In this article, we will look at the top spring flowers for bees and pollinators which take over between March and May. Spring is a time to make sure you have plenty of bees and other pollinators around. And it is a time when the options really open up and many more blossoms and blooms can begin to appear in your garden.
Many of the best known and most popular bee-friendly flowering meadow plants and garden flowers popular for ornamental borders will not yet be in bloom. Yet as you can see from the lists below, there are still plenty of spring flowers to choose from to keep bees and other pollinators happy in your garden.
It is also important, of course, to cater to those very earliest pollinators by making sure you have flowers in bloom through winter and into very early spring. And it is important to continue to cater to pollinators throughout the year. But the list below should help you begin to plan for you wildlife-friendly, pollinator-friendly spring garden:
Trees With Spring Flowers for Bees
Many trees will be essential for spring pollinators, producing an abundance of blossom flowers that will bring in the bees and other beneficial insects from far and wide. When people think about creating gardens for bees, trees are often overlooked. But trees can be even more important than shrubs and flowering herbaceous perennials. Just five fruit trees in blossom can produce as much nectar as an acre of meadow.
Here are some of the trees to consider, many of which can work very well, even in a very small garden:
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Almond
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Amelanchier
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Apple
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Apricot
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Blackthorn
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Cercis siliquastrum
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Cherry
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Cornelian cherry
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Crab apple
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Damson
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Hawthorn
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Medlar
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Peach
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Plum
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Willow
Shrubs With Spring Flowers for Bees
Shrubs are more important in our gardens than many people recognise. Sometimes, they are relegated as a backdrop to borders and shoved back along the edges of the space. But including plenty of shrubs in our gardens is certainly a great step if we want to do the right thing for pollinators, and for a range of other wildlife.
To help you choose shrubs for your bee-friendly garden, here are some great options to consider:
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Berberis darwinii
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Broom
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Camellia
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Ceanothus (spring-flowering)
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Chaenomeles (Japanese quince)
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Daphnes
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Erica Carnea
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Forsythia
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Hebe
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Holly
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Mahonia (spring-flowering)
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Philadelphus
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Pieris japonica
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Rhododendron
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Ribes nirgum
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R. rubrum
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Ribes sanguineum
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R. ulva-crispa
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Skimmia japonica
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Viburnum
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Weigela
Herbaceous Perennials/ Bulbs With Spring Flowers for Bees
Trees and shrubs are, of course, not the only plants that you can place in your garden that will come back year after year. Many other herbaceous perennials, and bulbs, will also return each year over a number of year. And provide nectar for pollinators.
Some great options which bloom in the spring include:
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Allium ursinum (ramsons, ramps, wild garlic)
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Ajuga reptans
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Aquilegia vulgaris
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Armeria juniperifolia
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Aubretia
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Aurinia saxatilis
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Bergenia
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Bluebells
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Caltha palustris
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Comfrey
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Cow parsley
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Cowslip
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Cranesbills (Hardy Geraniums)
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Crocus
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Daisy
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Dandelion
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Erisymum
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Euphorbias
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Forget-me-not
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Fragraria vesca
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Fritillaria
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Gallium odoratum
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Germander speedwell
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Geum (Water avens)
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Greater stitchwort
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Harebells
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Hellebores (spring-flowering)
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Horseshoe vetch
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Iberis (Candytufts)
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Lamium
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Primula
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Pulmonaria
Biennials and Annuals For Spring Flowers
Perennials can be the staples and stalwarts of a bee-friendly garden. But annuals and biennials can fill gaps in planting schemes and make it easier to make sure that you always have flowers in bloom in your garden. Hardy annuals sown in autumn can be ready and flowering by May, taking over where spring flowering bulbs leave off. And plugging the gap in time before many summer blooms take over. Spring bedding plants can also be used for immediate effect.
Here are some options to consider:
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Alexanders
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Ammi majus
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Calendula officinalis
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California poppy
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Cerinthe major
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Cornflower
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Erisymum
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Lobelia
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Lunaria annua
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Pansy/ Viola
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Petunia
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Phlox (annual)
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Poppy
Of course, the options mentioned on this list are by no means the only options to consider. There are thousands of different plants that could benefit the bees in your area in some way. Choosing a wide range of native and non-native flowering plants is the best way to keep pollinators happy in your area.
Choosing Plants for Pollinators
When sowing and planting for bees, it is important to include as much biodiversity as possible. Of course, you should always grow organically, and avoid the use of all pesticides and herbicides. You should opt for single rather than double or multi-petalled blooms. And you should include flowers of different shapes and structures, to suit as wide a range of our native bees as possible.
Try to include flowers which are good nectary sources, and which can be accessed by different bee types – we may be most familiar with honey bees and bumble bees. But these are not the only bees that we should be protecting and making space for in our gardens. Bees are not the only pollinators either, of course. And we should always try to choose flowers to attract as many different pollinators and as much insect life and other wildlife as possible.
Remember, bees will also need a source of water. This means creating shallow water where they can drink safely during dry weather is another way to protect and nurture bees where you live. You can also think about creating a range of habitats and bee hotels for different solitary and hive species to live in. But creating a bee-friendly garden is mostly about what you plant, and the general health of the garden ecosystem. Which you can maintain through thoughtful organic gardening.
Which spring flowers have you included for bees and other pollinators in your garden? Let us know and share your own favourite flowers for bees in the comments below.
