Flowering Dogwood
Cornus florida
One the bees find first — feeds native bees and butterflies; white bracts flowers, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 15–25 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
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Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Native Plants for Bees in Washington, D.C.
The native flowers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, and the hundreds of solitary native bees most gardeners never notice. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Flowering Dogwood and Common Yarrow. 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
50 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Common Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — spreading 1.5–2 ft, blooming from May to Aug.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms May–Aug
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — for loam ground, blooming in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Buttonbush
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies, for clay and loam ground and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and hummingbirds; orange-red flowers, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 25–50 ft
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it — good through zone 8, blooming from Apr to Jun.
- Part shade
- Average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees; reaching 4–7 ft, it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — mauve-pink flowers, blooming from Jul to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Smooth Hydrangea
Hydrangea arborescens
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — reaching 3–5 ft, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Eastern Redbud
Cercis canadensis
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — for clay, rocky, and loam ground, blooming in Mar and Apr.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 20–30 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Dense Blazing Star
Liatris spicata
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, cold-hardy to zone 3 and flowering in Jul and Aug.
- Full sun
- Average–wet
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wild Bleeding Heart
Dicentra eximia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and hummingbirds, reaching 12–18 in and flowering from Apr to Aug.
- Part shade
- Average
- 12–18 in
- Blooms Apr–Aug
Foamflower
Tiarella cordifolia
One the bees find first — feeds native bees; for loam ground, it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 6–12 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees and butterflies; good through zone 8, it flowers in May and Jun.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and butterflies, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil and flowering from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds native bees and butterflies, for clay, rocky, and loam ground and flowering from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
New England Aster
Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
One the bees find first — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees, royal purple flowers and flowering in Sep and Oct.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Oct
Culver's Root
Veronicastrum virginicum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees — hardy in zones 3–8, blooming from Jun to Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds native bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies — hardy in zones 4–9, blooming in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Winterberry
Ilex verticillata
One the bees find first — feeds native bees — white, red berries flowers, blooming in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 5–10 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
A bee plant first and foremost — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with butterflies and native bees; good through zone 8, it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees and butterflies, golden yellow flowers and flowering from Jun to Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Bee fuel — pollen-rich, single flowers — feeds the specialist bees that depend on it, along with hummingbirds and native bees; spreading 12–18 in, it blooms Apr through Jun.
- Part shade
- Dry–average
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Apr–Jun
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
Pollen-rich and bee-friendly — feeds native bees — happy in loam soil, blooming from May to Jul.
- Part shade
- Average
- 4–8 ft
- Blooms May–Jul
26 more also qualify: Serviceberry, Obedient Plant, Lanceleaf Coreopsis, Butterfly Weed, Showy Goldenrod, Aromatic Aster, Swamp Milkweed, Great Blue Lobelia, Golden Alexanders, Cup Plant, Virginia Bluebells, Foxglove Beardtongue, Red-Twig Dogwood, Rattlesnake Master, Common Boneset, Wild Lupine, Spicebush, New Jersey Tea, Ninebark, Inkberry Holly, American Elderberry, Stiff Goldenrod, Blue Vervain, Fragrant Sumac, Common Milkweed, Creeping Phlox.
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
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.