What can you plant to support honeybees, bumblebees and other insects all year round? Remember they need forage early and late in the year, not just in summer!

  • Sprays of ivy flowers with a bee foraging on them, and dark green shiny leaves wet with rain in the background
  • A honey bee sticking out of a white snowdrop flower, with other snowdrops surrounding it. The snowdrops are white with green frills.
  • A close up of a bright yellow dandelion flower in sunshine
  • Yellow gorse flowers with spiky grey green gorse leaves surrounding them
  • White starry flowers of wild garlic in closeup

Here are 12 plants that honey bees like to forage on in the UK, sorted by flowering order from January to December:

  1. Celandine (January-February)
  2. Crocus (February-April)
  3. Willow (March-April)
  4. Apple Blossom (April)
  5. Hawthorn (May)
  6. Foxglove (June-September)
  7. Lavender (June-August)
  8. Borage (June-September)
  9. Oregano (June-August)
  10. Heather (July-November)
  11. Ivy (September-October)
  12. Mahonia (November-March)

When planning a bee-friendly garden, it’s important to include a variety of flower shapes and sizes to cater to different bee species. Single, open flowers are generally best as they provide easy access to nectar and pollen. Tubular flowers like foxgloves are favored by long-tongued bees, while flat or shallow flowers like those of the Apiaceae family (e.g. fennel, dill) are ideal for short-tongued bees and other pollinators. Composite flowers like daisies and sunflowers offer landing platforms and multiple florets for efficient foraging. Including a mix of annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees will ensure a diverse and continuous food source for bees throughout the seasons