Bee pasture

Planning guides for professionals

Insect decline and bee mortality – these terms are currently in the news, and for good reason. Studies suggest that insect biomass has fallen by up to 75% over the past 30 years.

A large proportion of our host-specific wild bee species are currently threatened with extinction. As insects are of enormous importance for the balance of our ecosystems, there is a growing desire amongst the public to support wild bees and other insects. In practical terms, this means preserving habitats and providing insects with more food. From March to September, insects need a long-lasting and abundant supply of nectar and pollen.

Expert tip: Bees think in three dimensions. A single tree is good, but a combination of different heights is better. For example, plant a tree (Prunus avium) alongside a shrub (Cornus mas). Perennials or small shrubs are suitable for the lower tier

Shrubs as a source of food

Plant retailers and garden owners are often unaware that, in addition to perennials and annuals, numerous species of woody plants – both trees and shrubs – make an important contribution to the diet of insects. Woody plants generally provide many sources of food. Nevertheless, the planting of bee-friendly woody plants remains a topic of debate, and bee mortality is frequently overlooked. Yet woody plants such as field maple (Acer campestre), lime (Tilia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), apple (Malus in various species and varieties) or oak (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur) are natural food sources for honeybees, wild bees and bumblebees.

Growth phase – flowering before fruit set (February to April)

Woodland	Pollen	Nectar	Flower time	Info
Acer negundo	++		March, April	Wild bee
Acer rubrum	+++	+	March, April	Bee, Wild bee
Acer saccharinum	++	++++	March	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee
Alnus spec.	+++		January, February, March, April	Bee
Betula pendula	++		April	Wild bee, Bee
Buxus sempervirens	+	++	March, April	Wild bee, Bee
Cercis siliquastrum/C. canadense	++	++++	March, April	Bee
Chaenomeles japonica	+++	++	March, April, May	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Cornus mas	+++	+++	March, April	Bee, Wild bee, Butterfly
Corylopsis pauciflora/C. spicata			March, April	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee
Corylus avellana	++		January, February, March, April	Wild bee, Bee
Corylus colurna	++		March, April	Bee
Erica carnea	++	++++	February, March, November, December	Bee, Wild bee, Butterfly
Lonicera purpusii			January, February, March, April	Bumblebee, Wild bee, Bee
Mahonia bealei			January, February, March, April	Wild bee, Bee
Populus spec.	+++		February, March, April	Bee
Prunus 'Accolade'	+++	+++	April	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Prunus armeniaca	++	++	March, April	Bee, Wild bee
Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra'	++	++	February, March, April	Bee, Wild bee
Prunus sargentii	++	+++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Salix alba / Salix alba 'Tristis'	+++	+++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Salix caprea	++++	++++	March, April	Bee, Wild bee Bumblebee, Butterfly
Salix daphnoides	+++	+++	February, March, November, December	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Taxus baccata	+++		March, April	Bee, Wild bee
Ulmus spec.	+++		March, April	Bee, Wild bee
Viburnum bodnantense/V. fragrans			January, February, March, April	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee

Early harvest – fruit blossom (mid-April to mid-May)

Woodland	Pollen	Nectar	Flower time	Info
Acer campestre in Sorten	++	++	April, May	Be, Wild bee, Insects
Acer griseum			May	Bee, Wild bee
Acer monspessulanum	++	++++	April, May	Bee
Acer platanoides in Sorten	++	+++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Hoverfly
Acer pseudoplatanus	++	++++	May	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Aesculus carnea 'Briotii'	+++	+++	May	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Aesculus hippocastanum	+++	+++	May	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Amelanchier lamarckii	+	++	April	Bee, Wild bee
Amelanchier rotundifolia	+	++	April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Carpinus betulus	++		April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Cornus sanguinea/C. alba	+	++	May	Bee, Wild bee, Hoverfly, Insects
Fagus sylvatica	++		April, May	Bee, Wild bee
Fraxinus excelsior	++		April, May	Bee, Wild bee
Juglans regia	++		May	Bee, Wild bee
Mahonia aquifolium	+++	++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Malus domestica	++++	++++	April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Malus Hybriden	+++	+++	May, June, July	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Malus tschonoskii			May	Bee, Wild bee, Butterfly
Osmanthus burkwoodii			April, May	Bee, Butterfly
Paulownis tomentosa	+	++	April, May, June, July	Bee
Prunus avium/P. cerasus	++++	++++	April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Prunus domestica	++	++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Prunus padus	+	+	Mai, June	Bee, many insects
Prunus spec.	++	+++	April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Prunus spinosa	+++	+++	April, May	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Pyrus communis	+++	++	April, May	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee
Pyrus salicifolia	++	++	April, May	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee
Quercus petraea	++		April, May	Bienen, Wildbienen, Insekten aller Art
Quercus robur	++		April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Ribes spec.	++	++	April May	Wild bee, Bumblebee

Early summer honey flow – after the fruit trees have finished flowering (May to the end of June)

