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Lupine
Lupine is a low-growing late spring and early summer bloomer that thrives in dry, sandy soils. Prairie Nursery, one of the first nurseries to grow and sell native plants, says Lupine is not only one of the best flowers for bees, but the only host plant for the rare Karner Blue butterfly. “Habitat loss has led to the decline in Lupine plants in the wild, and put the Karner Blue on the endangered species list,” according to Prairie Nursery.
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Anise Hyssop
A plant that does well in sun and part shade, anise hyssop is one of the best flowers for bees in parts of the Midwest like Minnesota, as noted by the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab. The Bee Lab says anise hyssop flowers are particularly attractive to bees and the plant can easily be integrated into most landscapes. The plant, which blooms mid to late summer, attracts honey bees along with other species of pollinators.
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Zinnias
Zinnias are a flower that blooms later in the season and is one of the best flowers for bees, according to the Honeybee Conservancy. Zinnias are an easy annual flower to grow and come in a rainbow of colors that attract pollinators to your garden.
“Monarch butterflies, in particular, love zinnias and pollinate them and use them for food and egg-laying habitat,” according to this article from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Honeybees will also benefit from the flower’s nectar and pollen.
