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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFlowers that attract bees include columbine, phlox, milkweed, bee balm, coneflower, asters and many others. The best choices depend on your local climate, soil, moisture and sunlight: a flower recommended for New York or Colorado may not be native or easy to grow where you live. Use the 25 regionally labeled examples below as a starting point, then check your cooperative extension or a native plant nursery before buying seeds or plants.
How to use this list
This is a practical collection of candidates from U.S. extension guidance, not a ranking of the 25 easiest flowers for every North American garden. Most of the first 18 examples come from Cornell Cooperative Extension advice for New York; the final seven are Colorado examples from Colorado State University Extension. Their regional labels matter: confirm native status and growing requirements for your location before planting. See Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Albany County pollinator guidance and Colorado State University Extension’s native bee garden guidance.
Bloom periods below are approximate where stated by Cornell and can shift with local weather. Several other entries are included in regional extension lists without a specific bloom window in the cited guidance, so check local plant labels or extension advice for timing.
18 flowers from New York extension guidance
Cornell’s New York recommendations include flowers spanning spring through fall. The spring, summer and fall groupings here follow the approximate bloom periods listed by Cornell; annual zinnia is included in its pollinator plant list without a bloom period specified here.
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- Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) — approximate New York bloom: April–May.
- Wild blue phlox (Phlox divaricata) — approximate New York bloom: April–June.
- Violets (Viola spp.) — approximate New York bloom: April–May.
- Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) — approximate New York bloom: April–June.
- Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia) — approximate New York bloom: April–June.
- Wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) — approximate New York bloom: April–July.
- Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) — Cornell lists butterfly weed and other milkweeds; approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Blazing star (Liatris spicata) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Bee balm (Monarda didyma) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Perennial sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Purple giant hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis) — approximate New York bloom: July–August.
- New England and New York asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) — approximate New York bloom: September–October.
- Annual zinnia (Zinnia elegans) — listed by Cornell as a pollinator plant; check local planting guidance for timing and suitability.
These names and bloom windows are drawn from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Albany County and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Monroe County. The species listed by a regional extension service should not be read as a guarantee that every species suits every site.
7 additional Colorado examples
Colorado State University Extension groups pollinator plants by early, mid and late season and includes the following examples. These are Colorado recommendations, not a universal planting list; verify local conditions and native status elsewhere.
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- Blue flax — a Colorado extension example; check local guidance for site and bloom details.
- Pasque flower — a Colorado extension example; check local guidance for site and bloom details.
- Penstemons — Colorado extension lists these among bee-attracting flowers; suitable species and conditions vary.
- Yarrow — included in Colorado guidance; confirm which varieties suit your region.
- Rocky Mountain bee plant — a Colorado example, not a recommendation for every climate.
- Goldenrod — included in Colorado guidance; choose a locally appropriate species.
- Rabbitbrush — a Colorado example; check regional planting advice before choosing it.
Colorado State Extension also identifies flowering trees—including fruit trees, linden, willows and black locust—as bee forage. Those are additional options, not part of the 25-flower count, and tree suitability depends on the site.
How to choose flowers bees can use
Match the plant to the site
Before choosing species, check how much sun the planting area gets, how quickly its soil drains and how much moisture it receives. Extension recommendations can be region-specific even within one state: UF/IFAS divides its Florida plant advice among northern, central and southern Florida, and notes that most of its recommended plants prefer full sun while some tolerate partial shade. Use its Florida native-bee landscape guidance as Florida-specific advice, not a template for other climates.
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Choose accessible flowers, not just attractive ones
Flowers with accessible pollen and nectar are more useful to bees than blooms selected for appearance alone. UF/IFAS notes that flat flowers and flowers with short-to-medium tubes are accessible to many native bees; bees with shorter tongues may struggle to reach nectar in long tubes. Avoid pollen-free varieties, which do not provide pollen. Cornell and UF/IFAS also caution that some double-flowered or hybrid ornamental forms may offer less accessible pollen or nectar than simpler forms.
Plan for a succession of blooms
Combine plants that flower at different points in the growing season so the garden does not depend on one short bloom period. Cornell’s New York examples include spring columbine and phlox, summer milkweed, bee balm and coneflower, and fall asters. The calendar shifts with region and weather, so check local bloom timing rather than assuming New York dates apply elsewhere.
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Plant in patches and include variety
Several plants of one kind together can make a patch easier for bees to find than isolated single flowers. Cornell recommends drifts of at least three plants per species. UF/IFAS recommends at least ten flowering species overall, with three or more species blooming at any point during the growing season. These are extension recommendations, not guarantees of a particular bee response.
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- Check local plant advice. Consult your cooperative extension or a native plant nursery for species suited to your region and site.
- Map sun and moisture. Note which areas get full sun or partial shade and whether the soil stays wet or drains quickly; use that information to narrow the plant choices.
- Choose a mix of bloom times. Select locally appropriate plants that flower at different points in the growing season.
- Plant in groups. Use patches rather than isolated plants, and follow the plant label or seed-packet directions for spacing and planting.
- Pick a scale you can manage. A pollinator garden can be a container, a small bed, a mixed vegetable garden or a whole yard. Cornell notes that starting from seed can be budget-friendly but may take a few seasons, while plugs or established plants can establish and flower sooner.
For seeds, a regional native wildflower mix can be an option, but read the species list and site requirements before buying. The Xerces Society says pollinator mixes vary in composition and requirements; most need full sun and average drainage. Check that the mix is intended for your region and that its seed has not been treated with systemic insecticides. See Xerces Society guidance on pollinator conservation seed mixes.
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Protect bees beyond the flowers
Reduce pesticide exposure
Avoid pesticide use in and around the garden, especially on flowering plants. UF/IFAS advises choosing seeds or transplants that have not been treated with systemic insecticides such as neonicotinoids, which may persist in plants and occur in pollen or nectar.
Leave some nesting habitat
Flowers provide food, but native bees also need places to nest. Colorado State Extension describes sunny, undisturbed, unmulched soil for ground-nesting bees, as well as hollow stems or existing tunnels for cavity nesters. It also suggests a shallow water dish with pebbles. Leave some suitable soil uncovered and avoid landscape fabric in habitat areas; the extension’s general nesting proportions describe native bees globally, not the exact mix in every local garden.
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