Design

Trees for Bees and Other Pollinators

Bees and other pollinators are essential for growing many fruits and vegetables. However, their survival is threatened by parasites and lack of forage. Trees provide crucial pollen and nectar that support bee health and honey production.

close up of a bee in an apple tree blossom

Maples, Acer sp.

This large family of deciduous trees ranges from tall giants like red maple, Acer rubrum, to smaller specimens like Japanese maple, Acer palmatum. The flowers are generally not showy. Most have great fall color.

Serviceberry, Amelanchier sp.

These small American native trees are best adapted to cold winter areas. White to pink spring flowers appear before the leaves, which turn fiery shades in fall. They also produce edible fruit that is used to make jams and jellies and is loved by birds.

Koelreuteria, Koelreuteria sp.

This lovely shade tree features large clusters of yellow flowers in summer followed by Japanese lantern-like seed capsules that hang long into fall. Divided leaves turn yellow in fall. One variety is the goldenraintree.

Fruit trees

Many types of trees including plums, apples, crabapples, peaches, and pears are good food sources for bees. Varieties come in fruiting and fruitless types. Many fruiting varieties need bees to produce fruit. Most of these will flower in the spring.

Crapemyrtle, Lagerstroemia sp.

The intensely colorful flowers of the crapemyrtle appear late spring through summer and come in many shades including white, pink, red, and purple. Leaves turn bright yellow, orange, or red in autumn. Peeling bark reveals a smooth, cinnamon-brown trunk.

Liquidambar, Liquidambar sp.

These large, upright trees provide beautiful fall color. The flowers are inconspicuous but still attract bees. One variety is the American sweetgum.

Black tupelo, Nyssa sylvatica

A fine specimen native to eastern states, this shade tree offers glorious fall color. The flowers are not showy but make prized honey.

Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum

This prized eastern native has striking, long white clusters of fragrant flowers in spring followed by interesting seed capsules that dangle into winter. Its leaves turn fiery shades of orange to scarlet or purplish in fall.

Black locust, Robinia pseudoacacia

Clusters of fragrant white flowers appear in late spring on this locust, with beautiful yellow color in the fall. This species is not a good garden tree, as it reseeds heavily and has brittle wood. A better place for it is out-of-the-way areas like hedge rows.

Linden. Tilia sp.

This tree blooms late spring into summer with small, yellowish-white, fragrant flowers. Both the silver linden and littleleaf linden are great examples of this species.

Other trees that provide food for pollinators include hawthorns (Crataegus sp.), tuliptrees (Liriodendron tulipifera), southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora), privets (Ligustrum), and many additional natives.

If you are a homeowner who chooses to use pesticides, please take additional steps to help keep pollinators healthy. Do not apply pesticides when pollinators are active and always follow label instructions carefully.

Please Note: Place trees carefully if family members are allergic to bees.

^{Information provided April 2015, courtesy of the Bayer Advanced Healthy Trees for Life initiative. Bayer®, the Bayer Cross® and Bayer Advanced™ are trademarks of Bayer.}