Douglas Aster
Symphyotrichum subspicatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; for clay and loam ground, it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
- Home
- By state
- California
- For bees
California · Zones 5–10
Native Plants for Bees in California
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For California, the right natives are shaped by Coast Ranges, Central Valley & Sierra Nevada and a Mediterranean, summer-dry climate. Every species below, from Douglas Aster and Desert Willow to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to California and hardy through zones 5–10. Most of our native bees are solitary and unfussy, but they depend on a steady supply of pollen-rich, single (not double) flowers. Open daisy and umbel shapes are easiest for short-tongued bees, while tubular flowers reward the long-tongued bumblebees. Skip pesticides entirely and leave some bare, undisturbed ground and pithy stems where ground- and stem-nesting bees raise their young.
The plants
23 native species for California
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–10 · see this collection in other states.
Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, cold-hardy to zone 7 and flowering from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; for sand, rocky, and loam ground, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Desert Marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, hardy in zones 7–11 and flowering from Mar to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Oct
Firecracker Penstemon
Penstemon eatonii
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — 12–18 in wide, blooming from Mar to May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Rocky Mountain Penstemon
Penstemon strictus
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — deep blue-purple flowers, blooming from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Gregg's Mistflower
Conoclinium greggii
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — powder blue flowers, blooming from May to Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Oct
Red-Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — 5–9 ft tall, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 5–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Western Columbine
Aquilegia formosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, good through zone 8 and flowering from Apr to Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jul
Autumn Sage
Salvia greggii
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — for sand, rocky, and loam ground, blooming from Apr to Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Apr–Oct
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — hardy in zones 6–10, blooming from Mar to Jun.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 8–18 in
- Blooms Mar–Jun
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, good through zone 9 and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — 1.5–3 ft tall, blooming from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 1–2.5 ft, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
California Lilac
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, blooming from Mar to May.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–20 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Apache Plume
Fallugia paradoxa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees; hardy in zones 5–9, it blooms Apr through Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Apr–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies — yellow, maroon center flowers, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; bright yellow flowers, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Sun to shade
- Dry–average
- 3–6 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Hairy Manzanita
Arctostaphylos columbiana
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and flowering from Mar to May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 3–9 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — hardy in zones 2–6, blooming in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; hardy in zones 7–10, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 8–15 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Red-Twig Dogwood
Cornus sericea
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; 6–9 ft tall, it flowers in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–9 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — 2–4 ft tall, blooming in Jun and Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Sourcing
Where to find these in California
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.