Ivydene Gardens Plants:
Bee Pollinated Plants for Hay Fever Sufferers List with
Flowers in the Autumn between
September-October

See Wildflower Garden Use Page for other bee-pollinated or insect-pollinated list of plants.

If a plant is polinated by a bee, then it is not wind-pollinated. This means that the plants mentioned on this page and in the book "Garden Plants Valuable to Bees" (written by the International Bee Research Association) will be suitable for people who suffer from hay fever.

You can compare the flower colour of the bee-pollinated plants with all the other bee-pollinated plants (who have Plant Description Pages in this website) using the Bee-pollinated 12 colours of Bloom in each Month Gallery. There are also 218 additional bee-pollinated plants (who may not have any Plant Description Page in this website) in the 12 colours per month pages of the Bee-pollinated Index Gallery.

The importance of garden plants yielding nectar and pollen is that together they provide a continuous food supply - from willows and crocuses in early spring to ivy in late autumn. Colonies of bees need food through their active season , so that they can develop and rear new bees. This food supply used to be provided by pastures that came into flower before they were cut, by verges and hedgerows, and by abundant weeds. Nowadays the efficiency of agriculture has greatly reduced these resources for the bees.

The list for gardens exclude most crop plants, most fruits and all very invasive plants that are difficult to control.

It is designed for Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

"Ordinary garden soil" is pH 5-7 and contains some humus-forming material.

The report below details which plants in Greater San Francisco Bay Area Region of the USA were visited by each different bee family; and therefore will aid you in selection of plants that are bee-pollinated rather than wind-pollinated, besides the ones that I have listed in my table below:-

RECORD OF NATIVE BEES FOUND IN THE GREATER SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA REGION, WITH SOME OF THEIR LIKELY PLANT HOSTS

Compiled by Laura Arneson

Landscape Noise Reduction

Road Noise, Airport Noise, Industrial Units and Railway Noise next to gardens is detrimental to humans living in those houses within those gardens. There are 4 methods commonly used for sound attenuation (the reduction of intensity of outdoor sounds before they reach the receiver) :-

• Sound Absorption. This method uses plants to entrap or absorb sound vibrations.
• Sound Deflection and Reflection. This method causes the noise to be bounced away from the recipient and sometimes back toward the source.
• Sound Refraction. This little known effect occurs when noise is dissipated, diffused or dispersed by striking a rough surface on any plain.
• White Noise. It is designed to create sound that is appealing to the human brain as a mask for undesirable noise. The most widely used method is a fountain that makes loud splashes.

Using these bee-pollinated plants between estates in the public ambling area and between the houses/gardens and the noise will reduce that relevant noise level using the Sound Absorption Method; and be suitable for everyone including Hay Fever sufferers:-

