Beekeeping/Plants for Bumblebees

Bumblebees have a rather long tongue; shorter than those butterflies like atalantas but longer than those of honey bees. As such, they prefer flowers such as[1]:

  • Cynara scolymus
  • Monarda
  • Centaurea montana, Centaurea scabiosa, Centaurea nigra
  • Digitalis purpurea
  • Salvia spp
  • Agastache foeniculum
  • Lotus corniculatus
  • Achillea millefolium
  • Solidago
  • Lonicera periclymenum
  • Lobelia cardinalis
  • Origanum
  • Trifolium
  • Tropaeolum majus
  • Pulmonaria saccharata
  • Marrubium vulgare
  • Phacelia tanecetifolia
  • Leucanthemum x superbum
  • Centranthus ruber
  • Echium vulgare

References edit

  1. HDRA encyclopedia of organic gardening by Pauline Spears

Note edit

It should be noted that the list of plants mentioned above may or may not be native to your area. As such, if you wish to use them, check whether they are native to your area first.