Bourdon commun de l'Est

Bombus impatiens

Tomato flowers are buzz-pollinated — pollen is released by the wing-buzz vibration of Bombus and related native bees. Honeybees lack this behavior and cannot effectively pollinate tomato; commercial greenhouse tomato production specifically introduces bumblebee hives for this reason.

Buzz pollination by bumblebees is the canonical pollination mode for Vaccinium; honeybees lack the wing-buzz vibration that releases pollen from the urn-shaped flowers, so bumblebees are functionally specialist pollinators on commercial blueberry.

The showy ball-shaped 'Annabelle' florets are sterile, but the smaller fertile florets that surround them attract bees for pollination of the seed-producing flowers (which 'Annabelle' produces inconsistently due to its cultivar selection for showy sterile flowers).

NC State documents bumblebees as primary pollinators; the pea-flower architecture requires bumblebee landing weight to open the keel and access the nectar reward.

Early-spring native bees emerging from winter are the primary pollinators; serviceberry is among the earliest spring nectar sources in eastern North America.

Bumble bees are the classic pollinators of foxglove, climbing up into the pendulous tubular flowers for nectar and transferring pollen as they work the spike.

Large bumblebees are among the few insects strong enough to work the pollinia-loaded flowers effectively.

NC State documents bee attraction; bumblebees + honeybees are the primary cucumber pollinators. Cucumber benefits less from squash-bee specialist pollination than Cucurbita pepo does (squash bees prefer their Cucurbita hosts).

Long-tongued bumblebees access the tubular corolla efficiently and serve as primary pollinators alongside the specialist Penstemon mason bee (Osmia distincta).

NC State documents bumblebees as primary pollinators via the spring-loaded anther-trigger mechanism. The flower's unique architecture co-evolved with native bumblebee-sized visitors — honeybees pollinate less efficiently because they're smaller than the trigger mechanism's target.

Long-tongued bumblebees are among the few bees with proboscises long enough to reach the nectar in tubular Monarda flowers.

NC State documents bumblebees + long-tongued bees as primary pollinators; the tubular bell corolla suits long-tongued species. Early-spring emergence aligns with bumblebee queen activity when few other native plants are blooming.

Bumblebees are primary pollinators of Monarda fistulosa; long-tongued bumblebees can reach the nectar at the base of the tubular flowers more efficiently than honeybees.

Spring native bees pollinate the inconspicuous flowers on female plants; without bee pollination, the iconic red berries do not develop.

Critical late-season nectar source for late-summer bumblebees building reserves before winter dormancy; aster pollen is what some Bombus queens carry into hibernation.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags special value to native bees; bumble bees work the fragrant pale-yellow June cymes for nectar.

Bumblebees work the lipped summer flowers for nectar, and the broad lower lip is a ready landing platform for a bee their size; cited as plausible generalist foraging on a mint-family nectar source rather than a species-specific documented tie.

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: special value to bumble bees — the early March bloom is an important pre-foliage nectar and pollen source.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Agastache foeniculum as having special value to bumble bees; the long-blooming flower spikes are a heavily worked summer nectar source.

Bumble bees work the fragrant spring blossom for nectar and pollen and are effective apple pollinators alongside honey bees; the showy April flower is a spring forage source.

NC State Extension documents the flowers as a fall nectar source for bees; bumble bees are among the late-season visitors to the broad flattened flower heads.

Beach plum carries the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center "Special Value to Native Bees" flag; its early profuse white bloom is a nectar and pollen source for native bumble bees such as the common eastern bumble bee.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black cherry as having Special Value to Bumble Bees; the spring racemes are a nectar source for bumble bees such as the common eastern bumble bee.

Spring hawthorn-like flowers attract bumblebees and other Rosaceae-visiting pollinators.

Bumble bees visit the spring-to-summer flowers; genus-level inference for Rubus.

Early-emerging bumblebees work the early-spring bloom.

A documented nectar plant for bumble bees; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Verbena hastata as having Special Value to Native Bees.

Bumble bees are frequent visitors to the nectar-rich corymbs; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags boneset as having special value to native bees.

The open, accessible blue flowers are readily worked by bumble bees as well as honey bees; bumble-bee visitation follows from the documented general bee attraction (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder; NC State Extension).

Bumblebees work the fragrant flower spikes heavily through the long summer bloom.

Beetle-pollinated primarily; bees visit secondarily.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center records special value to bumble bees, which are well-suited to working the deep funnel-shaped flowers.

The open, two-lipped flowers are readily worked by bumble bees; bumble-bee visitation follows from the bee attraction NC State Extension documents for this plant.

Early-emerging bumblebee queens forage redbud flowers during the brief pre-leaf-out window; Bombus impatiens is the cataloged bumble-bee stand-in for the bumble bees that work the genus.