• 1. Install chain link fence on strong supports with 12 inch (30 cms) gap at bottom (to allow local wildlife - hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, frogs and newts access) and 48 inch (120 cms) chainlink between 12 and 60 inch (30 and 150 cms) from ground on estate boundary. Add 4th Line Wire on top links to prevent that chainlink from sagging. Plant ivy, Rosa with it's 'Single Flowers' cultivars (see below) and thornless blackberries so that they can then climb onto that chainlink fencing within the inside of that public ambling area.
• 2. Plant mixture of bulbs, evergreen perennials, herbaceous perennials, deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, which grow between 18 and 96 inches (45 and 240 cms) high - add the eventual width of a pair and divide that by 2 as the planting distance between them. This combined with their different heights will produce a random effect in this minimum-width of 96 inches (240 cms) area and 72 inch width (180 cms) of area 4. It is also most likely that viewing from one side to the estate boundary, you are unlikely to see the bottom of the chainlink. Use 30% evergreen and the rest is herbaceous/deciduous to provide a change throughout the year for the estate inhabitants to enjoy on their rambles. The blackberries on the estate boundary and the fruit from each of the 3 cherries, 3 apple and 3 pear for each estate can either be enjoyed by the humans or the wildlife. Mulch the area with 4 inch thick (10 cms) of Bark before planting and thoroughly soak the ground after planting. Then, sow White Clover (see Green Manure) over the whole of both areas 2 and 4 to provide Nitrogen to the other plants and reduce evaporation of the irrigated water in between the 2 soakings each year.
  Thoroughly soak the ground in August to provide the shrubs and fruit trees with the water to be stored in their roots and then be used during the spring foliage production. Thoroughly soak the ground again in April to provide their water supply during the later spring and summer.
• 3. 48 inch wide (120 cms) path using Cedargravel. After the Cedargravel is installed, use different coloured pea-shingle to create games like snakes and ladders, hopscotch or noughts and crosses or a picture. This path allows the rain to drain through and be used by the plants on either side. If you wear women's high heels, you will have no problem walking on this path. You can also use it for remote-controlled model cars or landing remote-control model aircraft.
• 4. A repeat of of 2. without the blackberries or fruit trees - If the fruit is only on the other side of the path, then the fruit pickers will not be tempted to try the home owners side.
• 5. Install chain link fence on strong supports with 72 inch (180 cms) chainlink on top of ground level on private garden boundary. Add 4th Line Wire on top links to prevent that chainlink from sagging. Plant ivy so that it can then climb onto that chainlink fencing from inside the public ambling area.

If the house owner has a noise problem from outside their property, then they can use the same solution as above using 1, 2, 3 and 4 only. Their sheds and storage facilities can be installed in area 4 with path 3. leading to them.

Single flowered cultivars (some are marked as 'Single Flowers') are more useful to bees than double flowered cultivars.
Bloom type depends on the number of petals for Roses:-

• Single blooms are fully opened and almost flat, consisting of 1-7 petals per bloom.
• Semi-double blooms consist of 8-15 petals in two rows.
• Double blooms consist of 16-25 overlapping petals in three or more rows.
• Full: 26-40 petals in three or more rows.
• Very full: 40+ petals in three or more rows.

The final column shows the value of the plant to bees (honeybees and hive bees):

• N and P indicate that they collect Nectar and Pollen, respectively.
• Plants especially used by Bumble Bees are marked B.
• The absence of all 3 entries (N,P,B) for a few plants reflects insufficiency of observations as to what it is that bees collect from that plant.
   

Common Name

Flowering Months of Plant Named but not "and it's cultivars"

Flowering Colour of Plant Named but not "and it's cultivars"

Plant Type
(Per = Perennial) with link to
Plant Description Page,
Companion Planting Page, Rock Garden Index Page
and/or Wildlife Family Page in this website

Comment

The RHS has compiled this list of plants that will provide nectar and pollen for bees and many other types of pollinating insects:-
Compiled by Andrew Halstead, RHS Principal Entomologist.
The plants detailed below start with the plants from the above list which flower in
Autumn Sep-Oct

Aconitum carmichaeli

Monks-hood

Actaea simplex

Bugbane

Anemone hupehensis

Japanese anemone

Anemone x hybrida

Japanese anemone

Arbutus unedo

Straw-berry tree

Aster amellus

Perennial aster

Aster ericoides f. prostratus

Perennial aster

Aster koraiensis

Perennial aster

Aster laterifolius var horizontalis

Perennial aster

Aster novae-angliae

Michael-mas daisy

Aster novi-belgi

Michael-mas daisy

Aster oolentang-iensis

Perennial aster

Aster turbinellus

Perennial aster

Aster x frikartii 'Monch'

Perennial aster

Campanula poschar-skyana

Bell-flower

Cerato-stigma plumbag-inoides

Clematis hera-cleifolia

Clematis

Colchicum species

Autumn crocus

Dahlia cultivars

Dahlia - single-flower-ed forms

Elaeagnus pungens

Elaeagnus x ebbingei

Fatsia japonica

Japanese aralia

Hedera colchica

Persian ivy

Hedera helix

Native plant. Ivy

Hedera helix 'Arbor-escens'

Helianthus x laetiflorus

Sun-flower

Leucanth-emella serotina

Salvia leucantha

Mexican bush

Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue'

Tilia henryana

Lime tree

One of the last to flower

Top ten plants that are bad for bees from Countryfile Magazine

"Lavender, alliums, fuschias, sweet peas - keen gardeners know the very best flowers to entice bees to their gardens. But what about plants that are  bad for bees? Here is our expert guide to the top ten plants that you should avoid to keep bees happy and buzzing, plus the perfect alternatives.

