Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, happy in clay and loam soil and flowering in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Maine · Zones 3–6
Native Plants for Bees in Maine
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 Maine and the wider flora of the Northeast and hardy through zones 3–6 — proven performers for Maine's cool, short summers climate across Acadian forest & coastal lowlands, not a generic list. Local standouts include Great Blue Lobelia and Foamflower. 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
45 native species for Maine
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–6 · see this collection in other states.
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees — happy in loam soil, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, bright gold flowers and flowering from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds — 12–18 in tall, blooming from Apr to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; for clay and loam ground, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, for sand, rocky, and loam ground and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees; 3–5 ft tall, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — 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
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; spreading 15–25 ft, it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, 15–25 ft tall and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; happy in clay and loam soil, it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — 1.5–2 ft wide, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
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, cold-hardy to zone 3 and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, magenta flowers and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
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, cold-hardy to zone 3 and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; sky blue flowers, it blooms Mar through May.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms Mar–May
Foxglove Beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — reaching 2–4 ft, blooming in May and Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, white candelabra flowers and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Serviceberry
Amelanchier canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — 15–25 ft tall, blooming in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; for loam ground, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, for clay and loam ground and flowering in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Golden Alexanders
Zizia aurea
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, hardy in zones 3–8 and flowering from Apr to Jun.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies — hardy in zones 3–9, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
21 more also qualify: Short-Toothed Mountain Mint, Butterfly Weed, Arrowwood Viburnum, Black-Eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, Scarlet Beebalm, Common Yarrow, Anise Hyssop, Common Milkweed, Wild Lupine, Bearberry, Blue Vervain, Creeping Phlox, Common Boneset, American Elderberry, Fragrant Sumac, Ninebark, New Jersey Tea, Red-Twig Dogwood, Spicebush, Inkberry Holly.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Maine
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.