- Membership - become a GBA member!
- Getting Started - Reasons to get bees (or not), and how to get started on your beekeeping journey.
- Need Advice? - have a question about your hives? Submit it here.
- Hive Health - nutrition and pests, including Varroa control methods.
- Save the Environment - ways to support pollinators and the local environment, including:
- Lists of pollinator friendly plants suitable for our local climate.
- Ways to support local beekeepers and honeybees.
- Adopt A Hive - get some experience working with bees at the GBA's apiary.
- Vocabulary - look up that beekeeper-y lingo here.
- Hive Registration and Ordinances - check your local ordinances about beehives.
- Useful Information and References - an extensive list of beekeeping and pollinator references.
- Apiary - an overview of the GBA club Apiary.
Make Your Lawn Pollinator Friendly
Make a bee friendly lawn Homeowners use up to 10 times more insecticide and herbicide per acre of lawn compared to farmers growing crops. You can create a lawn that has a mix of grasses and flowers to help bees, while still preserving the beauty of your home. When done properly, a bee lawn has many benefits:
- Attracts pollinators and other beneficial insects.
- It requires less water than a traditional grass lawn.
- It needs less fertilizer and herbicide treatment.
- You don’t need to mow as often.
- It looks more attractive than an all grass lawn.
Support Local Beekeeping
Report bee swarms to your local beekeeper DO NOT try to spray the swarm with pesticides or a hose. You will just get them angry!
Join the Gilroy Beekeepers Association Your tax deductible membership fee helps fund bee education in our schools and community. For members that are interested in going further, we provide training and support so that you can own your own bee hives at home.
Adopt a hive You can experience beekeeping without buying your own equipment, even if you have no place to keep bees at home.
Plant a Pollinator Garden
Plant List
Things to Consider
- Remember the Seasons
- Bees Need More Blooms in Summer and Fall
- It’s Not a Crime To Add Non-Natives
- Think Long Term – Size of Mature Plants
- Maintenance
- Leave areas of undisturbed soil and aged wooden posts or logs for native bee nesting sites.
Resources
Here are some resources for pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant native plants:
- Plants Native to Santa Clara County for Bees and Butterfes – Valley Water
- Waterwise Plant List – UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara County
- Bee-friendly Gardening – California Native Plant Society
- Plant Sales – Grassroots Ecology
- Birds and the bees — creating a welcoming garden for pollinators – Mercury News
Water Conservation
Water will always be a challenge in our area.
Fire Safety
Another consideration in our area is fire danger, especially if your home is near the border of an urban area in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI).
Zones
Most gardening books, catalogs, seed packets, and plant tags refer to plant hardiness zone, climate zone, or growing zone. In California, the most commonly used plant hardiness systems are:
| Location | Sunset Zone | USDA Zone |
| Morgan Hill, San Martin, Gilroy, and Hollister | 14 | 9b-10a |
| Aromas, Prunedale | 16 | 9b |
| Salinas, Soledad | 15 | 9b |
Pollinator Friendly Patio and Deck Plants
Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: purple
Soil Requirements: Well drained soil
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 1 - 3 ft
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Herb, Non-Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: blue/purple
Soil Adaptations: Garden
Exposure: Sun or shade
Water needs: Low-Medium
Height: 1 - 3 ft
Indian Blanket Flower (Gailliardia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Sunflower Family
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: red/orange
Soil Adaptations: Well drained
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low-Medium
Height: Depends on variety. Can be 4 - 6 in., or 1 - 2 ft.
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Native
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: pink/purple
Soil Adaptations: Well drained
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low-Medium
Height: 4-5 ft.
African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark Opal')
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Sterile hybrid, must be propagated by cuttings
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Purple
Soil Adaptations: Clay or Whatever
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Moderate
Height: Up to 2 ft.
Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Flower Color: purple
Soil Adaptations: Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 1 - 3 FT.
Water needs: Low
Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Flower Color: pink
Soil Adaptations: Whatever
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 6 - 12 in.
Water needs: Low
Coreopsis
Importance to Bees: Minor
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Flower, Sunflower Family
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: yellow
Soil Adaptations: Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 18 - 24 in.
Pest and Weed Best Practices
Things To Consider
- Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to Control Pests
- Minimize Impact of Insecticide/Herbicide/Fungicide on Bees
Resources
Here are some resources for learning about Integrated Pest Management as an alternative to using insecticides:
How to minimize impact of traditional sprays on bees
Spray near sunset or after dark
- Bees are in their hive, and out of contact with spray
Insecticides
Most insecticides like Sevin are highly toxic to bees.
Better Alternatives
- Insecticidal soap
- Serenade
- Spinosad
- Neem oil
Herbicides
- Glyphosate Herbicides (e.g. RoundUp)
- Can impair bee navigation
- Kills good bacteria in the bees’ stomachs
Better Alternatives
- Battery powered weed trimmers
- Vinegar/dish soap spray
- Organic weed sprays
- If you must use a herbicide, use products based on 2,4D
Fungicides
- Increases toxic effects of insecticides
- Increases bees’ vulnerability to disease and parasites
- Avoid combining fungicides with pesticides when you spray
Better Alternatives
- Sulphur
- Copper-based fungicides
- Neem oil
Pollinator Friendly Trees
California Pepper Tree (Schinus molle)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Tree, introduced when California was first settled
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Growth Rate: Rapid
Foliage Color: Light green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Water Needs: Low
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 25 ft.+
Width: 25 ft.+
River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Tree, introduced from Austrailia
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Growth Rate: Rapid
Foliage Color: Light green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Water Needs: Low
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 60 ft.+
Width: 30 ft.+
Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Tree, native to southern US
Foliage Character: Deciduous
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Light green
Flower Color: Green/yellow
Flower Season: Summer, Spring
Water Needs: Medium
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 25 ft.+
Width: 12 ft.+
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Tree/Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Mounding, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Water Needs: Low
Soil: Well-draining soil, Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Height: 12 – 25 ft.
