Bees & Butterflies

Wild bees and other pollinators are in serious decline. Gardeners can help by planting garden flowers that provide forage for a wide variety of pollinating insects.

The absence of a plant from this category does not mean that it is not attractive to bees and butterflies, but we list here plants which are particularly useful for pollinators. Either they flower early or late in the season, thereby extending the amount of time food is available to them, or they are above average in their attraction for bees and/or butterflies and/or moths. 

The ability of bees to access nectar and pollen in flowers varies, depending on the flower form. For example, most (not all) double flowers are not useful for pollinators. The plants in this list have been seclected with this in mind too.