Bee Friendly Wildflowers
With one-third of our native bee species facing extinction, the wild buzz that once filled hedgerows, meadows, and garden corners is growing quieter every year. Habitat loss, pesticide use, and changing land practices have all taken their toll, but we can do our bit by letting wildflowers grow and get established, or by planting wildflowers in patches or meadows.
Wildflowers can provide both nectar and pollen for pollinating insects such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies. Some are more attractive than others and you will see pollinators making a 'beeline' for them. Below we have listed some of the more well-regarded bee-friendly wildflowers.
Native vs Non Native
Native wildflowers are generally the best option for our native bee species. This is not just because they are familiar and reliable food sources, but also because non-native varieties - even when planted with the best of intentions - can become invasive and affect the balance of our native ecosystem.
There can be a place for the more ‘exotic’ non-native wildflowers, but it’s recommended to confine them to small wildflower patches or areas, where they are less likely to spread, become invasive or create undesired hybrids.
Oxeye Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare
Ox Eye Daisy is one of the tallest growing members of the daisy family, often reaching 80 cm tall and sometimes higher. White petal-like rays extend outwards from a golden-yellow centre made up of small disc florets. These flowers contain nectar, and the almost flat surface makes for an easily accessible ‘helicopter pad’ for pollinators.
This wildflower is a formidable producer of pollen in meadows, while it is also very suitable for wildlife patches in gardens or borders.
Bee species that are known to visit Ox Eye Daisy include the solitary Grey Mining Bee, Yellow Faced bees and the Patchwork Leafcutter. It is also popular with beetles, ants, butterflies and moths.
Flowering period: May to September
Bird's-foot Trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
Birdsfoot Trefoil is a creeping herbaceous perennial from the legume family, and is not just an attractive wildflower but a nitrogen-fixing ‘cover crop’ to boot. The plant is sometimes colourfully referred to as ‘bacon and eggs’ or ‘lady’s slipper’. However it takes its most common name from the ripe seed pods, which have the distinctive appearance of a bird’s foot or claw.
It’s a very hardy wildflower which can adapt to a range of environments, but tends to thrive especially in low input grassland, species-rich meadows or along roadside verges.
The golden yellow pea-like flowers have a long blooming period, providing a food source for pollinators from May or June until September. These flowers take on tinges of red or orange as they age.
A host of bee species are known to visit Birdsfoot Trefoil for nectar, including the Red Tailed Bumblebee and Common Carder Bee. It is a favoured plant for the increasingly threatened Great Yellow Bumblebee, which due to loss of habitat is rarely seen outside of the west of the country.
Flowering period: June to September
Devil's-bit Scabious
Succisa pratensis
The blue/violet flowerheads of Devil's Bit Scabious measure 2-3 cm in diameter and have a very striking pincushion-like appearance. Devil’s Bit Scabious is extremely popular with pollinators, and serves as a late-flowering (into October) source of nectar. Bee species seen visiting this wildflower include Shrill Carder and Field Cuckoo Bumblebees, or the fairly rare (in Ireland) and tellingly-named Small Scabious Mining Bee.
The nodding stems can reach up to 1 metre tall, and have a basal rosette of lance-shaped The plant’s intriguing name comes from the lore that the devil bit off the plant’s root because he was angry at its common use as a healing aid: hence the abruptly shortened roots.
Devil’s Bit Scabious is also known for being the main larval foodplant for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly. It prefers somewhat damp habitats, such as grassland, marshes or river banks.
Flowering period: July to October
Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
Foxglove is an ideal bee-friendly plant: although with the caveat that only long-tongued species - such as the garden bumblebee (Bombus hortorum) - will find the nectar readily accessible. Other species (bee and otherwise) are however known to sometimes ‘rob nectar’, which means making a hole at the base of the flower to extract nectar.