Bumblebees, strong enough to work the pea-like flowers, forage the racemes for nectar during the brief mid-spring bloom.

The deep tubular bell flowers are a classic long-tongued bumblebee forage plant — bumblebees can reach the nectar at the base of the corolla that shorter-tongued bees cannot, making comfrey a reliable spring-to-early-summer nectar source.

Bumblebees visit bean flowers opportunistically; bean is primarily self-pollinating but bee visitation increases fruit set + reduces pod abortion in some cultivars.

Bumblebees are among the most consistent visitors to the open daisy heads throughout the long summer bloom.

Bumble bees emerging in early spring forage on hyacinth nectar where ranges overlap; NC State Extension documents bees generally as attracted, without naming species.

Bumblebees work the flat-topped corymbs heavily through summer; yarrow is one of the most reliable mid-season pollinator plants for full-sun beds.

NC State Extension documents Cosmos bipinnatus as bee-friendly, with bumblebees shown visiting the flowers; the open composite blooms offer accessible nectar and pollen.

Early-spring yellow flowers are an important nectar and pollen source for bumblebees and other early-emerging native bees. M. repens is a Western species, so this generic-bumblebee slug stands in for the documented genus-level early-bee nectar relationship.

Bumble bees visit the exposed disc florets of single and open-centered dahlias for nectar and pollen; double-flowered hybrids that hide the disc are far less useful.

Emerging bumblebee queens and early workers rely on abundant early-spring bloomers like dandelion for nectar and pollen before the main season's flowers open.

Early-emerging bumblebee queens work the redbud flowers during the brief pre-leaf-out bloom window — redbud fills a critical early-spring nectar gap in eastern landscapes.

Long-tongued bumblebees and honeybees work lavender flower spikes heavily; lavender honey is a recognized regional product from Mediterranean Europe.

Bumblebees work the flat-topped golden corymbs steadily through the long summer bloom.

Bumblebees may also visit the flowers for nectar; like the honeybee visits, this is generalist foraging and does not offset the species' aggressive, hard-to-control weediness.

NC State lists specialized native Andrena mining bees among the primary pollinators; bumblebees and honeybees also work the small true flowers in the center of the bract arrangement.

The large open rose-purple flowers are strongly bumblebee-favored; common eastern bumblebees work the long summer bloom for nectar and pollen.

As a late-season composite flowering into frost, garden mum offers bumble bees nectar and pollen at the end of the season; bumble bee use is plausible from its documented pollinator-plant value rather than a species-specific record.

Bumble bees readily work strawberry blossoms and are effective strawberry pollinators; mapped here as a representative native bumble bee rather than a species the source names specifically.

When buds are allowed to open, the large violet-blue thistle flowers (rated "Showy" by Missouri Botanical Garden) are rich in nectar and pollen and draw bumblebees and other bees; a bumblebee is visible working an open artichoke flower in reference photos of the species.

Bumblebees visit garden fuchsias for nectar and can work the flowers from the side; graded plausible as a general garden-observation tie rather than a documented species record, since the flower is primarily bird-pollinated.

Bumblebees readily work the upright flower candles for nectar and pollen where horse chestnut is planted, though this is a European tree without documented North American specialist ties.

Bumblebees visit the open flower spikes for nectar and help move pollen between blooms.

Bumble bees are well-suited to working the deep, urn-shaped ericaceous flowers and are among the chief early-season visitors to its drooping panicles.

Bumblebees may work the fragrant flowers for nectar; like the other visitors, this is incidental adult foraging and does not offset the plant's invasive impact or give it native-larval-host value.

Bumble bees work the small axillary flowers for nectar through summer; a bumblebee feeding at a lemon balm flower is among the commonly documented visitors.

Early-emerging bumblebee queens work the spring flowers when few other native shrubs are blooming — spicebush fills a critical early-season gap.

Bumble bees visit the large open mallow-family flowers for nectar and pollen during the long summer bloom.

Bumblebees visit the fertile florets of open, lacecap-style panicles; graded plausible at the genus level since fully sterile mophead selections offer them little.

NC State Extension documents that pansy flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators; bumble bees are plausible nectar visitors of the open, nectar-guided flowers, though the species pages do not name bumble bees specifically.

Bumblebees visit the fragrant spring trusses for nectar, though the long tubular flowers are best matched to long-tongued butterflies and hummingbirds.

The early, nodding spring flowers are a documented butterfly draw (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center) and are typical of the early-season blooms worked by emerging queen bumble bees; bombus-impatiens stands in for the early native-bee foragers.

Bumblebees forage the spring panicles for nectar; the tie is plausible for this non-native ornamental hybrid rather than individually documented.

The January-March bloom is among the earliest reliable nectar sources for emerging bumblebee queens in the eastern forest; red maple is a wedge-relevant pollinator support tree as much as a Lep host.

