Buy Bee-Friendly Plants for a Pollinator-Friendly Garden

Adding bee-friendly plants is one of the simplest ways to make your garden more useful to pollinators while adding color, texture, and seasonal interest. Bees rely on flowers for nectar and pollen, and gardens with a variety of bloom times can provide food across more of the growing season.

At Garden Crossings, you can buy bee-friendly plants across annuals, perennials, and native selections chosen for strong garden performance and pollinator appeal. Look for nectar-rich flowers, long bloom windows, and a mix of shapes and colors to create a planting that is attractive to both gardeners and visiting bees.

A close-up of a bee collecting nectar on a cluster of vibrant orange flowers, with a blurred green background.
Close-up of a vibrant Happy Face® Yellow Potentilla flower with five petals and central stamens, flanked by green leaves and an unopened bud - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A Happy Face® Yellow Potentilla, a low-maintenance plant, displays bright yellow flowers outdoors, with more greenery and blurred white blooms in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Happy Face® Yellow Potentilla

$22.99
$22.99

Close-up of Sombrero Poco™ Hot Pink Coneflower (Echinacea) with bright pink blooms, a dark central cone, lush green leaves, and multiple smaller buds at different growth stages - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.A cluster of Sombrero Poco™ Hot Pink Coneflower (Echinacea) blooms in the garden, displaying compact coneflowers with orange-brown centers and lush green foliage, bathed in sunlight with more flowers in the background - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulture, Inc.

Sombrero Poco™ Hot Pink Coneflower (Echinacea)

$18.99
$26.99 $18.99
Close-up of several blooming 'Purring Tiger' Siberian Iris with vibrant yellow petals marked by dark purple veins and centers, set against a blurred natural background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.A cluster of 'Purring Tiger' Siberian Iris blooms with purple and yellow petals and green stems grows in a mulched garden bed - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Purring Tiger' Siberian (Iris)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor Zinnia, a vibrant, drought-tolerant flower with yellow petals and red markings, surrounded by green leaves and similar bicolored blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor Zinnia flowers with pointed petals and lush green leaves. These drought-tolerant zinnias display vibrant red and yellow hues, making them a striking addition to any garden - - Photo Courtesy of Sakata Seed, Inc.

Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor Zinnia

$10.99
$10.99
Close-up of Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee' False Indigo (Baptisia) features compact, green-leaved plants with purple-tipped yellow flowers that thrive in bright sunlight - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A cluster of Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee' False Indigo (Baptisia) shows tall yellow and reddish-brown flower spikes above green foliage, with rocks and lush greenery in the landscaped garden background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Decadence® 'Cherries Jubilee' False Indigo (Baptisia)

$17.59
$21.99 $17.59

A bushy cluster of 'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox showcases vibrant lavender-pink blooms in full bloom outdoors, nestled in a mulched garden bed with green grass and shrubs in the background - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.Close-up of a cluster of vibrant lavender-pink flowers, 'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox displays five-petaled blooms densely packed amid lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Opening Act Romance' Hybrid Phlox

$19.99
$19.99

A close-up of a Happy Jack® Purple Clematis shows four large petals radiating from a yellow center amid green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A hand holds a vibrant Happy Jack® Purple Clematis bloom with five broad petals and a yellow center, surrounded by green leaves and potted plants in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Happy Jack® Purple Clematis

$22.99
$22.99

Top-down view of Black Lace® Elderberry (Sambucus) features small pink and white flowers blooming among dark purple, finely divided leaves, creating a striking contrast - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCThe Black Lace® Elderberry (Sambucus) features dark purple, finely cut leaves with bright green new growth at the tips. This shrub creates striking contrast in a garden among other plants and flowers. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Black Lace® Elderberry (Sambucus)

$22.99
$22.99

A close-up of the 'Jackmanii Superba' Clematis, a late-season bloomer with five rich purple petals and yellow stamens at its center, set against a softly blurred green background - Photo Courtesy of Donahue's Clematis

'Jackmanii Superba' Clematis

$23.99
$23.99

Señorita Blanca® Spider Flower (Cleome) blooms with long, white petals fills the frame. Many unopened blooms are also visible - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCA bushy Señorita Blanca® Spider Flower (Cleome) with small white blooms in a garden scene - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Señorita Blanca® Spider Flower (Cleome)

$10.99
$10.99

Close-up of 'Pardon My Rose' Bee Balm (Monarda), a deer-resistant perennial with bright pink, spiky tubular petals, blooms among lush green leaves, with a few white flowers visible in the blurred background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of ‘Pardon My Rose’ Bee Balm (Monarda) blooms in bright pink clusters with spiky, tubular petals and dark green foliage. Several unopened buds are mixed among the open blooms - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

'Pardon My Rose' Bee Balm (Monarda)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium) blooms with lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc.A brown pot holds vibrant Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium) flowers and lush green leaves - Photo Courtesy of Ball Horticulure, Inc. Decorative pot not included.

