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European honeybee
European honeybee
Apis mellifera
Bee
The introduced honeybee — managed across North America and naturalized in many regions. Generalist pollinator that visits a wide range of plants but is less effective than native bees at buzz pollination and at pollinating some native flowers shaped for specific native visitors.
Plants in the catalog
Plants this species pollinates · 5
Apple
Malus domestica
Documented
Honey bees are the principal managed pollinator of orchard apples; because the cultivated apple is self-incompatible (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder), bee transfer of pollen between two different cultivars is what sets the crop.
Common sunflower
Helianthus annuus
Documented
Commercial sunflower-seed production relies on honeybee pollination at scale; sunflower honey is a recognized regional product.
Cucumber
Cucumis sativus
Documented
Summer squash / zucchini / pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo
Documented
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus
Documented
The European honey bee is the most commonly used managed pollinator for watermelon; Missouri Botanical Garden notes bees are needed for cross-pollination and that female flowers will not set fruit without insect visits.
Nectar plants · 89
Allegheny blackberry
Rubus allegheniensis
Documented
American basswood
Tilia americana
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Tilia americana as having special value to honey bees; basswood is a noted nectar (honey) source, and Missouri Botanical Garden lists the fragrant June flowers as attracting bees.
American persimmon
Diospyros virginiana
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags American persimmon as having Special Value to Honey Bees, which visit the small urn-shaped flowers for nectar.
American plum
Prunus americana
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists the fragrant early-spring flowers as having special value to honey bees.
Anise hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Documented
Listed by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as having special value to honey bees — a strong nectar plant whose common alternate name "anise hyssop" reflects its long use as a bee forage.
Apricot
Prunus armeniaca
Plausible
The fragrant early-spring flowers offer nectar and pollen to honey bees and other early-season foragers; bee visitation improves apricot fruit set.
Autumn-joy stonecrop
Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'
Documented
The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists the flowers as attractive to bees and states they provide a fall nectar source — valuable when little else is blooming.
Avocado
Persea americana
Plausible
Avocado bears perfect greenish-yellow flowers in panicles (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder); honey bees are the principal managed pollinator of commercial avocado orchards, where the dichogamous bloom relies on insect movement between flowers in opposite stages. Listed as plausible because the MBG species page documents the flowers but not the specific bee visitors.
Bearded iris
Iris germanica
Plausible
The large fragrant flowers with a nectar guide (the beard) are visited by bees for nectar; this is a general pollination-ecology inference rather than a documented species record on the cited horticultural sources.
Black cherry
Prunus serotina
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black cherry as having Special Value to Honey Bees; the fragrant white spring bloom is a recognized nectar source.
Black tupelo (black gum)
Nyssa sylvatica
Documented
Tupelo honey from the southeastern US (Florida + Georgia) is a recognized premium varietal — among the most-prized monofloral honeys.
Black willow
Salix nigra
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags black willow as a Special Value to Honey Bees — its early-spring catkins are one of the first abundant pollen and nectar sources of the season.
Blue vervain
Verbena hastata
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center records blue vervain as a nectar source attractive to bees and butterflies in sunny meadow and prairie gardens.
Blueblossom
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
Plausible
Honey bees readily work the abundant small spring flowers; mapped as a plausible nectar forager alongside the documented native-bee value.
Boneset
Eupatorium perfoliatum
Documented
Honey bees work the abundant late-summer nectar of the white flower clusters; boneset is a well-documented honey-plant of wet meadows and a nectar source per the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Borage
Borago officinalis
Documented
Borage is a renowned honey-bee forage plant; Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder and NC State Extension both document it attracting bees, and it is commonly interplanted to draw honey bees to the garden.
Calendula (pot marigold)
Calendula officinalis
Plausible
NC State Extension lists Calendula as attracting pollinators generally; its open, abundant flowerheads are readily worked by honey bees and other generalist bees, though the sources do not name a specific bee species.
Canada goldenrod
Solidago canadensis
Documented
Cantaloupe
Cucumis melo
Documented
Honey bees forage the funnel-shaped yellow flowers for nectar and pollen and are a primary pollinator of melons; NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox documents that the plant attracts bees and pollinators.
Catmint
Nepeta x faassenii
Documented
NC State Extension lists Nepeta x faassenii as attracting "Bees, Pollinators"; honey bees are among the most frequent visitors to its long succession of nectar-rich lavender-blue flowers.
Chervil
Anthriscus cerefolium
Documented
NC State Extension lists the nectar- and pollen-rich white umbels as attracting bees; honey bees readily work the open carrot-family flowers when the plant is allowed to bloom.
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Documented
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists the fragrant white flower racemes as attracting butterflies and the plant as bee-visited; honey bees forage the open, accessible spring bloom though the sources do not name the species.
Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
Plausible
When allowed to bolt, the open white umbels are readily worked by honey bees and other small generalist foragers for nectar and pollen — a common reason gardeners let a few cilantro plants flower.
Comfrey
Symphytum officinale
Plausible
Honey bees visit comfrey flowers and, with their shorter tongues, often take nectar through robbing holes bitten at the base of the corolla rather than entering the flower mouth.
Common blue violet
Viola sororia
Plausible
NC State Extension notes the spring flowers attract bees for nectar; the honey bee is a representative generalist visitor (the documented specialist visitors are native Andrena mining bees, which are not yet in the Plotwright wildlife catalog).
Common hyacinth
Hyacinthus orientalis
Documented
NC State Extension Plant Toolbox lists the early-spring flowers as attracting bees; the European honey bee is a common visitor to hyacinth spikes for nectar in late winter to spring.
Common thyme
Thymus vulgaris
Documented
Thyme honey is a recognized monofloral product from Mediterranean regions; bees work the small tubular flowers heavily.
Common yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Documented
Common zinnia
Zinnia elegans
Documented
NC State Extension documents Zinnia elegans attracting bees and pollinators; honey bees forage the disc florets for nectar and pollen across the long summer-to-frost bloom.
Daffodil
Narcissus (hybrid)
Plausible
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox notes daffodil flowers attract pollinators and provide nectar that is particularly valuable in early spring; honey bees are among the generalist visitors of open early-spring blooms.
Dahlia
Dahlia (hybrid)
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists dahlias as attracting butterflies; open-centered forms also offer accessible nectar and pollen to honey bees, though fully double cultivars provide little forage.
Dill
Anethum graveolens
Documented
The yellow umbels attract bees among a broad suite of beneficial insects (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder; NC State Plant Toolbox), foraging the shallow, accessible flowers for nectar and pollen.
Dutch crocus
Crocus vernus
Plausible
As one of the earliest spring blooms, Crocus vernus offers nectar and pollen to honey bees foraging on warm late-winter and early-spring days. Missouri Botanical Garden documents the flower form and bloom timing but does not formally list pollinator attraction, so this is recorded as plausible rather than documented.
Eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
Documented
English lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
Documented
European pear
Pyrus communis
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder flags the fragrant, showy spring flowers as attracting butterflies; pear blossoms are an insect-pollinated Rosaceae bloom, so honey bees foraging nectar and pollen are a plausible visitor though MBG does not name bees specifically.
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Documented
The showy yellow umbels attract bees and other beneficial insects for nectar and pollen (NC State Plant Toolbox).
Foxglove beardtongue
Penstemon digitalis
Documented
French marigold
Tagetes patula
Plausible
Open-flowered single and semi-double heads of this Asteraceae annual offer accessible nectar and pollen to honey bees; Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder rates the flowers as showy and fragrant. Density of doubling reduces access in the most fully double cultivars.
Garden lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Plausible
Lettuce flowers (rarely seen in productive gardens since gardeners harvest before bolt) are visited by honeybees + small bees when present; not a significant wildlife-support plant compared to ornamental natives.
Garden mum
Chrysanthemum x morifolium
Documented
NC State Plant Toolbox documents garden mum flowers as a welcome late-season nectar source in a pollinator garden; open single- and semi-double forms give honey bees and other generalist foragers accessible late-fall nectar and pollen.
Garden pepper
Capsicum annuum
Documented
Honeybees opportunistically visit pepper flowers for nectar; pollination is not required for fruit set but can increase yield + fruit size.
Garden sage
Salvia officinalis
Documented
Garden strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
Documented
The spring white flowers offer nectar and pollen to honey bees and other bees; bee visitation improves strawberry fruit set, size, and shape because each achene on the aggregate fruit needs its ovule pollinated. NC State Extension lists Fragaria × ananassa as attracting pollinators.
Gardenia
Gardenia jasminoides
Documented
The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists Gardenia jasminoides as attracting bees and pollinators. Note that fully double ornamental forms offer reduced floral rewards compared with single-flowered types.
Genovese basil
Ocimum basilicum
Plausible
Basil is typically pinched to suppress flowering for leaf production, so flower-driven wildlife relationships are uncommon in cultivation; when allowed to flower the spikes do attract small bees.
Gladiolus
Gladiolus (hybrid)
Plausible
NC State Extension lists Gladiolus flowers as attracting bees; mapped here to the honey bee as the representative generalist visitor. The source states "bees" generically rather than naming Apis mellifera, hence plausible rather than documented.
Globe artichoke
Cynara scolymus
Plausible
Honey bees forage the open thistle flowers for nectar and pollen on plants left to bloom; like all the flower-visitor value here, this is contingent on not harvesting the bud.
