The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. Every species here is genuinely native to Georgia and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–9 — proven performers for Georgia's humid subtropical climate across Piedmont, Blue Ridge & Coastal Plain, not a generic list. Local standouts include Eastern Redbud and Arrowwood Viburnum. 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.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–9 · see this collection in other states.
Cercis canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; for clay, rocky, and loam ground, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
Viburnum dentatum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, for clay and loam ground and flowering in May and Jun.
Lobelia siphilitica
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — deep blue flowers, blooming in Aug and Sep.
Coreopsis lanceolata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, bright gold flowers and flowering from May to Jul.
Hydrangea quercifolia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; reaching 4–8 ft, it blooms May through Jul.
Veronicastrum virginicum
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — cold-hardy to zone 3, blooming from Jun to Aug.
Amelanchier canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 15–25 ft and flowering in Apr and May.
Liatris spicata
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — magenta flowers, blooming in Jul and Aug.
Liatris pycnostachya
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, spreading 1–2 ft and flowering in Jul and Aug.
Asclepias tuberosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, 12–18 in wide and flowering from Jun to Aug.
Monarda didyma
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — hardy in zones 4–9, blooming in Jul and Aug.
Dicentra eximia
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, spreading 12–18 in and flowering from Apr to Aug.
Callicarpa americana
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, reaching 4–7 ft and flowering in Jun and Jul.
Solidago speciosa
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; 1.5–2 ft wide, it flowers in Sep and Oct.
Cornus florida
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; 15–25 ft wide, it flowers in Apr and May.
Aquilegia canadensis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; for rocky and loam ground, it blooms Apr through Jun.
Mertensia virginica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; spreading 12–18 in, it blooms Mar through May.
Rudbeckia hirta
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, for sand, clay, and loam ground and flowering from Jun to Sep.
Zizia aurea
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; happy in clay and loam soil, it blooms Apr through Jun.
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; good through zone 9, it blooms Jun through Aug.
Monarda fistulosa
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies; 1.5–2 ft wide, it blooms Jun through Aug.
Echinacea purpurea
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; for clay, rocky, and loam ground, it blooms Jun through Sep.
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — for clay and loam ground, blooming in Sep and Oct.
Eutrochium maculatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; mauve-pink flowers, it blooms Jul through Sep.
26 more also qualify: Obedient Plant, Foamflower, Cup Plant, Crossvine, Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Smooth Hydrangea, Woodland Phlox, Common Yarrow, Swamp Milkweed, Winterberry, Foxglove Beardtongue, Wild Geranium, Aromatic Aster, New Jersey Tea, Spicebush, Creeping Phlox, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed, Ninebark, American Elderberry, Fragrant Sumac, Blue Vervain, Wild Lupine, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Inkberry Holly.
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.