Width: 12 – 18 ft.
Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Tree, Native
Foliage Character: Winter deciduous
Habit: Open, Mounding, Low-branching
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Water Needs: Low
Height: 20 – 25 ft.
Width: 20 – 25 ft.
Coast Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Pollen
Plant Type: Tree, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Low-branching, Dense
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: Insignificant
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 25 – 45 ft.
Width: 30 – 40 ft.
Pollinator Friendly Flowers
Viper's Bugloss (Echium Vulgare)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower, Non-Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Purple
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 1 – 3 ft.
Common Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: purple
Soil Adaptations: Garden
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 1 - 3 ft.
California Goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp. californica)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower, Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Flower Color: yellow
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 1 – 5 ft.
California Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Flower, Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Flower Color: blue/lavender,yellow
Soil Adaptations: Garden
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 1 – 3 ft.
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Herb, Non-Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Fall
Flower Color: blue/purple
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 2 – 3 ft.
Indian Blanket Flower (Gailliardia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Sunflower Family
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: red/orange
Soil Adaptations: Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: Depends on variety. 4 - 6 in. or 1 - 2 ft.
Sunflower Red Sun (Tithonia rotundifolia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: yellow/orange
Soil Adaptations: Clay
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 5 – 8 ft.
Yarrow (Achillea)
Importance to Bees and Pollinators: Major
Food Source: Nectar, pollen
Plant Type: Herb, Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: white, yellow, gold, pink, or red
Soil Adaptations: Garden
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Medium
Height: 2 – 3 ft.
African Blue Basil (Ocimum kilimandscharicum × basilicum 'Dark Opal')
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Sterile hybrid, must be propagated by cuttings
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower Color: Purple
Soil Adaptations: Clay or Whatever
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Moderate
Height: Up to 2 ft.
.
Mustard / Rapeseed (Brassica napus)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Weed, Non-Native
By-Product: Canola Oil
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring
Flower Color: Yellow
Soil Adaptations: Clay or Whatever
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: Up to 3 ft.
.
Lacy Phacelia (PhaceliaTanacetifolia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Non-Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring
Flower Color: blue/purple
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 2 ft.
Highly Invasive
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: All Day Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Native
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring
Flower Color: pink/purple
Soil Adaptations: Clay
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Spanish Lavender (Lavandula stoechas)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Flower Color: purple
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Common Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Food Source: Pollen
Plant Type: Flower
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Flower Color: pink
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Importance to Bees: Minor
Food Source: Pollen
Plant Type: Flower, State Flower
Habit: Anywhere
Flower Season: Spring
Flower Color: orange
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Highly Invasive
Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia)
Importance to Bees: Minor
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Herbaceous Perenial
Flower Season: Summer, Fall
Flower Color: blue
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 2 – 4 ft.
Width: 3 – 3 ft.
Coreopsis
Importance to Bees: Minor
Food Source: Nectar and Pollen
Plant Type: Flower, Sunflower Family
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: yellow
Exposure Adaptations: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 18 - 24 in.
Pollinator Friendly Groundcover
Partridge Feather (Tanacetum densum amani)
Importance to Bees: Major
Wildlife: Beneficials, Bees
Plant Type: Groundcover
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: Yellow
Exposure: Full to half sun
Water needs: Low - moderate
Size: 6 - 8 in. high, spreading slowly to make a mat about 1 1/2 ft. wide
UC Master Gardeners
Crimson Clover (Trifolium Incarnatum)
Importance to Bees: Major
Wildlife: Beneficials, Bees
Plant Type: Groundcover
Flower Season: Spring, Summer
Flower Color: Red
Exposure: Full to half sun
Water needs: moderate
Size: 12- 18 in. high
Red Creeping Thyme (Thymus praecox)
Importance to Bees: Major
Wildlife: Bees, Butterflies
Plant Type: Groundcover
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: Red
Exposure: Full sun
Water needs: Low
Size: 3-6 in. high
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Importance to Bees: Moderate
Wildlife: Beneficials, Deer Resistant
Plant Type: Groundcover
Flower Season: Summer
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Full to half sun
Water needs: Low - moderate
Size: 3 in. high and 3 ft. wide
UC Master Gardeners
Lacy Phacelia (PhaceliaTanacetifolia)
Importance to Bees: Major
Food Source: Nectar
Plant Type: Flower, Non-Native
Habit: Open
Flower Season: Spring
Flower Color: blue/purple
Exposure: All day sun
Water needs: Low
Height: 2 ft.
Highly Invasive
Support Pollinators
How can I support honeybees and native pollinators?
Plant a pollinator garden Bees and other pollinators struggle to find enough food in the summer and fall. If you provide the right plants in your garden, you will be helping them tremendously. We even have plant recommendations for the patio or deck of an apartment or condo.
Follow best practices for weed and pest control The sprays we use to control insect pests and weeds can be extremely harmful to bees and other pollinators. There are things you can do to greatly reduce the impact of the sprays you use.
Make your lawn pollinator friendly If you change how and what you grow in your lawn, your lawn can become a great food source for pollinators.
Support local beekeeping You can encourage beekeeping in your area by buying honey from local beekeepers. There are also several ways you can get involved with local beekeepers to learn about bees and promote beekeeping.