NEW! The Bee Lovers Garden Kit This plant kit is a collection curated to support native bees with plenty of nectar and pollen from June through September. The Colors range from white, to pink, purple and yellow, and mature heights range from 18" to 6'. The plants should all do well in full to partial sun, and soil with average moisture levels. You will enjoy watching bee antics all summer long!
The majority of Michigan native bees don't live in colonies at all. Most of them are solitary and nest in the ground or overwinter in the left over flower or grass stalks in your garden. Native bees rarely sting anybody, only if accidentally stepped on or grabbed. Many of them don't even have stingers. They are generally peaceful creatures who are just trying to live a good life.
Did you know that honeybees are exotic bees, not native, and that they are considered to be livestock? Only 4% of bees in the world produce honey. Honeybees do have some environmental challenges, but unlike native bees they are unlikely to be missing out on native habitat to support their life cycle. The plants in this kit provide native habitat for native bees--but if a honeybee stops by they'll benefit too!
Design and Planting Tips:
- Prepare your garden site (follow the link for details as well as information about plant spacing)
- A location with full sun to partial shade, and moderate soil moisture is ideal for this grouping
- Group plants of the same species together
- Consider the height of each plant. Position taller plants at the back and shorter plants at the front
- Allow approx. 1 sq ft per plant; 14-20 sq ft plot = 4' x 5'; 3' x 6'; etc.
Kit Contents:
7 varieties, with 2 or 3 of each (16 total plants), all listed below with details. An image of each plant can be found to the left, pictured in the order listed:
2- Beardtongue Foxglove
2- Beebalm
2- Mountain Mint
3- Nodding Wild Onion
2- Riddell's Goldenrod
3- Turtlehead
2- Yellow Giant Hyssop
Beardtongue Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry
Height: 2' to 4'
Bloom Time: June, July
Bloom Color: White to pink
Resistant To: Deer, Drought, Black Walnut
Pollinator benefits: Excellent nectar source for butterflies, native bees and hummingbirds; The tubular flowers of this plant attract native long-tongued bees, including honeybees, bumblebees, Miner bees, Mason bees
Beebalm or Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Dry to Medium-Wet
Soil Type: Thrives in a wide range of soils: acid to lime, rich to poor, sand to clay
Height: 4'
Bloom Time: July through September
Bloom Color: Lavender, pink
Resistance: Deer, Drought, Black Walnut
Attracts: Butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, birds
Pollinator benefit: Excellent nectar source
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil type: Moist, calcerous soils
Height: 1'-3'
Bloom Time: July - August
Bloom Color: White
Attracts: Pollinators love this plant! Seed heads attract birds in fall and winter
Pollinator Benefit: Excellent for native bees, honey bees, and bumblebees; great nectar source for butterflies
Nodding Wild Onion (Allium cernuum)
Sun Exposure: Full, Partial
Soil Moisture: Medium, Medium-Dry
Height: 18"
Bloom Time: July, August
Bloom Color: Light pink to purple
Resistant: Deer, drought, black walnut, shallow-rocky soil
Attracts: Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds
Pollinator Benefit: Great nectar source, recognized as good for native bees
Riddell's Goldenrod (Solidago riddellii)
Sun Exposure: Full Sun to Partial
Soil Moisture: Dry, Moist, Wet,
Soil Type: Sandy, Rocky & Clay Soils, Well-Drained
Height: 3'–4'
Bloom Time: August–October
Bloom Color: Yellow
Deer: Resistant
Tolerates: Salt, Wet & Shade
Drought: Moderately resistant
Attracts: Butterflies, native bees, birds
Pollinator Benefit: Late season nectar source; value to native bees for pollen and nesting materials; migrating Monarchs
Turtlehead (Chelone glabra)
Sun Exposure: Full, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist, Wet
Height: 1-4'
Bloom Time: July, August, September
Bloom Color: White, pink
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Pollinator Benefit: Larval Host for Baltimore Checkerboard Butterfly
Yellow Giant Hyssop (Agastache nepetoides)
Sun Exposure - Full, Partial
Soil Moisture - Medium, well drained soil
Height - Up to 6'
Bloom time - July-September
Bloom Color - Green, White, Cream, Lemon-yellow
Tolerance - Drought, poor soils
Attracts - Butterflies, native bees
Pollinator Benefit - Xerces Society: Special Value to Bumble Bees; Special Value to Native Bees (Recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.) Supports Conservation Biological Control (A plant that attracts predatory or parasitoid insects that prey upon pest insects.)