

The long-lasting blooms of the Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia brings beautiful, rich shades of crimson to any garden or bouquet! The giant red blooms attract butterflies and bees all summer long, and songbirds in the early fall. The Cherry Brandy thrives in the sun and is able to stand up to heat and humidity, making it easy to care for. It is a perennial, therefore it will reseed itself around the garden, perpetuating from year to year! Make sure to deadhead the faded flowers in order to prolong the flowering season.

The Common Buckwheat is a grain that can be planted late spring to early summer and improves top soil and an effective choke weed! This variety establishes quickly. This buckwheat accumulates phosphorus and potassium for following crops and is frost sensitive.

The Blue False Indigo Baptisia is the most popular Baptisias around as it provides early deep blue blooms in a beautiful bushy shape. This flower variety produces very attractive deep blue blooms and great bushy foliage that can be enjoyed all summer long. The Blue Indigo can grow up to 4' in height and its branching habit make wide spacing advisable in home landscaping.

The Wild Bergamot Monarda is the best bee balm for dry locations and produces beautiful violet blooms that have a wonderful scent! This variety has great mid-summer blooms, later than any other Monardas. The Wild Bergamot will attract a large amount of butterflies, bees and hummingbirds!

Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya) is a classic North American prairie perennial long valued by Indigenous peoples and early settlers, and today it remains a signature species of tallgrass prairies and restoration plantings. It produces tall, upright spikes crowded with vivid purple, nectar-rich flowers that bloom from the top down, drawing in butterflies, bees, and especially monarchs in late summer.

The Moody Blues Phlox is an eye-catching variety that will add a beautiful shades of satiny whites, blues and violets to any garden! This fragrant bushy flower blooms from summer to fall and is loved by butterflies and bees. Even though its name is "moody," it is actually quite easy to care for and is great in a patio container. To encourage a longer flowering time, trim back the Moody Blues after the first bloom fades.

Prairie Blaze Vintage Lime adds lime green blooms to sunny beds and containers. Its compact, upright plants bring perennial color to small spaces and attract pollinators.

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) is a native perennial with slender spikes of blue-violet flowers from summer into early fall. It performs best in moist soil in full sun to partial light and fits naturally into rain gardens, wet meadows, and pond edges. The flowers support butterflies, bees, and other beneficial insects, and the tall stems are suitable for cutting. Established plants commonly reach about 4 feet tall.

Lemon Mint Bee Balm grow beautiful lavender blooms that make wonderful cut flowers. Citrus scented blooms offer fragrance and beauty. The blooms and leaves are both edible. Native to the U.S. Also known as lemon bee balm, purple horsemint, and lemon mint. If grown in a pollinator garden Lemon Mint will attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

The California Bluebell Campanula is a very popular, beautiful and hardy annual that has been adapted to very arid environments. The stunning deep blue, bell-shaped flowers of this variety are highlighted by long golden stamens. It's leaves are heart-shaped, covered with soft white hairs closely resembling an African Violet. This flower prefers full sun in very sandy or well-drained soils. The California Bluebell is one of the most extravagant shades of blue.

Spotted Joe Pye Weed, is a distinctive perennial native to North America's moist meadows and woodlands. Named after Joe Pye, a Native American herbalist, this plant has a rich history in traditional medicine. It is recognized for its tall, elegant growth, typically reaching heights of 4 to 6 feet, and its unique spotted stems that give it its common name.

The Common Alfalfa is a somewhat winter hardy perennial legume, but it grows more quickly than other regular alfalfa varieties. As an annual green manure, this cool-season "Summer" alfalfa can produce up to 10 tons of organic matter per acre. Its long taproots break up compacted soil and bring up subsurface minerals. High nitrogen fixation and great bee forage. Alfalfa is basically good at everything, as it great for nitrogen fixation and bee forage!

The Gayfeather Liatris is an excellent variety at attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds and matures to 4' in wet to mesic soil conditions. Like many Liatris species, when it begins to bloom it starts at the top and works its way down. This is an excellent Liatris species to plant in wet-medium prairies and perennial gardens and it makes to be a perfect cut flower.

The Black Eyed Susan Rudbeckia is a wonderful, stiff upright flower that is stunning and will definitely grab your attention. This variety is an annual or short lived perennial native to the eastern United States. The Black Eyed Susan is probably the most common of all American wildflowers. The characteristic brown, domed center is surrounded by bright yellow ray florets that thrives in most soils in full sun. The Black Eyed Susan is a true sunshine worshiper that forgives neglect.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is an eastern North American perennial prized for vivid red flower spikes from midsummer into fall. It grows best in consistently moist soil in full sun to partial light and is well suited to rain gardens, pond edges, and wet meadows. The tubular flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds and also draw butterflies and bees. Mature plants commonly reach 3 to 5 feet tall.

A tropical appearance bloom that can thrive in cooler locations (zone 5 and above). Produces beautifully stunning white and crimson flowers. Hibiscus moscheutos plants prefer wet areas in the wild, but can also be grown in a well-watered garden.

The Sahara Rudbeckia has a beautiful bloom of caramel, red and pink - perfect for a fall bouquet since it will flower into mid to late autumn! It tolerates heat well and thrives in full Sun. Grown as a half-hardy annual, the Sahara performs well in most soil types. This delightful flower not only is an attention grabber for people, but for butterflies as well. Make sure to deadhead faded flowers regularly to encourage more blooms.

The Showy Asclepias is just like its name, a beautiful showy plant that is an excellent nectar sources for butterflies and hummingbirds! This Butterfly Weed variety is similar to Common Milkweed, but its pinkish-purple flowers have longer petals that taper more and are covered with fine hairs. The Showy Asclepias will attract butterflies and hummingbirds, especially Queen and Monarch butterflies. This plant is aggressive and should be thinned every year.

These are by far our favorite Rudbeckia flower. These provide a prolific amount of flowers that excellent for cut flower use. Once cut, these flowers will stay fresh and look great for weeks! The long narrow petals of the Chim Chiminee Rudbeckia give off beautiful fall shades of bronze, gold, red and burnt orange. This variety is perfect for any garden or vase as it is an outstanding cut flower!