Best Bee Plants for California
Although plants aren't the only factor that contribute to attracting pollinators (see our Seasonal Bee Gardening page), bees certainly have preferences for some more than others. We've compiled lists of our favorite Spring and Summer bee plants to grow in California, as well as a more extensive (but still not all-encompassing) PDF below.
The following lists are based on several years of evaluation and survey work done in Northern and Southern California by our UC research group. Plants are presented seasonally, and in alphabetical order. Below, you will find the list for the plants, organized first by spring and then by summer, as well as a key to the shorthand used for bee groups/species in the table.
To download your own copy of this PDF please click below.
| ubg_master_list.pdf |
To find a plant that falls into a specific category, use the search bar to filter by a term, putting the term(s) in quotation marks. For example, to get a list of plants that are all California natives, enter "CA " into the search bar. For a list of plants that are all California natives and annuals, enter "CA " "Ann " to the search bar.