Grapefruit
Citrus x paradisi
Documented
The NC State Plant Toolbox lists the highly fragrant white flowers as attracting bees; citrus blossom is a well-known honey-bee nectar source.
Green hawthorn
Crataegus viridis
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center lists the spring flowers as a nectar source for bees, with Special Value to Native Bees flagged by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Honey locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center records the late-spring flowers as a nectar source for bees; honey locust is a recognized nectar/honey plant where it is abundant.
Key lime
Citrus x aurantiifolia
Documented
Citrus flowers are richly nectar- and pollen-bearing and are a well-known honeybee forage; key lime blossoms draw foraging honeybees in bloom.
Lacinato kale
Brassica oleracea var. palmifolia
Plausible
Brassica oleracea is harvested for leaves before bolting in most kitchen-garden use, so kale flower-pollinator relationships are uncommon; overwintered plants that bolt to yellow flowers in spring attract bees briefly.
Lemon
Citrus x limon
Documented
Citrus is a classic honey-bee nectar and pollen source, and honey bees are the primary insect pollinators of lemon flowers; Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder advises moving indoor plants outdoors in late spring "to encourage natural pollination" by visiting insects.
Lemon balm
Melissa officinalis
Documented
A classic bee plant — the summer flowers are a documented nectar source for honey bees; the genus name Melissa is Greek for "honey bee." NC State Extension lists the plant as attracting pollinators.
Maypop (purple passionflower)
Passiflora incarnata
Plausible
The Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists the flowers as nectar-producing and butterfly-attracting; honey bees forage the accessible central nectar but are less effective pollinators than the larger carpenter bees the flower is built for.
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
Plausible
The showy, fragrant, nectar-spurred flowers draw bees alongside the hummingbirds and butterflies the Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder documents; honey bees are a likely visitor where present, though the deep spur favors longer-tongued pollinators.
New England aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Documented
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
Plausible
The showy hibiscus-like flowers are visited by honey bees for nectar and pollen; okra is self-fertile, so this is supplemental rather than required for pod set.
Oregano
Origanum vulgare
Documented
Parry's agave
Agave parryi
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center records the flowers as a nectar source for insects; bees forage the creamy-yellow flower clusters during the rare flowering event.
Peach
Prunus persica
Documented
NC State Plant Toolbox lists Prunus persica as attracting pollinators; the early pink spring flowers offer nectar and pollen to honey bees and other bees before most other forage is available.
Pomegranate
Punica granatum
Documented
Honey bees visit the orange-red summer flowers for nectar and pollen and contribute to the cross-pollination that increases fruit set.
Quince
Cydonia oblonga
Plausible
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder lists quince under "Attracts: Butterflies" for its showy spring flowers; as an open, five-petaled insect-pollinated Rosaceae bloom it is a plausible nectar and pollen source for honey bees, though MBG does not name bees specifically.
Radish
Raphanus sativus
Plausible
When radish is allowed to bolt, its white-to-pale-violet Brassicaceae flowers are worked by honey bees and other bees — radish is insect-pollinated and self-incompatible. Not relevant to a root harvest, since the crop is pulled long before flowering.
Ramps
Allium tricoccum
Plausible
NC State Extension lists Allium tricoccum as attracting pollinators; its late-spring white umbels offer nectar and pollen to bees during the gap after most spring ephemerals have finished. Mapped to the honey bee as a representative generalist flower-visitor; specific visitor records for this species are limited.
Red maple
Acer rubrum
Documented
Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Documented
Rosemary honey is a recognized Mediterranean varietal.
Russian sage
Salvia yangii
Documented
The NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox documents that the flowers attract bees; the long midsummer-to-autumn bloom provides nectar when many spring forage plants are spent.
Shasta daisy
Leucanthemum × superbum
Plausible
The open, flat-faced composite flower heads offer accessible nectar and pollen; honey bees are common generalist visitors to daisy-family blooms, though the Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder documents only butterfly attraction explicitly.
Short-toothed mountain mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Documented
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags Special Value to Honey Bees; Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder notes the flowers are attractive to bees.
Spearmint
Mentha spicata
Documented
Stiff goldenrod
Solidago rigida
Documented
Goldenrod honey is a recognized regional product across the central and eastern United States.
Summer savory
Satureja hortensis
Documented
NC State Extension lists the summer flowers as attracting bees; the small lilac-to-white flowers are a nectar source for honey bees when the plant is allowed to bloom.
Sweet alyssum
Lobularia maritima
Documented
The profuse fragrant flowers are a well-known nectar source for honey bees and other small bees; NC State Extension lists the plant as attracting pollinators.
