Planting for Bees Patti Koranda ISU Beekeeping Club

Bee + Flower = Honey

Bee Friendly Gardens Planting guideline Bee Friendly Water sources Plant suggestion

Planting Guidelines Sunny location preferred Protected from the wind Several types of flowers Blooming continuously early spring to late fall Native bees adapted best to native plants Guideline are good for other insects, butterflies and birds too Urban area may be better that country area

Plant suggestions-learn about your natives Native plants are 4 times more attractive than exotic flowers Herbs, annual, perennials, heirloom can provide good foraging Flowers and bees help each other Allow plants to flower Dead heading plants may increase blooms Avoid hybrids with double blooms-less nectar or pollen Plants may be host to caterpillars Could be called weeds Avoid invasive plants Some may be trees or shrubs

Seasonal Plan to have something is bloom all season long – early spring, summer until late fall Plant at least 3 different types of flowers per season Bees and Butterflies fly at different time They appreciate a garden with varieties of flowers and long season of blooms Perennials may have a delay in a new garden before they start blooming Annuals help to fill in bloom times before perennials become established

Plant different types of flowers Plant a wide variety of flowers Plant in clumps rather than single plant The family of bees range in size Minute sweat bees to robust carpenter bees The have different tongue lengths Some flowers are flat, daisy like flowers Some flowers are tubular blossoms They are attracted to bright colors, blue, white, purple They see in ultraviolet colors

What Bees See We see in Red, Blue, Yellow Bees see UV, Blue, Green (think color blind) Bees do not see Red

Image of UV Flowers

Pollination Facts 75% of plants are pollinated by animals 1/3 of out food depends on pollinator/plant interaction Many plants cannot reproduce without the help of pollinators Landing Platforms helpful

Nectar Nectar is a sweet liquid made in special glands called nectaries that are found on flowering plants Nectaries are most often found by the base of a flowers petals Nectar is the reward given to insects and small animals Nectar is the base ingredient of honey

Anatomy of a Flower

Invasive Plants Invasive plants are ones that out compete native plants to the native detriment Thistle – bull, Canada, milk Garlic mustard Queen Anne lace Chicory Oxeye Daisy Purple Loosestrife Yellow sweet clover Multiflora rose Purple crown vetch Japanese barberry Honeysuckle-Trumpet, Japanese Oriental bittersweet

Bee Friendly A well run ecological garden attracts birds and beneficial insects that help control pests Avoid insecticides, they are non selective Fungicides are also dangerous BT-bacillus thuringiensis Neonicotinoids An insecticidal coating on seeds to prevent insect damage Strongly suspected of being systemic (it stays inside the plant cells, in the blooms)

Water Source Bees need water Hydration-digestion, metabolism, brood, queen Temperature and humidity regulation Bees can drown Floating Landing platform needed Stick, log, piece of wood, water plants, cork Ponds Streams Puddles Dew Garden Water Features (fountains) Can add hive water bottle Pools are not good

Spring Plants Spring difficult time for native bees Urban areas typically has few early blooming annuals Some flourish is areas that become shady as trees leaf out * Weather inconsistent

Native Early Spring Bloomers Native Perennials Columbine* Crocus-Prairie Violets Bluebells * Virginia waterleaf * Wild geranium * Wild Indigo Weeds Dandelions

Native Early Spring Bloomers cont. Trees and shrubs Fruit trees-apple peach, cherry, crabapple Dogwood – trees and shrubs Chokecherry Lilac Red Bud Raspberry Rose Serviceberry Strawberry Viburnum Willow Wild Plum Black locust Many of these are good for birds too

Native Summer Bloomers Native Perennials Beebalm Black-eyed Susan Blazing Star Clover Compass plant Cup Plant Mint Phlox Purple Cone flower Spiderwort Coreopsis (tickseed) Yarrow Native Weeds Butterfly Weed Milkweed

Additional Summer Bloomers (non native) Squash plants Pumpkins Pepper Beans Tomatoes Eggplant Potatoes Basil Cosmos Lavender Rosemary Marigolds Zinnia

Native Late Summer-Fall Bloomers Native Perennials Aster Goldenrod Sunflowers Weeds Joe-pye weed Ironweed

Credits Helpful sites Ecological Gardening.net Kelly Allsup Horticulture Extension Educator, U of I extension ectory.cfm ectory.cfm