Woodland	Pollen	Nectar	Flower time	Info
Aesculus flava 'Vestita'			May, June, July	Bee, Wild bee
Aralia elata	+++	+++	May, June	Bee, Wild bee
Berberis spec.	+	++	May, June	Bee Wild bee, Insects
Catalpa bignonioides	++	+++	June, July	Bee, Wild bee
Cotoneaster spec.	+++	+++	May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee, Butterfly
Crataegus crus-galli	++	++	May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Crataegus laevigata/C. monogyna	++	++	May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Crataegus lavallei 'Carrierei'	++	++	May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Cydonia oblonga	++	++	May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Deutzia scabra in Sorten	+	+	May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Elaeagnus angustifolia	+	++	May, June	Bee
Euonymus europaeus	++		April, May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly, Insects
Fraxinus ornus	+++	++	May	Bee
Gleditsia triacanthos 'Skyline', 'Sunburst'	+	++++	June, July	Bee, Wild bee
Gleditsia dioicus	++	++++	May, June	Bee
Hydrangea petiolaris	++	++	June, July	Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Ilex aquifolium	++	++	May	Bee Wild bee, Bumblebee
Kolkwitzia amabilis	++	++	May	Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Laburnum watereri 'Vossii'	++	+	May, June	Bumblebee, Bee, Insects
Ligustrum vulgare	+	++	June, July	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Insects
Liriodendron tulipifera	+	++	June	Bee, Bumblebee
Lonicera xylosteum	++	++	April	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Malus trilobata			June	Bee Wild bee, Insects
Nyssa sylvatica	++	+++	May, June	Bee
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	+++	+++	June, July	Bee
Phellodendron amurense	++	++	April, May	Bee
Philadelphs in Sorten	++	++	May	Wild bee, Bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Prunus laurocerasus in Sorten	++	++	June, July, August	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Hovery
Prunus lusitanica			June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Ptelea trifoliata	++	++	June	Bee
Rhododendron spec.	++	++	May, June, July, August	Bee, Wild bee, Insects
Robinia pseudoaccacia 'Bressonia', 'Nyirsegi'			May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Robinia 'Monophylla'			May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Robinia 'Semperflorens'			May, June, August, September	Bee Wild bee, Bumblebee
Sorbus aria	++	++	May	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Sorbus aucuparia	++	++	May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Sorbus commixta 'Dodong'			May, June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Sorbus domestica	++	++++	May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Sorbus intermedia	++	++	May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Sorbus thuringiaca 'Fastigiata'			May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Sorbus torminalis	++	+++	May, June	Bee, Hoverfly, Insects
Spiraea spec.	++	++	May, June, July, August	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Hoverfly
Syringa spec.	+++	++	May, June	Bumblebee, Bee, Wild bee, Hoverfly, Butterfly
Tilia cordata in Sorten	+	++++	July	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Tilia europaea 'Pallida'	+	++++	June	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Tilia mongolica			June, July	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Tilia platyphyllos in Sorten	+	++++	June, July	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee, Insects
Virburnum spec.	+	+	May, June	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee, Insects
Weigla spec.	++	++	May	Bee, Bumblebee
Wisteria sinensis/W. floribunda	+	++	May	Bee, Bumblebee, Insects

Summer nectar flow – flowering period from July to the end of September

Woodland	Pollen	Nectar	Flowering time	Info
Aesculus parviflora	+++	+++	July, August	Bee, Bumblebee
Buddleja spec.	++	++	May, June	Bee, Butterfly
Calluna vulgaris in Sorten	+++	+++	August, September	Bee, Wild bee
Caryopteris clandonensis	++++	++++	August, September	Bee, Bumblebee, Insects
Clethra alnifolia			July, August, September	Bee, Bumblebee
Euodia hupehensis	++	++++	July, August, September	Bee
Hedera helix 'Arborescens'			September	Bee, Butterfly, Wild bee
Heptacodium miconioides	++	+++	August, September, October, November	Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Hibiscus syriacus	+++	+	June, July, August, September	Bee, Bumblebee
Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle'			July, August, September	Bee, Hoverfly
Hydrangea macrophylla/H. serrata	++	++	July, August, September	Bee, Wild bee
Hydrangea paniculata in Sorten	++	++	July, August, September	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee
Koelreuteria paniculata	++	+++	July, August, September	Bee, Bumblebee
Lavandula spec.	+	++	June, July, August	Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Osanthus heterophyllus			September, October	Hoverfly, Insects
Parthenocissus tricuspidata in Sorten	+++	+++	July, August	Bee, Wild bee
Perovskia abrotaniodes	+	+++	Augut, Sepember, October	Bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly
Potentilla fruticosa	++	++	June, July, August, September	Bee, Wild bee, Butterfly
Sophora japonica	++	++++	August	Bee, Bumblebee, Wild bee
Symphoricarpos albus laevigatus	+	+++	June, July, August, September	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee, Butterfly, Insects
Tilia henryana			June, July, August, September	Bee, Bumblebee
Tilia tomentosa in Sorten	+	+++	August, September	Bee, Wild bee, Bumblebee

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FAQ - Frequently asked questions

Which shrubs and trees flower particularly early in the year?

Goat willow (Salix caprea), cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) and hazel (Corylus avellana) flower particularly early in the year. These plants are vital for the first foraging trips of bees and insects.

Are hedge plants also suitable as bee forage?

Yes, absolutely, provided they are not constantly pruned back drastically. Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and hawthorn (Crataegus) are excellent choices if you allow them to flower.

What is the difference between pollen and nectar value?

Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid. It is the primary source of energy for adult insects. Pollen is the source of protein. Without pollen, there would be no offspring, as the larvae are fed on pollen. For bees and insects, a mix of pollen and nectar is ideal. Translated with DeepL.com (free version)