Sweet cherry
Prunus avium
Plausible
The fragrant April flowers are worked by bees, which carry out the cross-pollination this largely self-incompatible species needs; Missouri Botanical Garden lists the flowers as attracting butterflies.
Sweet crabapple
Malus coronaria
Documented
Both the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (special value to honey bees) and NC State Extension (nectar attracts honeybees) document honey bees foraging the spring bloom.
Sweet Joe-Pye weed
Eutrochium purpureum
Documented
NC State notes joe-pye weed flowers "are important for the production of honey" — late-summer joe-pye honey is a recognized regional product.
Sweet marjoram
Origanum majorana
Documented
NC State Extension documents that flowering marjoram provides late-season nectar for bees and lists the plant as attracting bees.
Sweet orange
Citrus x sinensis
Documented
Honey bees forage nectar and pollen from the fragrant citrus blossoms; orange groves are a classic nectar source and the origin of commercial orange-blossom honey. (Apis mellifera is an introduced European species, not a North American native.)
Tulip tree (yellow poplar)
Liriodendron tulipifera
Documented
Tulip tree honey is a recognized regional product across the southeastern US; the abundant late-spring nectar supports commercial apiaries during the late-spring nectar gap.
Turnip
Brassica rapa (Rapifera Group)
Plausible
When a turnip is allowed to bolt or flower in its second year, the yellow cruciferous blooms of Brassica rapa offer nectar and pollen to honey bees and other generalist bees. This is incidental to growing turnips for the root, which is usually harvested before flowering.
Weeping willow
Salix babylonica
Plausible
Early-spring willow catkins are a well-known nectar and pollen source for honey bees; Salix babylonica blooms in April-May (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder).
Western redbud
Cercis occidentalis
Documented
NC State Extension reports the flower nectar attracts bees; the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center flags the species as a nectar source. (Honey bee is the closest cataloged generalist bee; native and bumble bees are the primary documented visitors.)
White clover
Trifolium repens
Documented
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder documents that the flowers are attractive to bees; white clover is one of the most important honey-bee nectar plants in lawns and pastures.
Wild bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Documented
Wild strawberry
Fragaria virginiana
Documented
Yoshino cherry
Prunus × yedoensis
Plausible
Early-spring cherry blossom is a well-known nectar and pollen source for honey bees; Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder names butterflies specifically rather than bees, so the bee association is plausible rather than directly published for this species.
Pollen plants · 11
American elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Plausible
The large flat-topped cymes of small open flowers are worked by bees and other generalist insects for pollen and nectar; Missouri Botanical Garden lists the flowers as attracting butterflies. Mapped to a generalist pollinator pending a species-level record.
California poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Documented
Clematis
Clematis (hybrid)
Plausible
NC State lists the plant as bee-attracting; honey bees are among the generalist bees that visit clematis flowers for pollen.
Common olive
Olea europaea
Plausible
Olive is primarily wind-pollinated and offers no nectar, but its abundant summer pollen is foraged by honey bees. Honey bees are an introduced (non-native) species, the same Old-World/Mediterranean origin as the olive itself; native North American pollinators are not documented associates of this exotic tree.
Cosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Plausible
The open, shallow daisy-like flowers are readily worked by honey bees for pollen and nectar; NC State Extension flags the species broadly as bee-friendly.
Crape myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica
Plausible
The showy summer panicles (Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder describes the flowers as "Showy") offer pollen to honey bees and other generalist foragers during a long July-September bloom; this is a plausible generalist forage relationship rather than a documented specialist association.
Garden rose
Rosa (hybrid)
Documented
Honey bees and other bees visit open, less-double rose blooms for pollen; single- and semi-double-flowered roses are far more accessible to bees than tightly packed double hybrids.
Kiwifruit
Actinidia deliciosa
Documented
The NC State Plant Toolbox notes bees pollinate the plant and lists it as attracting pollinators; the pollen-only cream flowers are worked by honey bees, which growers commonly use to pollinate commercial plantings.
Peony
Paeonia lactiflora
Documented
NC State Extension lists Paeonia lactiflora as attracting "Bees, Pollinators"; honey bees work the conspicuous central boss of yellow stamens for its abundant pollen (peony flowers offer pollen rather than significant nectar).
Pumpkin
Cucurbita pepo
Documented
Honey bees forage the large yellow flowers for pollen and nectar and contribute to pumpkin fruit set alongside the specialist squash bee and bumble bees.
Pussy willow
Salix discolor
Documented
The very early catkins (March-April, often before leaf-out) are an important first pollen and nectar source for honey bees and other early-foraging bees as colonies build up in late winter.
Range
Native to Europe, Africa, and western Asia; introduced and managed worldwide.
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