Poppies are planted in gardens, on balconies and terraces primarily because of their eye-catching flowers in a wide variety of colors. Here you can read whether they are also useful for honey bees, wild bees and other insect species.
Are poppies bee friendly?
Poppies, especially corn poppies, are bee-friendly and provide important food sources for bees through their black pollen. You can sow corn poppies in your garden or on your balcony and terrace from March onwards to attract bees and promote biodiversity.
Is poppy seeds bee friendly?
Poppy with its feathery flowers is animportant pasture for bees It does not have any nectar that bees like to collect. However, the numerous black pollen is very interesting for the busy summers. The plant is oriented towards certain times of the day. Most pollen is produced by ten in the morning. At this time you can see the most bees, bumblebees and butterflies on the poppies. The bees use the pollen as an important source of nutrients with numerous proteins and amino acids for their brood.
Which types of poppies are suitable for bee pasture?
Especially theCommon poppy (paperver rhoeas), which blooms between May and August, is an important pasture for bees. Some time ago you could often find it in fields and roadsides. However, due to intensive agriculture and the use of pesticides, this sight is now rare. Sowing in home gardens and on flower strips is all the more important. Due to its popularity among flower pollinators, but also because of its appearance, corn poppies are often found in flowering mixtures. Corn poppy is a pioneer plant and also grows on poor, dry soils.
What is the poppy bee?
In fact, there is a veryrare species of wild bee that specializes in corn poppies: the poppy bee (osmia papaveris). The poppy bee, about half the size of honey bees, is threatened with extinction and can hardly be found in our gardens or the outdoors. She needs the leaves of the poppy flower to build her nest. The female uses her pincers to cut off pieces of the flower about the size of a fingernail and transports them to her nest, which she has previously dug in sandy soil.
Tip
Sow corn poppies in your garden
To increase biodiversity and attract extra bees to your garden, you can sow corn poppy seeds in your garden and in large pots or tubs on your balcony or terrace as early as March. Poppies love a sunny spot with well-drained soil. They do not require any complex care and, in normal weather, neither additional water nor fertilizer.
