Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees — 12–18 in wide, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Arkansas · Zones 6–8
Native Plants for Bees in Arkansas
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. For Arkansas, the right natives are shaped by Ozark Highlands & Mississippi Alluvial Plain and a humid subtropical climate. Every species below, from Wild Columbine and Pasque Flower to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Arkansas and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. 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
60 native species for Arkansas
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Pasque Flower
Pulsatilla patens
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — reaching 6–12 in, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Showy Goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — golden plumes flowers, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — good through zone 8, blooming from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — happy in clay and loam soil, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Great Blue Lobelia
Lobelia siphilitica
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, hardy in zones 4–9 and flowering in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; vivid orange flowers, it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
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, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees; white cones flowers, it blooms May through Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; hardy in zones 3–9, it blooms May through Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies, 6–10 ft wide and flowering in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — good through zone 9, blooming from May to Jul.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees, pink (then purple fruit) flowers and flowering in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — royal purple flowers, blooming in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — spreading 12–18 in, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — reaching 1–2.5 ft, blooming from Jun to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Cup Plant
Silphium perfoliatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies, cold-hardy to zone 3 and flowering from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies — 1–2 ft tall, blooming from May to Sep.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2 ft
- Blooms May–Sep
Obedient Plant
Physostegia virginiana
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies; pink flowers, it flowers in Aug and Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Aug–Sep
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees, 1–2 ft wide and flowering in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Maximilian Sunflower
Helianthus maximiliani
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies; reaching 5–8 ft, it blooms Aug through Oct.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 5–8 ft
- Blooms Aug–Oct
Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies — 15–25 ft tall, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Prairie Blazing Star
Liatris pycnostachya
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, hardy in zones 3–9 and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; reaching 2–3 ft, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
36 more also qualify: Eastern Redbud, Golden Alexanders, Prairie Smoke, Wild Geranium, Winterberry, Wild Bergamot, Aromatic Aster, Crossvine, Serviceberry, Black-Eyed Susan, Buttonbush, Smooth Hydrangea, Swamp Milkweed, Woodland Phlox, Foxglove Beardtongue, Anise Hyssop, Purple Coneflower, Wild Bleeding Heart, Virginia Bluebells, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Purple Prairie Clover, Inkberry Holly, Showy Milkweed, New Jersey Tea, Compass Plant, Wild Lupine, Blue Vervain, Ninebark, Fragrant Sumac, Spicebush, Creeping Phlox, Red-Twig Dogwood, American Elderberry, Stiff Goldenrod, Common Milkweed.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Arkansas
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.