Garden Plan to Attract Wisconsin Native Bees
This guide features regional native plants for the Great Lakes that are highly
attractive to pollinators and are well-suited to small-scale plantings in gardens,
on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces and farm field borders.
These plants are particularly attractive to native bees and honey bees.
In planning your garden, be sure to have something blooming all season so
there is always a food source for bees. Dandelions and clover provide early
sources for bees if you don’t mind having them in your greenspace.
See the KEY at the bottom for details on the 'Soil' and 'Moisture' codes.
EARLY
|
Black Cherry Tree
|
Elymus virginicus |
White |
50-80' |
|
L |
M |
Downy Serviceberry
|
Amelanchier arborea |
White |
15-25' |
|
L |
M |
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
|
Coreopsis Lancelata |
Yellow |
3' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
Lupine
|
Lupinis perennis |
Blue |
3' |
|
S |
D |
Pussy Willow Tree
|
Salix discolor |
White |
10-20' |
|
L,S,C |
O,W |
Smooth Penstemon
|
Penstemon digitalis |
White |
3' |
|
L,C S |
M,O |
Shooting Star
|
Dodecatheon meadia |
Pink, Violet |
2' |
|
L,C,S |
D |
MID
|
Common Milkweed
|
Asclepias syriaca |
Purple |
2-4' |
|
L,S,C |
D, M |
False Indigo
|
Baptisia australis |
Blue |
3-5' |
|
L,S,C |
D,M |
Great Blue Lobelia
|
Lobelia siphilitica |
Blue |
1-3' |
|
L,S,C |
M,O |
Leadplant
|
Amorpha canescens |
Purple |
2-3' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
Pale Purple Coneflower
|
Echinacea pallida |
Purple |
3-5' |
|
D,M |
L,C, S |
Swamp Milkweed
|
Asclepias incarnata |
Red, Pink |
3-5' |
|
L,S,C |
M,O |
Wild Blue Phlox
| Phlox divaricata |
Blue |
1-2' |
|
L,C,S |
M,O |
Wild Geranium
|
Geranium maculatum |
Lavender |
1-2' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
MID-LATE
|
Bergamot
|
Mondarda fistulosa |
Purple |
4' |
|
L,S,C |
D,M,O |
Black-eyed Susan
|
Rudbeckia hirta |
Yellow |
3' |
|
L,S,C |
D,M,O |
Butterflyweed
|
Ascelepias tuberosa |
Orange |
2-3' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
Cupplant
|
Silphium perfoliatum |
Yellow |
5-10' |
|
L,C,S |
M,O,W |
Dogtooth Daisy
|
Helenium autumnale |
Yellow |
4-5' |
|
L,C,S |
O,W |
Spotted Beebalm
|
Monarda punctata |
Purple |
1-2' |
|
S,R |
D |
Lavender Hyssop
|
Agastache foeniculum |
Purple |
1-3' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
Prairie Blazing Star
|
Liatris pycnostachya |
Purple |
3-5' |
|
L,S,C |
M,O |
Purple Prairie Clover
|
Dalea purpurea |
Purple |
1-2' |
|
L,C,S |
D,M |
Rattlesnake Master
|
Eryngium yucciforium |
White |
4' |
|
L, S |
D,M |
Sweet Joe Pye Weed
|
Eupatorium purpureum |
Pink |
7' |
|
L,C,S |
D,M |
Wingstem
|
Verbesina alternifolia |
Yellow |
6' |
|
L |
M |
LATE
|
Closed Bottle Gentian
|
Gentiana andrewsii |
Blue |
2' |
|
L,C,S |
O,W |
Calico Aster
|
Symphyotrichum lateriflorium |
White |
2-3' |
|
L,C,S |
M,O |
Field thistle
|
Cirsium discolor |
Purple |
6' |
|
L |
D,M |
New England Aster
|
Symphyotrichum
novae-angliae |
Purple |
6' |
|
L,C,S |
M,O |
Showy Goldenrod
|
Solidago speciosa |
Yellow |
5' |
|
L,S |
D,M |
SOIL:
L = Loam
C = Clay
S = Sandy
R = Rocky
MOISTURE:
D = Dry
M = Medium
O = Moist
W = Wet