Now that beekeeping is legal in NYC we are going to have a lot more bees! And that is a good thing. Here is a list of plants that bees like. If you ask me the list has pretty much all the plants in the world, but I didn’t make the list (USDA did) and I’m sure they know what they are talking about (at least here, I wouldn’t trust the USDA on many other food issues but that’s not something I want to bother the bees with).
So plant these in your gardens so that the bees can feel welcome in their new home!
Sorted By Genus
Blue plant names are widely cultivated & broadly attractive to bees.
| FAMILY | GENUS | COMMON NAME | Notes |
| Caprifoliaceae | Abelia | abelia | |
| Fabaceae | Acacia | acacia | |
| Aceraceae | Acer | maple | |
| Asteraceae | Achillea | yarrow | A. millefolium weedy |
| Ranunculaceae | Aconitum | monkshood | |
| Lamiaceae | Agastache | hyssop | |
| Lamiaceae | Ajuga | carpet bugle | |
| Malvaceae | Althea | hollyhock | not doubled |
| Liliaceae | Allium | allium | |
| Rosaceae | Amelanchier | serviceberry | |
| Boraginaceae | Anchusa | wild forget-me-not | |
| Apiaceae | Anethum | dill | |
| Ranunculaceae | Aquilegia | columbine | not doubled |
| Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos | manzanita | |
| Papaveraceae | Argemone | prickly poppy | |
| Plumbaginaceae | Armeria | sea thrift | |
| Asteraceae | Aster | aster | not doubled |
| Fabaceae | Astragalus | locoweed | |
| Asteraceae | Baileya | desert marigold | |
| Fabaceae | Baptisia | false indigo | |
| Berberidaceae | Berberis | barberry | |
| Boraginaceae | Borago | borage | |
| Brassicaceae | Brassica | mustard | B. kaber and B. nigra weedy |
| Lamiaceae | Calamintha | calamint | |
| Malvaceae | Callirhoe | wine cups, poppy mallow | |
| Ericaceae | Calluna | heather | |
| Onagraceae | Camissonia | camissonia | |
| Campanulaceae | Campanula | bell flower | |
| Fabaceae | Caragena | Siberian peashrub | |
| Aizoaceae | Carpobrotus | ice plant | some weedy |
| Asteraceae | Carthamnus | safflower | |
| Lamiaceae | Caryopteris | blue mist spirea | |
| Fabaceae | Cassia | senna | |
| Rhamnaceae | Ceanothus | buckbrush | |
| Asteraceae | Centaurea | bachelor’s button, corn flower | not doubled, some weedy |
| Caryophyllaceae | Cerastium | snow-in-summer | avoid chickweeds |
| Fabaceae | Cercidium | palo verde | |
| Fabaceae | Cercis | redbud | |
| Rosaceae | Cercocarpus | mountain mahogany | |
| Rosaceae | Chaenomeles | flowering quince | |
| Bignoniaceae | Chilopsis | desert willow | |
| Asteraceae | Chrysanthemum | chrysanthemum | simple flowered |
| Asteraceae | Chrysothamnus | rabbit brush, chamisa | |
| Cucurbitaceae | Citrullus | watermelon | |
| Rutaceae | Citrus | grapefruit, orange, lemon | |
| Fabaceae | Coronilla | crownvetch | |
| Cucurbitaceae | Cucurbita | squash, gourd, pumpkin | |
| Onagraceae | Clarkia | clarkia | not doubled |
| Asteraceae | Cosmos | cosmos | |
| Apiaceae | Coriandrum | coriander | |
| Asteraceae | Coreopsis | coreopsis | |
| Lythraceae | Cuphea | false heather | C. hyssopifolia |
| Rosaceae | Cydonia | fruiting quince | |
| Asteraceae | Cynara | artichoke, cardoon | |
| Boraginaceae | Cynoglossum | comfrey | |
| Apiaceae | Daucus | carrot | some weedy |
| Ranunculaceae | Delphinium | larkspur | not doubled |