Solera™ Dark Red Zonal Geranium (Pelargonium)

$11.99
$11.99
Shadowland® 'Wheee!' Hosta is a ruffled shade perennial with variegated leaves—light green edges and dark green centers - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Cluster of green ruffled hostas, including Shadowland® 'Wheee!' Hosta with its tightly curled leaves, growing in mulched soil against a backdrop of evergreen shrubs - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

Shadowland® 'Wheee!' Hosta

$17.59
$21.99 $17.59

A cluster of small, white-pink flowers with delicate petals blooms amid dark burgundy foliage on the Ginger Wine® Ninebark (Physocarpus) shrub. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose-up of Ginger Wine® Ninebark (Physocarpus), a flowering shrub with healthy burgundy foliage and clusters of smaller, bright red new leaves at the center, creating striking contrast. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Ginger Wine® Ninebark (Physocarpus)

$22.99
$22.99

My Monet® Weigela is a flowering shrub with green and white variegated foliage, featuring clusters of trumpet-shaped pink-purple blooms - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCMy Monet® Weigela, a dense flowering shrub with green leaves edged in white and pink, grows outdoors among rocks and other plants. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

My Monet® Weigela

$22.99
$22.99

Dense clusters of pink-purple flowers from drought-tolerant Rock 'N Round® 'Popstar' Stonecrop (Sedum) spill over a cracked concrete border, with green leaves and more blooms in the background - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.A dense mound of small pink and purple flowers from Rock 'N Round® 'Popstar' Stonecrop (Sedum) blooms in a garden bed, showing off its drought-tolerant perennial beauty, with mulch, soil, and edging visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Rock 'N Round® 'Popstar' Stonecrop (Sedum)

$18.99
$18.99
A close-up of the vibrant pink 'Kilian Donahue' Clematis, a repeat bloomer with six white-edged petals and cream stamens, set against softly blurred green leaves and soil - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.The 'Kilian Donahue' Clematis features vibrant purple and magenta six-petaled blooms with white centers, green leaves, and buds - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.

'Kilian Donahue' Clematis

$20.99
$20.99
Three Garlic' Chives (Allium) potted plants feature tall green stalks and clusters of small white flowers, displayed on a wooden surface in a garden with other plants and a green lattice fence behind - Photo Courtesy of Burpee.

Garlic' Chives (Allium)

$9.99
$9.99
A close-up of the Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), displaying its dark purple-black petals and bright yellow-green center, gently held by a person's fingers among green leaves in a shade garden - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus) with dark purple blooms and pale yellow stamens, showcased among green leaves in a shady garden - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Honeymoon® 'New York Night' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99
Close-up of a tall cluster of vibrant 'Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium, a striking purple perennial, blooms brilliantly against a soft-focus green cut flower garden background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.Tall spikes of vibrant blue Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium bloom in the garden amid green foliage, a wood fence and house visible in the background - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

'Pagan Purples' Hybrid Bee Delphinium

$18.99
$18.99

Clusters of small white flowers bloom among the bright chartreuse foliage of the Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spiraea creating a vibrant and lush appearance in this close-up image. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClusters of small white flowers with yellow centers appear among chartreuse foliage on the Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spiraea - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Glow Girl® Birchleaf Spiraea

$22.99
$22.99
Bluebird Nemesia displays clusters of vibrant blue-purple flowers with white centers in the foreground, while a blurred mix of orange and white blooms adds colorful contrast in this garden scene - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Bluebird Nemesia features clusters of small blue-purple flowers with yellow and white centers, densely packed for a vibrant display - Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners, Inc.

Bluebird Nemesia

$10.99
$10.99
A close-up of pale green and white Invincibelle Sublime™ Smooth Hydrangea blooms, a striking flowering shrub, set among lush green leaves. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLCClose=-up of large clusters of pale green Invincibelle Sublime™ Smooth Hydrangea flowers bloom amid dark green leaves in bright sunlight, adding vibrant color and lush beauty to your garden with this stunning flowering shrub. - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC

Invincibelle Sublime™ Smooth Hydrangea

$23.99
$23.99
A hand gently holds a blooming Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), showcasing deep purple, double-layered petals, pale yellow stamens, and green leaves - Photo Property of Garden Crossings LLC.Close-up of Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus), featuring deep purple-black layered petals, striking yellow stamens, and lush green foliage - Photo Courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.

Wedding Party® 'Dark and Handsome' Lenten Rose (Helleborus)

$18.99
$18.99

Purple allium flowers blooming as bee-friendly plants for pollinators

What Are the Best Plants for Bees?

Some of the best plants for bees provide generous nectar or pollen and bloom for an extended period. Catmint, bee balm, lavender, allium, salvia, and other flowering plants are all represented in Garden Crossings’ bee-friendly collections.

For longer-lasting structure, browse our bee-friendly perennials. You can also explore native plants when you want varieties that can support native pollinators and other wildlife.

When choosing bee-loving plants, match them to your garden’s actual conditions. Sun exposure, soil moisture, mature size, and hardiness all matter just as much as flower color.

Pink salvia flowers blooming as bee-friendly plants for pollinators

Create a Garden Bees Can Visit All Season

If you’re wondering what plants attract bees, start by choosing several flowering varieties with overlapping bloom periods. A garden that offers something in spring, summer, and fall is generally more useful than one that flowers all at once.

You don’t need to redesign your entire yard. Even a small grouping of bee-friendly plants in an existing border or container can add valuable forage.

FAQs

Bees are drawn to many nectar- and pollen-rich flowers, including lavender, bee balm, catmint, salvia, and allium. Different bee species have different preferences, so plant diversity is helpful.

Both can be useful. Annuals can provide abundant seasonal color, while perennials return year after year when suited to your growing zone.

Yes. Native plants can be especially valuable because many native pollinators evolved alongside them.