Honeybees and native bees are exceptional pollinators that feed on the nectar and pollen of many outdoor plants. These crucial insects sustain agriculture and life as we know it worldwide. This collection of plants is specially curated to attract and support bees and ensure their population continues to grow in the years to come.
Adding nectar-rich plants to the landscape can help attract and support your local bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Bees are a wonderfully diverse group of insects important to the economy and ecology of Oregon. Many people are familiar with European honey bees (Apis mellifera), blue orchard mason bees (Osmia lignaria) and bumble bees (Bombus spp.). These charismatic, well-known species are important pollinators. But they represent a tiny fraction of the roughly 4,000 species documented in North America. While a handful of these bees are managed and several are non-native, most are wild bees native to the state.
Why native shrubs matter for bees
With such tremendous biodiversity, native bees differ considerably in their life histories. They vary in the plants they visit for food, how they build their nests and in their degree of sociality. One way that bees vary is in their floral preferences. Not all flower species are equally attractive or even accessible to all bee species. Some species visit many different types of flowers. Others forage only on plants within a specific family or genus. With such diversity, it is no surprise that some bee species are ineffective pollinators. For example, some bees can remove resources from a flower without pollinating it. Nevertheless, most bee species contribute to pollination. And when native bee communities are disrupted, seed and fruit production can decline. These effects can ripple into the ecosystem, affecting mammals and birds that depend on fruits and seeds.
Pollination, or the transfer of pollen between flowers of the same species, occurs in nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Much of our world’s flowering plant diversity relies on insects for pollination. Pollination occurs because bees seek resources from flowers to provide energy and protein. They use nectar, pollen (and rarely floral oil) for themselves and their developing young. When a bee visits a flower and collects these resources, pollen sticks to her body and some likely transfers to the next flower she visits. While these visits do not always result in pollination, repeated visits from many bees help guarantee that blooms get pollinated.
Unfortunately, habitat destruction, climate change, pesticides and disease all threaten bees. Scientists have observed population declines in many native species. Some Oregon bee species have experienced sharp reductions in range and abundance. These include the western bumble bee, Bombus occidentalis, and Franklin’s bumble bee, Bombus franklini. In recent years, interest in habitat restoration and enhancement for native bees has skyrocketed. In Oregon, projects range in size from pollinator gardens in urban yards to large-scale ecosystem restoration. Yet, when habitat enhancement and restoration efforts omit key plant species, some bees that rely on those plants may be left out. Planting key plants for Oregon bees may be one way to improve habitat and help these species recover.
Even though we have much to learn about many native bee species, increasing the number and diversity of flowering plants that support bees can boost the health of native pollinators. Since bee needs can vary from species to species, encourage pollinators by planting a wide variety of plants with abundant blooms. These strategies can also benefit commercially managed bee species in Oregon, like honey bees and blue orchard bees.
A practical guide to Oregon shrubs and trees for pollinators
This guide is designed to walk readers through the flowering trees and shrubs of Oregon. This information may help people across our state’s diverse biomes choose native shrubs and trees for pollinator habitat. This guide should help landowners promote native-bee-friendly landscapes on their property. While all of the shrubs and trees covered are native to Oregon, many may occur outside of the state. This guide briefly profiles 29 different types or “taxa” of shrubs and trees that are useful to bees. All data were compiled from the Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service Plants Database and various field guides (see “Resources”). For more specific information on the shrubs and trees, the guide links each species to Oregon Flora. This database contains more detailed maps, information on gardening with native plants, general traits and a list of links to other sources on each plant.
Shrubs and trees can live for a long time, with some species lasting decades. Many species are also resilient once established, can tolerate varied environmental conditions, and are less vulnerable to competition from weeds and grasses. Selecting appropriate shrubs and trees for your site will help your plants survive for many years. Shrubs have distinct advantages over shorter-lived annual or perennial forbs. You can save money by propagating some shrubs from plant cuttings. Many shrubs and trees are visited by a wide variety of bee species, and some even appear to support specialist bee species. One eastern Oregon study found 80 species of bees visiting local native shrubs.
Native bees use trees and shrubs in many ways. Many bee species visit shrubs and trees to forage for nectar, pollen or floral oils. And some bees will use the hollow or pithy stems of shrubs like elderberry, raspberry and spirea to create nests. Some native shrubs and trees produce delicious fruits and berries. So, on top of providing forage resources to bees, they can provide forage resources for you! Native shrubs like huckleberries, certain currants, raspberries, thimbleberries and others produce edible fruit. You can tap bigleaf maple to extract sap for maple syrup production. Shrubs and trees can provide resources to other wildlife. Elk and deer browse foliage of both shrubs and trees. Squirrels and birds may eat berries or seeds produced by shrubs and trees. And birds or small mammals may take shelter and nest in the cavities of trees or in the branches of trees and shrubs. Even salmon, trout and other cold-water fish benefit from shrubs and trees.
Maps show where the plants are found in nature. For single species, maps display the presence (green) or absence (gray) by county. In cases where multiple species occur, the map key shows either which species occurs in which county, or the number of species per county. (This improves map readability for taxa that have many species.) We used county-level information from the USDA NRCS Plants Database to inform the maps.
