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.

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.

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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.

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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