# The top 20 bee plants



## FlowerPlanter (Aug 3, 2011)

Black locus, honey suckle and sweet clover (yellow and white) are our honey makers here. 

Dandelions might just make the top 20.


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## nediver (May 26, 2013)

Trees cover about the first 15.

Linden, red maple, locust, sourwood, poplar, Bee Bee, catalpa, sumac, autumn olive, fruits, etc.

Have a search for Mike Conner "Trees and Bees". Great presentation.

2 Mature Basswood Trees will produce the same net as an acre of clover. In an average yard you can better maximize space and return with some trees.

The other plants or flowers that you mention are nice for gaps in flow and to keep the bees busy.


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## Teal (Jan 30, 2014)

nediver said:


> Trees cover about the first 15.
> 
> Linden, red maple, locust, sourwood, poplar, Bee Bee, catalpa, sumac, autumn olive, fruits, etc.
> 
> ...


Very nice! Very informative, thanks for sharing. I'm going to plant some trees!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Birdsfoot trefoil
Chicory
Mustard
Asters
Goldenrod
Anise Hyssop
Vetch (many different varieties)

And many trees... early ones are Red Maple and Pussywillow


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Thanks, Michael. I already got these:
Birdsfoot trefoil
Chicory
Mustard
Asters
Goldenrod (early July/August blooming and late Oct/Nov blooming)
Anise Hyssop and 6 willows too. Added to my collection are vitex, lilac and red double quince.


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## rv10flyer (Feb 25, 2015)

Crimson Clover
Cosmos
Purple Coneflower


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## mischief (Jan 21, 2017)

Add Camillias to that and Pineapple sage, my girls loved it so much even with it's long tubular flowers that they torn them open to get to the bottom of them and of course the nectar.
Then there is Rosemary which flowers for ages and the mustard that I sow every year so it is in full flower in early spring right through to early summer.
That one is also good for cleansing the soil where tomatoes or potatoes have been growing.
Dont forget about *****. I have one that flowers in early spring and is smothered, my mother has another that flowers all summer and autumn, both are perennials too.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Certain time of the year around here there seems to be nothing but some queen anns lace and garden stuff. I hardly ever see my bees on cosmos and zinias and such though I have a lot. I do see them on pumkin, cucumber, zukini and I have a vine that is called the korean bell flower that is the bees favorite.  My woods is full of vine honey suckle to the point that it is destroying the forest. If I had to have a vine destroy the forest, I wish it was the bell flower. Between the yard clover and the golden rod, I think being around gardens keeps the bees from starving. Also letting the things like lettuce and kale and such go to seed. 

Another great forage plant that also might be invasive but for a couple weeks in august before golden rod is a mint called perila. I have the ones with the white flowers that get several feet tall and grow in any condition and the bees just tear it up. I doubt any of this really gives honey production but do think it keeps the hive full enough that the bees can then take advantage of the golden rod flow rather then using it to just fill emptyed space in the hive.

I only mention these things cause things like cosmos were mentioned and my bees like the other stuff better then cosmos.

Cheers
gww


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

In the west do not forget Sainfoin. There are not a lot of acres planted, but it is very drought hardy, good nectar producer, with good amounts of pollen.


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## sjj (Jan 2, 2007)

Echinops sphaerocephalus, 
known by the common name great globe-thistle. 
I have the pale variation of this plant.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Had a debate about this topic with one of the most experienced beekeepers in this area. 
I was insisting that trees top the top twenty list. She wasn't accepting it until she started keeping city bees. (she's rural and out in the monoculture...no trees hardly) 
I'd been telling her that my city bees are outproducing hers. I could tell when I looked into her "strong hives". When she went back to work at the university and was working with their bees she finally admitted it. City bees make more honey than country bees around here because they build up wayyyy sooner due to all the maples and pussy willows etc. They collect more honey because of the huge variety here in Urbana-Champaign. Urbana is a "Tree City". Urbana has a neighborhood that's nearly all catalpa trees. So does Champaign. So much variety...


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## johnsof (Oct 14, 2014)

Wild raspberry. Holy cow, do the bees like that. They will completely ignore the basswood (American Linden) when the raspberries are blooming, and basswood is normally a big producer around here.
You could also add canola (rapeseed), a big source in Europe and I believe in parts of Canada. Would be easy to plant a small patch if you could source the seed. Did a quick search for a supplier and found at least one in the US.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Not sure how much nectar but persimmon is worked heavy too.


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## Lburou (May 13, 2012)

Texas sage has a profuse bloom after it rains. It supplements the summer dearth here, and because of that we value it in the landscape. Rio Bravo sage, from Mexico, does well too with a darker green foliage and darker blooms. Bees mob both bushes (called shrubs in Texas). 

Added a link: https://www.dallasnews.com/life/home/2011/09/01/native-texas-sage-thrives-in-hot-dry-landscapes


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## Arbol (Apr 28, 2017)

They love the hundreds of thousands of goji berry flowers on the thousands of bushes blooming now out around their apiary. I planted a whole half acre of goji berries with plantain, borage, raspberries, and about 30+ different flowers for pollinators.
My favorite is Camphorweed a friend gave me great fall forage, with the purple and white asters and goldenrod.


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