Top 10 Garden Plants for Native Bees in NH
Robert Eckert asked a very simple question in the Portsmouth Caterpillar Club Facebook Page back on August 9, 2022. It was: "which species attracts the most wild bees?" The question sent me on a journey to make a Top 5 list, which is nearly impossible because of all the different species, different soils, different seasons and different objectives which need to be taken into account when developing an ecosystem that sustains and promotes life from one year to the next. Bombus fervidus, August 2022, is nearly extinct in N.H. As you read this list, keep in mind that, to support native bees, you really need an ecosystem, not just a garden for the summer or the spring. A garden that does not support life cycles year-round will not succeed. It can only borrow or steal from the ecosystem around it. Our native bees and insects need habitat for the entire year if they are to survive. This means that, even if you plant all of the best plants, a spring or fall cleanup can und