Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 1.5–2.5 ft and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Florida · Zones 8–11
Native Plants for Bees in Florida
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Florida, the right natives are shaped by Florida flatwoods, scrub & subtropical south and a subtropical to tropical, wet summers climate. Every species below, from Butterfly Weed and Flowering Dogwood to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Florida and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 8–11. 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
49 native species for Florida
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 8–11 · see this collection in other states.
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies — reaching 15–25 ft, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; good through zone 9, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — royal purple flowers, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; good through zone 8, it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, hardy in zones 3–8 and flowering from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, happy in sand, clay, rocky, and loam soil and flowering from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — 5–10 ft tall, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; for clay and loam ground, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; reaching 4–7 ft, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees — for loam ground, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — for clay and loam ground, blooming from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees; 4–8 ft wide, it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; 12–18 in wide, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 5–8 ft, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — 12–18 in wide, blooming from Apr to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, lavender-blue flowers and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — 1.5–2.5 ft tall, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; white domes flowers, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, white, red berries flowers and flowering in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 20–30 ft tall and flowering in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, spreading 6–10 ft and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; reaching 4–7 ft, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, reaching 2–4 ft and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
25 more also qualify: Aromatic Aster, Prairie Blazing Star, Wild Bergamot, Swamp Milkweed, Wild Columbine, Purple Coneflower, Virginia Bluebells, Serviceberry, Culver's Root, Obedient Plant, Dense Blazing Star, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Foxglove Beardtongue, Wild Lupine, Creeping Phlox, Rattlesnake Master, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Stiff Goldenrod, Spicebush, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, New Jersey Tea, Blue Vervain, Inkberry Holly.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Florida
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.