Oregon State University Extension Service

Native bee interactions with plants

This collection features a variety of plant species and indicates which pollinators are attracted to them, as well as practical information such as their growing season, physical traits and more.

Profile of showy townsendia — Townesendia florifer

Showy townsendia is a member of the sunflower or aster family, the largest family of flowering plants in the world. This family is very important ecologically, especially for native bees and other pollinators.

Phil Paterno | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Profile of Oregon sunshine — Eriophyllum lanatum

Oregon sunshine is a member of the sunflower or aster family. It thrives in a variety of habitats, most frequently on dry, sandy sites or fine talus slopes. Many species of bees rely on Oregon sunshine.

Phil Paterno | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Sweat bees and mariposa lilies

Emerald green sweat bees are striking in appearance with coloring that ranges from metallic green to blue or purple. It is found throughout the US from sea level to about 8,000 feet but is most common on the West Coast.

Pam Hayes | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Cheery garden cosmos

In late summer as most seasonal flowering plants start to wither, the cheery garden cosmos is still blooming strong. It is also attracting a diversity of bees, pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Candy Solovjovs | Apr 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Calochortus eurycarpus (white mariposa lily)

The white mariposa lily is a bulb-forming perennial that produces a flowering stem up to 20 inches tall. Flowers have three large white petals with purple blotches, and bloom occurs June to August.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Zigadenus elegans (mountain death camas)

Mountain death camas is a perennial that grows in mountain meadows, rocky slopes and forests. Its creamy flowers bloom in the summer. The plant is toxic, including its pollen and nectar, and attracts one type of bee.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

The California poppy blooms from March to October and attracts hundreds of native bees. It grows in grassy areas up to 7,000 feet. Flowers respond phototropically to low light levels, closing at night and on cloudy days.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Camassia quamash (common or small camas)

Small camas is a perennial that produces a stem up to three feet high with blue-violet, star-shaped flowers. It is found on grassy slopes and meadows at low to mid-elevations and blooms from April to June.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Ipomopsis aggregata (scarlet gilia)

Scarlet gilia is a biennial to perennial forb with a flowering stem up to 2 feet tall. Long, red tubular flowers grow on stems, and bloom occurs August to October. Found on hillsides and slopes at higher elevations.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Penstemon procerus (littleflower penstemon)

Penstemon procerus features blue-purple, tubular petals and attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The plants are fairly common at middle to high elevations of western North America from Alaska to California.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Lupinus argenteus (silvery lupine)

Silvery lupine has multiple erect stems 1 to 2 feet tall with blue to violet flowers that grow on spikes 8 inches long. Bloom occurs June to August. Found in stream valleys, dry roadsides and rocky prairies.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Chamaenerion angustifolium (fireweed)

Fireweed is a perennial forb with erect stems 1 to 6 feet tall. Pink flowers grow on long stems, and bloom occurs June to September. Grows in moist to dry disturbed areas such as clearings, roadsides and river bars.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Eriogonum umbellatum (sulphur-flower buckwheat)

Sulphur-flower buckwheat is a perennial forb or subshrub that grows in sandy and gravelly areas in sagebrush communities on dry slopes, ridges and rock outcrops at elevations up to 10,000 feet.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Eriogonum heracleoides (parsnip-flower buckwheat)

Parsnip-flower buckwheat features white to yellow flowers on branching woody stems that are 4 to 24 inches tall. Bloom is from May to July or later in higher elevations. Found in forest openings and on ridges.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Sweat bees and yarrow (in English)

Yarrow attracts an incredible richness of pollinators, including all of the short-tongued bee genera, like the Halictus in the video. Watch her mandibles open and she extends her tongue to collect nectar.

Carol Yamada | Dec 2024 | Video

Bees in the vegetable garden — mustard

Want to entice more bees to your vegetable garden? Plant mustard. Bees absolutely love mustard flowers! The pretty, bright yellow flowers produce an abundance of both pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.

Candy Solovjovs | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

The buckwheat family

Desert buckwheat is an attractive, long-lived perennial with variably colored, ball-shaped flower clusters. It provides nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators, as well as seeds for songbirds and rodents.

Phil Paterno | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Bumblebees and lavender

While both bumblebees and honey bees are attracted to lavender, the plant is more popular among bumblebees whose long tongues allow them to efficiently extract nectar from lavender’s tubular flowers.

Candy Solovjovs | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Family Rosaceae — Rosa woodsii — Woods' rose

Woods' rose is a common wild rose that grows in a variety of habitats in the Pacific Northwest and provides habitat for a variety of bees and other wildlife. Its fragrant pink flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Phil Paterno | Mar 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Male wool carder bees use size and agility to protect their territory (in English)

Male Wool Carder Bees (Anthidium manicatum) use size and agility to protect their territory. Females gather fuzz from wooly leaves for their nests, hence their name.

Ellen M. Silva | Dec 2024 | Video

Aug 2022
close up of bee
Source URL: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/collection/native-bee-interactions-plants