Before going to the expense of buying new plants, survey your property for the shrubs in this manual. If you are a small-woodland owner, a park manager, a golf course superintendent or even a homeowner, many of these shrubs may already be growing on your property. Shrubs can be expensive and difficult to obtain. Match shrubs to key site characteristics and invest in their successful establishment. Weed control is a critical first step. Take steps to control weeds the year before you plant. You may need to use herbicides at sites with heavy weed pressure. If you have applied herbicides, make sure they have sufficiently degraded prior to planting to avoid damage to new shrubs. Or, plant shrubs into holes cut through weed fabric. This approach does not require the use of herbicides, although it can be more expensive. Another approach for weedy sites combines mowing and mulching. Mow weeds down, then cover the ground in a thick layer of mulch, about 5 to 6 inches deep. Make sure to give shrubs enough room to grow by spacing them far enough apart to accommodate their size at maturity. Some shrubs, such as willow, may require more spacing. Transplant potted shrubs or whips in fall. Irrigate newly planted shrubs throughout their first year. Use long, deep watering to encourage root growth.
Representative native shrubs and their pollinator notes
- Antelope bitterbrush: An important floral resource in arid parts of the state; visiting bees include mining bees (Andrena), mason bees (Osmia), and honey bees (Apis mellifera).
- Currants (golden currant, wax currant, redflower currant): Visited by diverse species including bumble bees (Bombus sp.), digger bees (Anthophora sp.), mining bees (Osmia sp.).
- Red-osier dogwood and Pacific dogwood: Berries used by wildlife; many bee species visit both red-osier and Pacific dogwood.
- Manzanita: Best pollinated by buzz pollinators, including bumble bees (Bombus spp.).
- Black hawthorn and fireberry hawthorn: Visited by a large number of bee species; tolerant of a wide variety of soils.
- Vaccinium species (native blueberries and huckleberries): Visited by a variety of bees, especially Bombus spp., long tongues access deep flowers.
- Labrador tea and western Labrador tea: Likely pollinated by bees; early bloom may benefit solitary bees and queen bumble bees.
- Ninebark (Pacific and mallow ninebark): Good pollinators but bloom window may be short; varied soils.
- Oceanspray (various coastal shrubs): Open flowers with accessible pollen and nectar; important for native bees and butterflies.
Many of these shrubs not only support bees but also provide edible fruits, shelter, and habitat for other wildlife. Some species can be tapped for sap or coppice for nesting materials, and several offer late-season forage to extend bee activity. This makes them excellent backbone plants for pollinator-friendly landscapes that aim to support both wild and managed bee populations.
Top native shrubs and cultivars commonly used for pollinator gardens
Gardening for pollinators isn’t a trend; it’s a central part of ecosystem function. If you don’t see the appeal of attracting pollinators to your landscape, planting one of these ten shrubs for pollinators will make you a convert.
- Funshine® Abelia: Fragrant white flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds; late-summer dark purple berries add wildlife interest.
- Miss Violet Butterfly Bush: Long bloom time; highly attractive to butterflies and bees; complements other shrubs that sustain different insect life stages.
- Sugar Shack® Buttonbush: Pollen- and nectar-rich blooms attract bees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds; host for butterfly and moth larvae.
- Bloomerang® Dwarf Reblooming Lilac: Spring and late-season blooms extend nectar and pollen resources for bees and butterflies.
- Gatsby Pink® Oakleaf Hydrangea: Lacecap flowers attract pollinators; fall interest with ongoing blooms and nesting materials from leaves and bark.
- Golden Shadows® Pagoda Dogwood: Early-season nectar for butterflies; striking foliage for shade gardens.
- Little Quick Fire® Panicle Hydrangea: Lacecap varieties offer accessible nectar and pollen across seasons; easy care.
- Paraplu Pink Ink® Rose of Sharon: Large flowers attract bumblebees and hummingbirds; long bloom period.
- Temple of Bloom® Seven-Son Flower: Dramatic late-season blooms; abundant nectar and attraction for bees and hummingbirds.
These selections, alongside many native options, can help you cultivate a diverse and resilient pollinator garden. When designing, aim to cover a broad bloom window across spring, summer, and fall to support bees’ foraging needs throughout the growing season.
Watch pollinators in action and learn about plant-bee interactions with practical demonstrations and real-world gardening results.
🌸🐝 Hatching 100 Spring Eggs in Bee Garden Roblox
Practical tips for establishing and maintaining pollinator shrubs
- Survey your property for existing shrubs that support bees and consider planting additional complementary species to fill seasonal gaps.
- Match shrub size and spacing to mature dimensions to ensure healthy growth and ease of maintenance.
- Prepare weed-free planting areas; consider weed fabric or mulch to suppress competition in weed-prone sites.
- Irrigate newly planted shrubs with deep, slow watering to establish robust roots during the first year.
- Accept that bloom windows vary; plan to stagger plantings and incorporate multiple species to sustain forage across seasons.