I though this subject might have been discussed, but I didn't find anything. I'm wondering how one goes about choosing plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but not bees. Not that I don't like bees, but I prefer not to have 100s of them on my plants. This past weekend I observed one of the plants I was considering, and Oregano, that had bees just swarming over it. The little tags of the Oregano plants at the nursery have butterflies on them, not bees. Its given me 2nd thoughts on the plant and I'm wondering about other plants I may or may not choose. Thanks for any input.
butterflies vs. bees
I would think longer, tubular flowers would be accessible to butterflies and birds, but not bees. Of course, excluding the flatter,disc-shaped flowers would also limit the kinds of butterflies you would get since the ones with shorter proboscises would not be able to reach into deeper flowers. I've never found the bees to be a problem. I'm even attracting mud daubers! It's only the paper wasps I do battle against.
Melanie
Please don't kill the bees, we are in need of them in the agricultural industry to pollenate our food plants. They have declined in recent years and are just now making a come back.
I have hundreds around my plants and can work near them and they don't bug me if I don't swat at them. They really seem to go for my Indigo Spires, Datura, and Frostweed. Also when I put out the butterfly bait, they are in huge numbers there. Guess you could bait them away from your plants.
I watched a small bumble bee bury itself in a tubular salvia bloom, so I think that might not be entirely accurate.
I've also read that bees can't see the color red, so maybe look for red flowers.
If you look for plants with little pollen, I would assume they would not be attractive to butterflies either.
You might want to avoid late bloomers to keep the yellow jackets away, as they come out earlier.
I have only been stung once in the past 10+ years and it was by a yellow jacket. There is a nest in the ground under a plant, but I did not know and was watering that plant.
I find when i'm in the yard working and bees all over my plants... they are too busy "working" that they do not even pay attention to me. I'm aware of where they are, and tend to step back when they go buzzing past... but i feel they are too important to 'get in their way'.
I've seen the big 'ole bumble bees go down the throats of MG's... that is so cool to see.
and I have been stung 3 times in my life... twice i put my hand on top of one, not seeing it ... and i can't recall the 3rd .. i think it i was on my foot, when i was a teen ... but i know it was inadvertent sting, not an aggressive one.
Thank you all. I do think bees are important and won't kill them. I just don't want to have swarms of them and feel like I have to tip-toe around them in my own yard. Growing up we had a bottlebrush in our yard that had bumblebees on the plant for the several months when it was in flower. I never got stung, but I always avoided getting close to the plant.
bumblebees are so awesome, as are the honeybees. It's those stinker wasps I have to watch out for.
I think most gardeners are familiar with the declining honeybees. I try to attract them, supply plants that they like. I'm still not seeing all that many honeybees, I seem to get mostly big bumblebees.
Karen
I have to admit... i don't even know if i know what one looks like.
Bumble Bees are obvious due to their size.... and that is mostly what i see.
I'm planting plants to attract them... but i have no idea if it has done any good.
They are nice and fuzzy.
thanks Karen.... how interesting.
You can also google "Colony Collapse Disorder" for more info about the disappearing honeybees. It is very interesting, not to mention sad and a little scarey. Some scientists believe it could cause widespread loss of seed producing crops for future generations. And of course, today's farmers.
Karen
dparsons01, for me, out of all the flowers I have, the one flower that attracts more BF than Bees is the Zinnia. For me, the Zinnia is the KING flower of BF's. But unfortunately sometimes, a garden is not complete if something is missing.... ;) (that's kinda redundant, but true)
I have to echo that -- i had a lot of flowers that attracted Butterflies... but they always hit the zinnias.... luckily, between myself and my neighbor... we probably have about a thousand zinnias.
I'll have to keep the Zinnas in mind if I'm shy on butterflies. There are even some xeric varieties I've seen.
It is ironic about the bee population decline, that the farming that needs them is also partly responsible for their decline. Ties right in with the sustainable agriculture stuff I've read.
My very best flower for attracting butterflies was verbena bonariensis, without a doubt. Unfortunately I've had to eliminate the plant this year because it became very invasive for me. I really loved it, too.
Karen
It also brought my first ever sphinx moth.
Karen
Karen -- i thought i had verbena bonariensis, but mine does not look like that. Mine has a more 'ferny' foliage... and it actually lays on the ground, not upright.
I'll go out and get a pic later.
but here is a butterfly on a Zinnia.
I attracted more bees than butterflies this year & we really need the honey bees! I found the bees stuck around my basil plants more than any other. The butterflies preferred the salvia, marigolds & cosmos..though the bees liked th cosmos too!
I worked alongside the bees very well..I agree it was the wasps I didn't approve of!
Terese, Sorry, I missed your last post somehow.
If your verbena is ferny and lays on the ground it must be another variety. There are so many verbenas, many annual and some perennial in warmer zones. Bonariensis is tall- mine varied from around 3 to 5 feet. The leaves are long and skinny. Here's some of mine last year.
Karen
Nice bed of verbena Karen! I had just a couple of those last year and will be planting all the seed I saved this year. They were the longest blooming plant in the bed and was a super nectar plant for butterflies and bees.
Thanks Karen... since that post... i have figured out what i have.
something like a Dakota False Verbena..... [i can find reference to it in the ID forum]
but -- i am getting some of what you have, the Bonariensis, in the Piggy Swap that is going on.... so i will finally have it.... now i just have to figure out where to put i.
Terese
Put it in full sun in the back of a flower bed; it is very tall.
It is tall... I've heard it called "verbena on a stick" LOL... but I've found it to be fairly "airy" so that you can look through it to easily see other flowers growing beyond.
oh... and as in 'where to put it' being i'm running out of room.
though i will try to make the beds wider next year.... to make room for all the stuff i plan to WS.
I hear ya TCS...I have to resort to container planting next year!! hahaha I have a limited space to work in anyway so I couldn't widen the garden if I wanted to.
That stuff is on my MUST have list for next year! I dont' know WHERE I'm going to put all my MUST HAVES though. LOL. I already have a new butterfly and hummingbird bed planned, but can tell that I have too many already.
I bet the Verbena would look good with my butterfly bushes... i have Pink and Black Knight.... it's an area i'm working on cleaning up of weeds ... so i do have more room there.
I like that yellow flower there. It will mix with that nicely.
I have the homestead verbena (trailing) but I never see butterflies on it.
those yellow flowers are these big Marigolds that came in a wildflower mix, and there are some BES a lil lower in the back. Along with a few zinnias... so most of that wont be there next year.
off on the right side, you can see the spent heads of Bee Balm ... they are the tallest plant there and a smattering of Husker Red. so, along with the Butterfly Bushes ... there is a lot of things to attract the B & B's.
OH - there is a lot of that nasty wild mint that i'm trying to get rid of.... it's been along project.
here is the same area, mid-July, from the opposite directions... these are all the perennials.
Terese: Verbena bonariensis is in the mint family, has the square stem. I'm having the same problem with it as you describe with your wild mint. I grew it deliberately for 2 years, and ended up with volunteers everywhere. I spend most of my garden time last summer trying to eradicate it.
Karen
I am hoping for spreading of the verbena bon. this year. I have mulched beds and it keeps it in check I guess.
I am going to try the butterfly weed in containers next year..or a butterfly bush..I haven't decided.
Thanks to Sheila_FW I will have milkweed!!! If all goes well in the container plantings, as I am going to try milkweed in that also I will pass on seeds to friends who only do container planting!