Did you know that you can contribute to supporting the survival and increment of native bee population by planting bee-friendly plants in your garden? Well, this has been proven by entomologists. There are a number of plant’s flowers in Australia that have been identified as attractive to native bees and also provide a high amount of nectar.
Bee-friendly Plants and Flowers
According to scientists, most of the native bees love native flowers while other enjoys pollen and nectar from a mixture of both exotic and indigenous blooms. In this guide, PCNB have rounded up some of the plants that will help improve the population of native bees.
Cut-leaf daisy Brachysomes
Although all plants that come from the daisy family are highly attractive, we would recommend the Cut-leaf daisy. Apart from being attractive to native bees, they flower for an extended period of time thus providing the bees with food for a longer period. Stingless bees are fond of this plant and thus having them in your garden would boost their population. If you can’t find Cut-leaf daisies, everlasting daisies would be a great choice.
Lavender
This is another favourite plant to most native bees, particularly the Blue Banded Bee. The plant is best known for its high amount of nectar and flowers all-year round. With lavender, your garden will always look great all-year round, while at the same time provide bees with food all-year round. Other herbs in this group that native bees love include sage, mint, lemon, basil and thyme.
Tea Tree Leptospermum
These are native shrubs with red, white and pink flowering forms. The plants’ flowers bloom in early summer, and it’s a favourite to most of the native bees in Australia. Apart from providing pollen and nectar, it can also be used as a screening plant. It’s also commercially viable with its essential oils being used to make soaps, candles and other items.
Grevillia Pink Surprise
Don’t worry about the size of your garden since grevillia pink surprise comes in a vast range of sizes to suit your garden. You can choose from tall shrubs and trees to ground covers. They flower most of the year and also produce a high amount of nectar that attracts not only native bees but also birds into your garden. It is an excellent choice to have in your garden.
Pincushion Hakea Hakea Laurina
This is another favourite plant for most native bees, particularly stingless bee species. The plant is known for its spidery flowers that bloom between April and August. They are beautiful plants and are mostly referred to as “ornamental shrubs”. They are also known for the high amount of nectar, making them perfect for native bees.
Sage Salvia Officinalis
With sage, or any other member of the salvia family in your garden, you will have provided the native bees with much-needed food. These plants are particularly attractive to the blue-banded bee but other species can also get nectar from it. Salvias are not eaten by kangaroos or wallabies thus they can grow freely with little care.
Reference:
http://www.1millionwomen.com.au/blog/top-ten-flowers-attract-native-bees/