1. Rhododendron
Spectacular and beautiful, not many people know the common rhododendron hides a poisonous secret – its nectar is toxic to bees. It’s common practice for beekeepers to keep their hives closed until the flowering season is over. The resulting honey from rhododendrons has also been known to contaminate honey, making it unsafe for humans to eat.
Alternative: Clematis have beautiful, wide flowers and are 100 per cent bee-friendly.

2. Azalea
Rhododendron’s sister, azaleas are also toxic to bees.
Alternative: Foxgloves (Digitalis) are a bee favourite and despite being poisonous if consumed by humans, they are both honey and bee safe.

3. Trumpet flower, or angel’s trumpet (Brugmansia suaveolens)
Though ornamental and sweet smelling, the trumpet flower’s nectar can cause brood death in bees and is best avoided.
Alternative: Try honeysuckle (Lonicera) instead for deliciously scented results.

4. Oleander (Nerium oleander)
Harmful to butterflies as well as bees, oleander has a severe effect on hives. Nectar taken to the hive concentrates as it dries out, which increases the amount of toxins and usually results in a mass hive wipeout. 
Alternative: Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus) are equally as bright and arguably more attractive in small or large gardens.

5. Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Pleasantly aromatic and attractive as they are, bees are often poisoned by the vines and flowers of the yellow jessamine and its toxins are said to be as severe as hemlock.
Alternative: Plant Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) in tubs and along fences for a pretty, easy-to-grow substitute.

6. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
Part of the blueberry family, the mountain laurel is an evergreen shrub with sweet, white or pink flowers when in bloom. Pretty they may be, but the honey produced by mountain laurel is toxic to humans and is often bitter tasting.
Alternative: Lilacs (Syringa) are both beautiful and wonderfully sweet smelling. Easy to grow and are loved by bees and butterflies. 

7. Stargazer lily (Lilium 'Stargazer')
Stunning but deadly to cats, stargazer lilies’ pollen is poisonous to bees.
Alternative: Hollyhocks (Alcea) are impressive and just as beautiful as the stargazer but bee-friendly.

8. Heliconia

Exotic and interesting, heliconia, or lobster-claws as its sometimes called, is very toxic to bees. You should not prune your heliconias, as the 'stem' is actually made up of rolled leaf bases and the flowers emerge from the top of these 'pseudostems'. However, each stem will only flower once, so after flowering you can cut that stem out. This is recommended, to encourage more flowering, to increase airflow in between the stems of your plant, and also to generally tidy it up and improve the appearance.
Alternative: Although not quite as exotic, hyacinths are fragrant, gorgeous and easy to grow. Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous; they contain oxalic acid. Handling hyacinth bulbs can cause mild skin irritation. Protective gloves are recommended.

9. Bog rosemary (Andromeda polifolia -
All parts of the plant contain andromedotoxin and are considered poisonous)
Not to be confused with the herb, bog rosemary is acutely poisonous and the honey produced from the nectar of Andromeda polifolia contains high enough levels of grayanotoxin to cause full body paralysis and potentially fatal breathing difficulties due to diaphragm paralysis.
Alternative: Why not try planting a classic rosemary bush (Rosmarinus officinalis) – aromatic, resilient and favoured by bees.

10. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Now most commonly recognised as decorative Christmas flowers, amaryllis are gorgeous in bloom but their pollen produces toxic honey. Bulbs, chewing or ingestion of the bulbs, leaves or flowers poisons goats and sheep with Lycorine (an emetic) and small amounts of alkaloids.
Alternative: Dahlias are a highlight of late summer gardens. Beautiful and simple to grow, dahlias often flower until the first frosts of the year."

