Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: Shawn on June 24, 2008, 05:23:49 pm
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Does anyone know of any good plants or flowers bees like that do very well in shade. I have a big area under an elm tree that is shaded most of the day and it is just dirt. I thougt I would plant some flowers or plants there to help out the bees.
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Lemon Balm, Melissa officinalis. The bees love it and it does well under elm trees - I've got lots of it under mine.
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I want to say Bug Bane, Cimicifuga racemosa, but I'm not sure the bees like it yet. Hasn't bloomed yet.
I have some Blazing Stars, Liatris, planted in partial shade under a tree. The bees love them. Liatris in shade tends to bloom a month later than it would normally.
Joe Pye weed, Eupatorium, can be planted in partial shade too, it actually grows taller in the shade but has a higher risk of falling over. So prop it up. A few Eupatoriums are actually compact in size too.
Aster cordifolius, Aster divaricatus, and Aster macropbyllus all love shade. I don't believe I own these but I know bees enjoy Asters very much.
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Thanks for the info.
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Are there any others (particularly lower to the ground ones)? At some ponit next year my wife and I are going to put in a flower-garden pathway in a fairly shady spot, and it would be great if a lot of those flowers supported bees.
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Yea that is what I am looking for flowers for the bees. There are not many out there for the shade. I already have a sidewalk going through my backyard. I am working on putting a flower bed along both sides.
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While looking for new plants for this spring I found a seed package of plants that like shady places. Just thought I would share it.
http://www.americanmeadows.com/Perennials/Collections/ShadeCollection.aspx