Bumble bees readily work the tubular two-lipped mint-family flowers; NC State documents bee visitation at the genus level rather than naming this species specifically.

Bumble bees readily work shallow, open composite flowers like Leucanthemum; a plausible generalist visitor during the July-September bloom, inferred from flower morphology rather than a source-documented record.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Pycnanthemum muticum as having Special Value to Bumble Bees; the flat-topped flower heads are a heavily worked nectar source through mid to late summer.

Bumblebees forage the fragrant bloom for nectar, but silver linden carries an honest caveat — bumblebees are at times found dead beneath flowering trees, most likely from late-season nectar scarcity and starvation rather than direct toxicity. The specific tie to this introduced ornamental is plausible rather than individually documented.

The closed, two-lipped personate corolla of Antirrhinum majus is classically opened by large, strong bees such as bumblebees, which pry the lips apart to reach nectar and pollen; lighter insects cannot work the flower. Listed as plausible because Missouri Botanical Garden names "butterflies" generically rather than a specific bumblebee species.

Late-season Solidago is a critical nectar source for bumblebees building winter reserves, alongside the closely-timed asters.

Open Lamiaceae flowers of the savory group are commonly worked by bumblebees; plausible by analogy to the documented bee attraction, not separately cited for this species.

NC State explicitly names native bees among the visitors; bumblebees + carpenter bees work the upright flower spikes heavily through the late-summer bloom window.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Malus coronaria as having special value to bumble bees, which work the fragrant spring flowers for nectar and pollen.

Open Lamiaceae flowers of the marjoram/oregano group are commonly worked by bumblebees; plausible by analogy to the documented honeybee use, not separately cited for this species.

Bumblebees readily visit open, accessible flowers like these, though ties to this Old-World shrub are general rather than specialized.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Cercis occidentalis as having special value to bumble bees. (Bombus impatiens is the cataloged bumble bee stand-in; the documented value is to bumble bees as a group on the species’ western range.)

Bumble bees readily work clover heads alongside honey bees; MBG documents bee attraction at the group level rather than naming individual bumble-bee species.

Queen bumblebees on the wing in early spring may take nectar from the first daffodils as a timing match; this is opportunistic foraging rather than a specialist tie.

Flagged as Special Value to Bumble Bees and Native Bees by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; the early-season catkins provide critical spring forage when queens are establishing colonies.

Bumblebees visit the wide, pollen-rich blooms as generalist foragers where the plant is grown outdoors in summer; graded plausible rather than a documented specialist tie.

The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists Clematis x jackmanii as attracting bees; common eastern bumble bees forage the pollen of the open showy flowers.

Queen bumble bees emerging in early spring are commonly observed foraging on crocus pollen, an early-season resource when little else is in bloom. Recorded as plausible: the Missouri Botanical Garden species page does not assert a specific bumble-bee relationship.

NC State Extension documents that eggplant flowers attract bumblebees. Eggplant pollen is released by buzz (sonication) pollination, which bumblebees perform and honey bees largely cannot, so bumblebees meaningfully improve fruit set.

Bumble bees forage pollen at accessible rose flowers; access depends on petal density, so single and semi-double cultivars support them best.

The wide-open mallow flowers present abundant pollen that bumblebees readily work; Missouri Botanical Garden notes the species attracts butterflies and the flowers are broadly insect-visited, though the PlantFinder profile does not name a specific bee species.

Bumblebees work the open, dish-shaped flowers for pollen during the late-summer-to-fall bloom, when other pollen sources are waning.

The open, bowl-shaped flowers with an exposed stamen boss are readily worked by bumble bees; bumble-bee pollen foraging follows from the bee attraction NC State Extension documents for this plant.

Common eastern bumble bees readily work the showy yellow Cucurbita flowers (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder describes the bloom as showy) and are important generalist pollinators of pumpkin and squash.

Early-emerging bumble bee queens rely on the earliest-blooming plants; pussy willow catkins open while little else is in flower, providing critical early-season pollen and nectar.

The Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder and NC State Plant Toolbox both list pollinators/bees among the visitors; the common eastern bumble bee is a plausible visitor to the large pollen-rich flowers, though the sources do not name this species specifically.

Bumble bees forage pollen at accessible single rose flowers; the wide-open rugosa bloom suits them well, though the tie is not individually documented for this species.

Like other bumblebees, the common eastern bumblebee can work the keeled pea flowers for pollen and nectar where the plant is grown within its range, contributing to seed set.

Bumble bees forage pollen at accessible single-to-semi-double rose flowers; the open alba bloom suits them well, though the tie is plausible rather than individually documented for this species.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Lupinus perennis with "special value to bumble bees" and "special value to native bees"; bumble bees are heavy enough to trip the keeled pea flowers open and are primary pollinators.

The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox records that bumblebees are attracted to the pollen of the nectarless flowers, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags special value to bumble bees.