| Scrophulariaceae | Digitalis | foxglove | |
| Asteraceae | Echinacea | cone flower | |
| Boraginaceae | Echium | pride of Madeira | E. fastuosum |
| Asteraceae | Erigeron | fleabane | |
| Hydrophyllaceae | Eriodictyon | yerba santa | |
| Polygonaceae | Eriogonum | wild buckwheat | |
| Apiaceae | Eryngium | eryngo, button-celery, coyote-thistle | |
| Brassicaceae | Erysimum | wallflower | |
| Asteraceae | Eupatorium | joe pye weed | not E. capillifolium |
| Euphorbiaceae | Euphorbia | spurge | some weedy |
| Cactaceae | Ferocactus | barrel cactus | |
| Apiaceae | Foeniculum | fennel | F. vulgare |
| Rosaceae | Fragaria | strawberry | |
| Sterculiaceae | Fremontodendron | flannelbush | |
| Asteraceae | Gaillardia | blanket flower | not doubled |
| Onagraceae | Gaura | gaura | |
| Gentianaceae | Gentiana | blue gentian | |
| Asteraceae | Geraea | desert sunflower | |
| Rosaceae | Geum | avens | |
| Polemoniaceae | Gilia | gilia | blue or violet |
| Fabaceae | Glycyrrhiza | licorice | |
| Asteraceae | Grindelia | gumweed | |
| Boraginaceae | Hackelia | wild formet-me-not | |
| Lamiaceae | Hedeoma | sweetscent, mock pennyroyal | |
| Fabaceae | Hedysarum | sweet vetch, french honeysuckle | |
| Asteraceae | Helenium | sneezeweed | |
| Asteraceae | Helianthella | sunflower | |
| Asteraceae | Helianthus | sunflower | not doubled |
| Boraginaceae | Heliotropium | heliotrope | |
| Malvaceae | Hibiscus | rose-of-sharon, hollyhock | not doubled |
| Asteraceae | Hieracium | hawkweed | |
| Rosaceae | Holodiscus | cliff spirea, mountainspray | |
| Asteraceae | Hymenopappus | false cosmos | |
| Asteraceae | Hymenoxys | alpine sunflower | |
| Lamiaceae | Hyptis | desert lavendar | |
| Aquifoliaceae | Ilex | holly | |
| Malvaceae | Iliamna | mountain hollyhock | |
| Zygophyllaceae | Kallstroemia | Arizona poppy | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Keckiella | bush penstemon | |
| Lamiaceae | Lamium | dead nettles | incl. Lamiastrum |
| Zygophyllaceae | Larrea | creosote bush | |
| Fabaceae | Lathyrus | everlasting pea | |
| Lamiaceae | Lavendula | lavendar | |
| Asteraceae | Layia | tidytips | |
| Fabaceae | Lespedeza | bush clover | esp. L. cuneata |
| Brassicaceae | Lesquerella | bladderpod | |
| Asteraceae | Liatris | blazing star | |
| Limnanthaceae | Limnanthes | meadowfoam, fried egg flower | |
| Polemoniaceae | Linanthus | mountain phlox | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Linaria | toadflax | L. dalmatica & vulgaris weedy |
| Linaceae | Linum | flax | |
| Fabaceae | Lotus | birdsfoot trefoil, lotus | |
| Solanaceae | Lycium | wolfberry | |
| Berberidaceae | Mahonia | mahonia | |
| Rosaceae | Malus | apple | |
| Malvaceae | Malva | mallow | |
| Fabaceae | Medicago | alfalfa, medic | |
| Fabaceae | Melilotus | sweet clover | can be weedy |
| Lamiaceae | Mentha | mint | |
| Loasaceae | Mentzelia | blazing star | |
| Boraginaceae | Mertensia | bluebells | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Mimulus | monkey flower | |
| Lamiaceae | Monarda | bee balm | not red |
| Myoporaceae | Myoporum | myoporum | M. laetum |
| Hydrophyllaceae | Nemophila | blue eyes | |
| Lamiaceae | Nepeta | catmint | esp. hybrid N. x faassenii |
| Lamiaceae | Ocimum | basil | |
| Onagraceae | Oenothera | evening primrose | |
| Cactaceae | Opuntia | pear cactus | |
