Our own professional conservationist and ecologist Liz Charter produced a useful leaflet to hand out to visitors to the Southern District Beekeepers stand at the Douglas City Bee Friendly Day on 16 May. To encourage plenty of forage into the future we thought the list should have wider distribution
These are our wild pollinators
Hoverflies
Bumble bees
Solitary bees
Solitary wasps
Butterflies
Moths
Beetles
Over 1,500 insect species pollinate British plants and crops. There are over 150 native British bees alone! They have different lengths of tongues so need particular structures of flowers to be available all through their annual lifecycle.
What to plant
Wildflowers
Wild Thyme
Tree mallow
Bugle
Foxglove
Red clover
White clover
Knapweed
Bird’s foot trefoil
Harebell
Red campion
Teasel
Primrose
Ivy
Field scabious
Spear thistle
Ragwort
Hogweed
Ox-eye daisy
Lady’s smock
Dandelion
Wild carrot
Native bluebells
Herbs and garden flowers
Wild Thyme
Tree mallow
Bugle
Foxglove
Red clover
White clover
Knapweed
Bird’s foot trefoil
Harebell
Red campion
Teasel
Primrose
Ivy
Field scabious
Spear thistle
Ragwort
Hogweed
Ox-eye daisy
Lady’s smock
Dandelion
Wild carrot
Native bluebells
Trees and shrubs for bees
Wild Thyme
Tree mallow
Bugle
Foxglove
Red clover
White clover
Knapweed
Bird’s foot trefoil
Harebell
Red campion
Teasel
Primrose
Ivy
Field scabious
Spear thistle
Ragwort
Hogweed
Ox-eye daisy
Lady’s smock
Dandelion
Wild carrot
Native bluebells
A bee fly on lady’s smock
For more information, search for these websites
Manx Wildlife Trust – Making space for pollinators
Habitat Aid – Top ten flowers for bees
Arundel Arboretum – best trees and shrubs for pollinators
and wildlife
Buglife – Plants for pollinators
Why native plants work best for wild pollinators
Excellent food sources – Native plants match the feeding needs of British bees, butterflies,
and other pollinating insects.
Perfect timing – They bloom just when pollinators wake up in spring or prepare for the
winter.
Special relationships – Some pollinators rely on very specific native plants and wouldn’t
survive without them.
Healthier ecosystem – When the insects are well fed, the birds and small mammals are
also taken care of, and the whole garden ecosystem is healthy.
Low maintenance – Native British trees and shrubs are adapted to British soil and climate.
They are easier to grow.
Resilience – British native plants are more resilient to our pests and diseases. They do not
need any special care.
Honey bees at work. Photos by Linda Cain
