10 Flowers To Plant To Attract Native Bees To Your Garden
Posted by John Zeaiter on
You've probably heard that bee populations are sadly on the decline, and some species are in danger of becoming extinct because of pesticides, habitat destruction and less flowering plants due to urbanisation. This will have drastic effects on crop production and biodiversity, but there are steps you can take to help. Here are a few examples of flowers you can plant in your garden to attract and support native bees.
FLOWERING GUM This gum provides a great food source to native bees and birds too. The vibrant red native flowers will brighten up your garden and make it a sight to behold.
TEA TREE This shrub is not only great for attracting bees, but the essential oils can be used to make soap, candles and much more!
GREVILLIA BRONZE RAMBLER This high nectar producing plant produces flowers for most of the year, and looks pretty while doing it!
BOTTLEBRUSH The iconic Australian bottlebrush genus are a hardy choice for any native garden, producing plenty of nectar over spring for bees.
PURPLE CORAL PEA A beautiful climber with bright purple flowers. Also comes in a white variety.
PINCUSHION HAKEA These Australian natives have fascinating flowers and come in shrub or tree varieties.
Stingless native bees love this plant.
NATIVE SAGE These flowers are low-maintenance and will grow in a pot or container if you don't have much room but still want to provide food for bees in your garden.
NATIVE ROSEMARY The adorably named teddy bear bee and the blue banded bee are a fan of these flowers, which stick around for most of the year.
CUT-LEAF DAISY This pretty type from the daisy family is a lengthy flowerer and is attractive to several different types of native bees. It also looks fantastic as a ground cover and in garden beds as a filler.
LAVENDER Lavender is a beautiful addition to any garden, and conjures up images of quaint cottage gardens with picket fences. An added bonus of lavender is that it's also a favourite of the blue-banded bee.