This is another list of Plants toxic to bees, which includes:-
Aesculus californica, Astralagus species, Cuscuta species, Cyrilla racemiflora, Solanum nigram, Veratrum cailfornicum, Zygadenus cenesosus, Corynocarpus laevigata, Angelica triqueta, Astralagus lentiginosus, Camellia thea, Ochrama lagopus, Sophora microphylla, Tillia species, Verartrum californicum, Asclepias species, Astralagus miser v. serotibus.

Site design and content copyright ©December 2006. Page structure changed September 2012. External and Internal links added May 2015. Data added to existing pages December 2017. Chris Garnons-Williams.

DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site.  

Height in inches (cms):-

25.4mm = 1 inch
304.8mm = 12 inches
12 inches = 1 foot
3 feet = 1 yard
914.4mm = 1 yard

I normally round this to
25mm = 1 inch
300mm = 30 cms = 12 inches =1 foot,
900 mm = 3 feet = 1 yard and
1000mm = 100 cms = 1 metre = 40 inches

The bee can pollinate the flower, which can then produce a seed. Hymn 881 then instructs the seed:-

Push, little seed,
push, push, little seed,
till your head pops out of the ground.
This is the air,
and now you are there
you can have a look round.
You'll see God's sky,
you'll see God's sun,
you'll feel his raindrops one by one,
as you grow, grow, grow, grow,
grow to be wheat for bread.
So push, little seed,
push, push, little seed,
that the world may be fed.

"Plants For Bees BOOK

(By WDJ Kirk and FN Howes; Published by IBRA)

This is a ‘must-have’ book for anyone serious about gardening for bees

This would make an ideal gift for any budding gardener, with some emphasis on which plants are suitable for growing in the British Isles, though would be applicable to any country with a similar temperate climate, as honeybees around the world have pretty much the same tastes and tongue-length. Bumblebees will also forage on any plant which provides nectar, and pollen, to their liking within reach of their tongue, regardless of the origin of the plant. So bees are not prejudiced against non-native plants. Nor should we be, as long as their benefits outweigh any capacity to become invasive weeds, of course.

It is an extremely well researched work; though the author is quick to remind us that this volume by no means contains all the bees favourite plants; though it contains enough to keep us very busy and bees very happy (review by Sarah Holdsworth)" from Bee Happy Plants.

"Bee Happy Plants based at Lakehayes Organic Nursery, is a small family run business, established and put into Soil Association organic conversion in 2002. Now run by Sarah and daughter Joy, with help from other family members, various local part-time and seasonal workers; all have contributed to what has become an efficient production line of seed-raised, organic, wild species plugs, plants and more seeds.

Sarah (with experience on organic farms since the 1980’s and RHS Level 3 at Bicton Agricultural College), would say the inspiration behind Bee Happy Plants began way back on the isolated smallholding of her childhood, in countryside untouched by modern agriculture. Watching parents, Fitz and Brygid and salt-of-the-earth land-worker Fred Shire care for 25 acres: planting trees, wild and formal gardens, fruit and vegetable garden, and maintaining permanent pasture and orchard, with nothing much more than a few grazing animals, a fork, a scythe and a sense of humour. It was this idyllic, magical place brimming with wildlife in all its weird and wonderful forms, from the gentle and regular hoot of owls, to the humming and buzzing of insects.

The shock came later when it dawned that the place of her childhood was unique. Few other places like this jewel of unspoilt countryside still exist. Instead the ‘green deserts’ of monoculture expand; where weeds, insects and wildflowers are no longer welcome, birds no longer gather, and bees go hungry. Understanding that it is down to ordinary people like us, in our own gardens, to nurture something wild or heritage – we can all help to save bees’ favourite plants. Bee Happy Plants was conceived to help us do this. Sarah Holdsworth 2014  ".

