With their colorful flower balls, hydrangeas in the bed and on the balcony are a feast for the eyes. Hobby gardeners who are close to nature are not dazzled by the floral splendor and question the useful value for bees. Read here whether hydrangeas are suitable as valuable pasture for bees.
Which hydrangeas are bee-friendly?
Most hydrangeas are worthless to bees because sterile flowers produce neither pollen nor nectar. Bee-friendly hydrangea species include panicle hydrangea 'Kyushu', climbing hydrangea and climbing hydrangea 'Crug Coral'. Alternatives to hydrangeas include apple rose, bearded rose, candleweed and seven sons of heaven shrub.
Are hydrangeas valuable for bees?
Most hydrangeas are completely worthless to bees. Bred hydrangea hybrids are genderless. Sterile flowers of garden and farm hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) produce neither pollen nor nectar. Unfortunately, the magnificent flower balls in bright colors promise the insects a lush harvest of pollen and nectar. Bees invest valuable energy in the approach and the fruitless search for food. In the process, reserves of strength that are essential for brood care, which is essential for survival, are lost without result.
Are there bee-friendly hydrangeas?
A few hydrangeas do not leave bees empty-handed. This includes a hybrid whose breeding was aimed at producing fertile flowers. In addition, certain wild Hydrangea species have a moderate supply of pollen and nectar. The following overview introduces you tobee-friendly hydrangeas in more detail:
- Pranicle hydrangea 'Kyushu' (Hydrangea paniculata) bears creamy white flower spikes as a sufficiently productive bee pasture.
- Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) impresses with its up to 25 cm wide, bee-friendly, white umbrella flowers.
- Climbing hydrangea 'Crug Coral' is the coral-pink counterpart to the original species.
What bee-friendly alternatives to hydrangeas are there?
In the bee-friendly garden, hydrangeas are left behind. An abundance of magnificently flowering perennials and trees provides a richly laid table for bees, even in partial shade. The bestbee-friendly alternatives to hydrangeas, mention the following overview by name:
- Apple rose (Rosa rugosa), pink-flowering bee pasture for 10 bee species.
- Beardflower (Caryopteris clandonensis), abundance of blue flowers with a nectar and pollen value of 4.
- Candleweed (Bistorta amplexicaulis), bright red flowering candles from June to October.
- Seven Sons of Heaven shrub (Heptacodium miconioides), white flower clusters from July until the first frost.
Tip
Garden marshmallow provides pollen at the right time
The low nectar value of garden marshmallow (Hibiscus syriacus) is a problem for bees. From July to October, the magnificent flowering tree is a pasture swarmed by bees. Winter bees are breeding at this time of year. To build up a thick layer of fat, winter bees eat protein-rich hibiscus pollen. With these energy reserves in their luggage, the workers take care of the first brood and pollinate the spring bloomers in the garden.