Best Sunflowers for Honey Bees
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Do Bees Like Sunflowers?
One of the most popular bees in the world is the honey bee. And one of the most popular flowers in the world is the sunflower. It is only natural for us to wonder do bees like sunflowers? Not every flowering plant is attractive to bees and this is true for sunflower varieties too. A beautiful addition to any bee garden, just be sure to choose the best sunflowers for honey bees and you should have many winged visitors.
Growing Sunflowers for Pollinators
With over 70 different species of sunflowers in the world, the home gardener has many types to choose from. Most of them as easy to grow as long as you have a location that gets some sun.
When growing sunflowers for bees or other pollinators, you get a bonus. Seed produced will be a good food source for many kinds of wildlife later in the season.
Choose a Variety that Fits Your Bee Garden
You do not have to have a large space to grow sunflowers because they come in many varieties. Some of them do get very tall so keep that in mind.
A mix of several different ones adds beauty to the garden and food for bees too. In general, sunflowers are divided into 3 groups: Giant, Dwarf and Colorful.
Giant sunflowers grow tall with large impressive blooms. This type can actually be planted in a way to create a sunflower forest of the stalks.
It is not unusual for giant sunflowers to reach a height of 10-12 feet or more. Keep this in mind when you are choosing where they should be planted.
Provide support by growing along a fence or other barrier. They are easy to start from seed, grow quickly and are an impressive choice for gardening with kids.
Dwarf Sunflowers are those that reach a smaller stature. Tending to be under 4 feet tall, dwarfs normally have a slightly smaller bloom. They are a good choice for smaller spaces and do not require stacking.
Colorful sunflowers are mostly newer hybrids. They are grown for their unique color combination.
Having the same flower style as traditional sunflowers, they come in a variety of unusual colors. Pale yellow or white is popular, as well as, pink or deep red.
Are Sunflowers Good for Bees?
While all of them are beautiful, only some varieties of sunflowers provide food for bees. Nectar is a sweet liquid substance secreted by flowers to attract bees. Honey bees use this watery plant nectar to make honey .
Many blooming flowers rely on insect pollination. When bees collect pollen, or nectar, they inadvertently move pollen from one flower to another. Honey bees use pollen as a protein source to raise young bees.
So, when choosing the best sunflowers for bees, we want those that provide bee food in the form or nectar, pollen or both. And don’t forget to include other flowers for bees that will bloom before and after your sunflowers.
How to Choose the Best Sunflower Variety for Your Bee Garden
Are all sunflowers equally good for bees? No, they are not. In nature, not every plant needs insect pollination.
There are even some types of plants that repel bees because they do not need insects for pollination. For them, the energy for nectar production would be wasted.
Avoid Pollenless Flowers
If you are planting for pollinators, you want to choose sunflowers that are most attractive to bees. Some of the newer types of sunflowers are pollenless.
This is due to the desire of gardeners to avoid the mess of pollen and for those with serious allergies. These special hybrids will look great in your garden but they are not beneficial to pollinators.
Best Sunflower Varieties to Grow for Bees
- Lemon Queen
- Mammoth Grey Stripe
- Black Russian
- Giant White Seeded
- Henry Wilde
- Autumn Beauty
- Chocolate Cherry
- Evening Sun
- Sonja
- Red Sun
- Maximillian
- Velvet Queen
- Teddy Bear Sungold
The small teddy bear variety (Sungold) provides some pollen if you only have a small space in your bee friendly garden. Try to combine more than 1 variety for longer bloom time.
Care for Your Sunflower Bee Garden
Sunflowers do best in soil that is light and not compacted. This is because their roots like to spread out.
Heavy clay soil will not produce the best plant. While they appreciate slightly acidic soil, they can do well in alkaline soil too.
With the word “sun” in the name, you must know that this is not a shade plant. Sunflowers need sun and lots of it.
Giving your flowers at least 8 hours of sun each day is the very best location. These plants like warm temperatures. Heat is good.
Even though they can stand drought conditions once established, sunflowers can be heavy feeders. Working organic material in the soil is a great way to encourage them as is using liquid fertilizer.
Especially for the tall varieties, you may need to consider some type of support. Those large flower heads can make the plant “top heavy” especially in windy weather.
Planting them in a group also helps them provide support for each other.
Start Sunflowers From Seeds
The most common way to grow sunflowers for bees is to start with seeds. This is because it is so easy to do and as the plant grows larger, transplanting can be challenging.
When buying seeds, always try for organic as these will not have a pesticide covering. Sunflower seeds can be started indoors in peat pots 2-3 weeks before your Spring planting date.
Read the seed packet carefully and look for “bee friendly” avoid those that say pollenless.
Plant your sunflower seedlings – or direct seed- after all danger of frost is over. This type of seed also does well when used in seed ball projects.
Or if you prefer to use the other method of increasing bee habitat, seed bombs made with air dry clay work too.
Final Tips on the Best Sunflowers for Bees
The most popular sunflower grown for bees is Lemon Queen. Grab some seeds and participate in The Great Sunflower Project.
It’s a wonderful way to enjoy gardening and benefit the pollinators in your area. If you have a larger area, consider planting a variety of sunflowers to add color to your landscape and feed some bees.