From Plants to encourage pollenating insects by the Royal Horticultural Society in the Wilstead Garden Club website:-

"Help for pollinating insects (from the RHS Website)

The RHS has compiled a list of plants that will provide nectar and pollen for bees and many other types of pollinating insects.

Over the last 50 years declines have been noted in many groups of British insects, including those that visit flowers. These include some  common butterflies, moths, hoverflies and bees.

The reasons for this are various and complex but part of the problem may be the reduction in abundance of wild flowers in the countryside that has occurred over this 50 year period. Gardens are increasingly recognised as important habitats where insects can find sources of nectar and pollen.

Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred from one flower to another, allowing flowers to become fertilised and able to produce seeds and fruits. In some plants, such as grasses and conifers, pollen is spread by the wind, but the majority of plants require insects and sometimes other animals to carry the pollen.

Apples, plums, pears, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants, red currants, gooseberries and strawberries all rely on insects to bring about pollination. The same is true for some vegetables, such as broad bean, runner bean and plants in the marrow-pumpkin family.

It has been estimated that the value of insect-pollinated fruits and vegetables grown in the UK is about £220 million a year. In addition there is the inestimable value of pollination provided to wild flowers and garden ornamentals, making insect pollinators a vital component of our biodiversity.

Flowers attract insects by providing them with two rich sources of food - nectar and pollen. Nectar contains sugars and provides insects with an energy source, while pollen grains contain proteins and oils.

Pollen and nectar provide the complete diet for both the adult bees and their larvae. Other insects, such as various flies and midges, beetles, wasps, thrips, bugs, butterflies and moths visit flowers to feed on pollen and nectar but may also have other dietary requirements, especially in their immature stages. Some predatory insects visit flowers to feed on other insects attracted to the blooms. All are capable of picking up pollen on their bodies and bringing about pollination when they move to other flowers of the same plant.

How to attract and support pollinating insects

Aim to have plants that are attractive to pollinating insects in flower from early spring to late autumn.

Seek plants at garden centres and nurseries having the RHS symbol pictured left.

Grow garden plants with flowers that attract pollinating insects.

Avoid plants with double or multi-petaled flowers. Such flowers may lack nectar and pollen, or insects may have difficulty in gaining access.

Never use pesticides on plants when they are in flower.

Where appropriate, British wild flowers can be an attractive addition to planting schemes and may help support a wider range of pollinating insects.

Observe the plants in your garden. If you know of plants with blooms that regularly attract insects, let the RHS know.

Encourage bees by keeping honeybees yourself or allowing a beekeeper to place hives in your garden. Nest boxes containing cardboard tubes or hollow plant stems, or holes drilled in blocks of wood will provide nest sites for some species of solitary bees. Such nests are available from garden centres or you can make your own (holes/tubes should be in a mixture of sizes with a diameter of 2-8mm).

Some pollinator insect facts

•Britain has 25 species of bumblebees, of which about 11 commonly visit garden flowers.

•A honeybee hive can contain up to about 60,000 bees in mid summer and they can convert the nectar they collect into over 100 pounds of honey.

•There are about 260 species of solitary bee in Britain.

•There is a similar number of hoverflies, many of which have aphid predator larvae.

•Adult pollen beetles (Meligethes spp.) feed on pollen and are commonly seen in flowers in spring and summer.

•Butterflies and moths, with their long tongues (proboscis), can reach nectar in flowers that is inaccessible to short-tongued insects.

•Unlike humans, honeybees can see ultraviolet light and can detect patterns on petals invisible to us. The markings on the petals guide bees to the nectar-producing parts of the flower and bring the insect into close contact with the pollen-bearing structures.

•When foraging honeybees have located a good source of nectar or pollen, they can recruit other bees to visit the same flowers. A figure-of- eight-dance performed on the combs in the hive tells other bees how far and in which direction they need to fly to find the flowers.
 

Compiled by Andrew Halstead, RHS Principal Entomologist"

For my recommendation on what to do with your prunings, kitchen scraps and grass mowings see Compost Bins in Companion Planting Page C, instead of composting them in a small 1 cubic yard domestic garden compost bin.