The tall, thimble-like plant produces tubular pinkish-purple flowerheads that droop downwards. Up close, you can see the petals have darker coloured spots on the inside: these are very attractive to look at, but they also serve as visual ‘guides’ to encourage bees further inwards. The lower lip of the petal serves as a landing platform.
This elegant, downy wildflower can grow as tall as 1.5 to 2 metres. It is sometimes referred to as ‘fairy thimbles’ or ‘fairy fingers’ - and in Irish folklore it was regarded as bad luck to bring the flowers into a house. It is biennial, so will send up foliage in the first year before blooming in the second.
Just a word of slight caution as the plant can be toxic if ingested.
Flowering period: June to August
Common Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
A truly valuable native wildflower; indeed it is estimated that 25 to 50% of all common bluebells are found in Ireland or Britain. The vivid violet-blue tubular flowers bloom from April, and are often seen growing in woodlands or along grassy banks.
The intricate flowers have a sweet scent - particularly evident on warmer days - and serve as an early source of nectar and pollen. Species seen foraging from this wildflower include the Carder Bee, Red Tailed Bumblebee and Tree Bumblebee, as well as White-footed Hoverflies.
A perennial wildflower, bluebells take 3 years to flower; for the first couple of years the young bulb will slowly take on a chive-like appearance. Avoid non-native or hybrid versions of Bluebell; native seed sources protect our biodiversity.
Flowering period: April to May
Teasel
Dipsacus fullonum
This unique wildflower is very, very popular with the bees. The conical, bristly flowerheads boast a central strip or ring of small purple flowers, blooming from July to September.
Produces a basal rosette of lance-shaped leaves in the first year, before flowering around July of the second year. Distinctive bracts extend outwards from directly underneath the flower heads. The stems rise high - sometimes as high as 8 foot!
Leaves lower down the stem are joined at the base, allowing water to collect and providing a drinking source for many insects. Interestingly, this has been pointed to as something of a drowning hazard for small insects, who find it difficult to escape or scale the stem directly above. If so, it doesn't stop bumblebees from flocking towards teasel in meadows or gardens.
Flowering period: July to September
Red Clover
Trifolium pratense
A member of the legume family, Red Clover is often used as a soil-improving cover crop or grown for fodder. However, don't underestimate its value to pollinators.
The plant produces clusters of pinkish-red flowers, each measuring 2 to 3 cm across. These nectar-rich blooms are particularly attractive to bumblebees, including the Common Carder Bee, the Red-Tailed Bumblebee and the Great Yellow Bumblebee.
Red Clover is low-growing with a spreading habit. Its leaves are divided into three oval-shaped leaflets, with a distinctive white mark. It's worth noting that close relation White Clover is very bee-friendly as well, especially for honeybees!
Flowering Period: May to October
Lesser Knapweed
Centaurea nigra
Also known as Common Knapweed or Black Knapweed, this perennial wildflower is an excellent choice for wildlife gardens or biodiverse meadows. It grows healthily in the wild in Ireland as well, from roadsides to pastures or along streams.
The thistle-like plant produces rounded purple flowerheads that sit on a swollen base of scaly bracts. Flowering from midsummer until early autumn, it’s a superb native nectar source for a wide range of pollinators. These include the Carder Bumblebee, White Tailed Bumblebee, Great Yellow Bumblebee and the solitary Patchwork Leafcutter Bee.
For added wildlife benefit, the seed heads provide food for birds such as goldfinches later in the year.
Flowering period: July to September
Selfheal
Prunella vulgaris
Selfheal is a low-growing perennial that blooms from late spring to early autumn. Square, often reddish stems produce short spikes with small, loosely arranged bright purple flowers. Purple is of course a very attractive colour for pollinators, and this wildflower is a popular nectar source for a range of bees including the Common Carder.
The plant grows in a spreading manner, with stems rooting at the nodes. Clusters of lance-shaped leaves that are arranged in a rosette at the base.
Flowering period: May to September