| Lamiaceae | Origanum | oregano | |
| Ericaceae | Oxydendrum | sourwood | |
| Fabaceae | Oxytropis | locoweed | |
| Fabaceae | Parkinsonia | Mexican palo verde | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Pedicularis | lousewort | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Penstemon | penstemon | not red, consider P. strictus |
| Lamiaceae | Perovskia | Russian sage, filigran | P. atriplicifolia |
| Fabaceae | Petalostemon | prairie clover | |
| Hydrophyllaceae | Phacelia | bluebells, scorpionweed | |
| Ericaceae | Phyllodoce | mountain-heath | |
| Solanaceae | Physalis | groundcherry | |
| Rosaceae | Physocarpus | ninebark | |
| Lamiaceae | Physostegia | obedient plant | |
| Ericaceae | Pieris | fetterbush | |
| Papaveraceae | Platystemon | creamcups | |
| Polemoneaceae | Polemonium | Jacob’s ladder | |
| Pontederiaceae | Pontederia | pickerelweed | |
| Fabaceae | Prosopis | mesquite | |
| Lamiaceae | Prunella | henbit | |
| Rosaceae | Prunus | cherry, plum | not doubled |
| Fabaceae | Psorothamnus | dalea | |
| Rosaceae | Purshia | cliff rose | |
| Lamiaceae | Pycnanthemum | mountain mint | |
| Brassicaceae | Raphanus | mustard | |
| Asteraceae | Ratibida | Mexican hat | |
| Rhamnaceae | Rhamnus | buckthorn | |
| Anacardiaceae | Rhus | sumac | |
| Grossulariaceae | Ribes | currant | |
| Fabaceae | Robinia | black locust | |
| Papaveraceae | Romneya | Matilija poppy | |
| Rosaceae | Rosa | rugosa-type and wild roses | not doubled, some weedy |
| Lamiaceae | Rosmarinus | rosemary | |
| Rosaceae | Rubus | raspberry, blackberry, brambles | some weedy |
| Asteraceae | Rudbeckia | black-eyed susan | |
| Salicaceae | Salix | willow | not weeping willow |
| Lamiaceae | Salvia | salvia | blue or violet |
| Caprifoliaceae | Sambucus | elderberry | |
| Dipsaceae | Scabiosa | pincushion flower | not doubled |
| Crassulaceae | Sedum | sedum, stonecrop | |
| Asteraceae | Senecio | senecio | |
| Malvaceae | Sidalcea | checkermallow | |
| Asteraceae | Silybum | milk thistle | |
| Solanaceae | Solanum | nightshade | some weedy |
| Asteraceae | Solidago | goldenrod | |
| Malvaceae | Sphaeralcea | globemallow | |
| Rosaceae | Spiraea | spiraea | |
| Lamiaceae | Stachys | lamb’s ear | |
| Brassicaceae | Stanleya | prince’s plume | |
| Boraginaceae | Sympytum | comfrey | can be weedy |
| Portulacaceae | Talinum | flame flower | |
| Apiaceae | Tanacetum | tansy | |
| Bignoniaceae | Tecoma | yellow trumpet bush | |
| Lamiaceae | Teucrium | germander | |
| Fabaceae | Thermopsis | false lupine, golden pea | |
| Lamiaceae | Thymus | thyme | |
| Tiliaceae | Tilia | basswood | |
| Asteraceae | Tithonia | Mexican sunflower | |
| Lamiaceae | Trichostema | bluecurls | |
| Fabaceae | Trifolium | clover | |
| Ericaceae | Vaccinium | blueberry, cranberry, huckleberry | acid soils required |
| Valerianaceae | Valeriana | valerian | |
| Verbenaceae | Verbena | verbena | not red |
| Asteraceae | Verbesina | golden crownbeard | |
| Scrophulariaceae | Veronica | speedwell, veronica | |
| Caprifoliaceae | Viburnum | arrowood, snowball bush | |
| Fabaceae | Vicia | vetch | |
| Asteraceae | Viguiera | showy golden-eye | |
| Violaceae | Viola | violets | not pansies |
| Asteraceae | Wyethia | mules ear | |
| Asteraceae | Zinnia | zinnia | not doubled |