Going Native

It's good to see so much interest in native bees and native plants.

At the UC Davis Department of Entomology, we're frequently contacted by folks throughout the country asking what to plant to attract pollinators--native bees, honey bees (honey bees not native; European colonists brought them over here in 1622), and other pollinators.

The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation has a wonderful list of native plants on its website. You click on your region and you'll be directed to a list.

If you poke around the Xerces Society website, you can find information on why native bee habitats are important and how to create native bee habitats. Also check out the pollinator handbook and the fact sheets.

Plant lists are available to download below in PDF format.

Plants for Native Bees in North America

Plants for Native Bees in the Pacific Northwest

Plants for Native Bees in California

Plants for Native Bees in the Upper Midwest

California Central Coast Pollinator Plant List

California Central Valley Pollinator Plant List

Northern California Sierra Foothill Pollinator Plant List

Southern California Pollinator Plants Coast and Foothill Regions

Pollinator Plants for California Almond Orchards

Other good sources of information include native plant societies; the Cal Flora site; and the Urban Bee Gardens project on the UC Berkeley site.