11 Bee Friendly Plants

Spring
1. Thrift (Armeria maritima): Bright pink clusters of flowers make this a welcome addition to any garden. It does particularly well in dry, sandy soil.
2. Chives (Allium shoenoprasum): Easy to grow, great in salads, chives produce purple flowers in spring that will bring bees flocking to your vegetable patch.
3. Bugloss (Brunnera): This early perennial produces bright blue flowers in April that continue for several weeks. Give it a shady spot and keep it watered in summer.
Summer
4. Rose (Rosa): Who doesn't love a rose? Keeping your garden rosy is a sure-fire way to please the bees.
5. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea): A good choice for those shadier spots in your garden, the foxglove's bells provide a welcoming space for bees in the summertime.
6. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida): A great pop of colour that lasts throughout August and September, this summer perennial produces s bright clump of blooms, highly-addictive to bees.
Fall
7. Helen's Flower (Helenium autumnale): Make sure you water this tall plant plentifully and it will reward you with beautiful daises case in yellow, gold and rusty reds.
8. Autumn Joy (Sedum var): This compact perennial will give you the most bloom for your buck, beginning in mid-July and continuing until the first frost lands.
9. Bluebeard (Caryopteris x clandonensis): A real bee favourite, this low growing shrub likes dry, sunny spot.
Winter
10. Christmas Rose (Helleborus orientalis): Blooming from January to April, this evergreen perennial performs well in shady sites.
11. Oregon Grape (Mahonia): Growing six to eight feet tall, this evergreen shrub blooms as early as January through March, giving your winter garden an attractive splash of colour — and the bees a warm winter welcome.

​source: CBC