Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 5–8 ft and flowering from Aug to Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Kansas · Zones 5–7
Native Plants for Bees in Kansas
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Kansas, the right natives are shaped by Flint Hills & mixedgrass prairie and a continental, windy, semi-arid west climate. Every species below, from Maximilian Sunflower and Aromatic Aster to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Kansas and the wider flora of the Great Plains and hardy through zones 5–7. 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
42 native species for Kansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 5–7 · see this collection in other states.
Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; sky blue flowers, it blooms Sep through Nov.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; vivid orange flowers, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — spreading 1–2 ft, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — 12–18 in wide, blooming in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — red & yellow flowers, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Prairie Smoke
Geum triflorum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it; reaching 6–16 in, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 6–16 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; pink flowers, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — 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
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, reaching 1–2.5 ft and flowering from Jun to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, yellow flowers and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, 10–20 ft wide and flowering in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, 3–5 ft tall and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — for clay and loam ground, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies; 1.5–2 ft wide, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, white (wild form) flowers and flowering from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; purple-magenta flowers, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, good through zone 9 and flowering from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, for clay and loam ground and flowering from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — for clay, rocky, and loam ground, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — spreading 1.5–2 ft, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–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 — golden plumes flowers, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 1.5–3 ft, it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
18 more also qualify: Dense Blazing Star, Purple Coneflower, Pasque Flower, New England Aster, Swamp Milkweed, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, New Jersey Tea, American Elderberry, Red-Twig Dogwood, Compass Plant, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Boneset, Rattlesnake Master, Purple Prairie Clover, Ninebark, Common Milkweed, Showy Milkweed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Kansas
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.