As the early fall days roll around, us gardeners are busy with preparing our gardens for the coldest months. While you put many of your plants 'to bed' ahead of frost, there's something you should take care not to neglect: pollinators. Bees continue to work hard in your garden during fall and even into winter, so it's important to continue supporting them as you would in spring and summer.
In fact, fall is arguably one of the most important times to attract bees to your garden and offer them support in the form of food and shelter. This is because they're preparing to lay eggs for overwintering – vital to the survival of their species. And there's one particularly valuable resource you can provide at this time of year: native fall flowers.
Here, pollinator experts explain why planting native fall flowers is the most fundamental way to help bees in fall. The bonus is they're beautiful and make great additions to a garden for pollinators, infusing color into your fall garden.
How to help bees in fall
'The vast majority of adult bees will not survive the winter. They will lay eggs in the fall that will hatch in the spring,' explains Shelley Norris, who leads on pollinator conservation efforts at Nashville Zoo. 'We can help them be successful by providing nesting sites and food sources,' she explains.
That's why it's important to provide nectar-rich fall flowers for bees, where summer blooms are otherwise fading.
Why are native fall flowers important for bees?
'Our native bees collect nectar and pollen from the flowers to fill their nests over winter. The pollen will feed the next generation of bees hatching in spring,' Shelley explains. 'In return, the bees will pollinate the plants in your gardens.'
By filling your garden with native planting, you provide bees with valuable food sources. This will also give your fall garden some color after the summer season.
'Many species of aster (seeds from Amazon), goldenrod (seeds from Amazon), salvia, and bee balm bloom into fall to provide a much-needed food source for the bees,' Shelley suggests. There are also lots of other plants for fall pollinators to consider growing this season.
'These native plants and their pollinators have adapted to provide a food and water source at just the right time,' entomologist Marcus Griswold explains.
Don't be too quick to clear out your flower beds of the best plants for seed heads and deadwood, either. This can provide many types of bees with valuable shelter.
'Leaving dead flowers and wood in your garden can provide vital shelter for native bees,' explains Jen Rose, founder of Bee Cups. 'Unlike honeybees (brought to the Americas by Europeans) most native bees don’t live in hives. Instead, they nest in hollow stems and deadwood through the growing season and winter,' she explains.
You can also hang up bee houses (from Amazon) to provide shelter and nesting spots for fall and winter.
Shop native fall flowers for your yard
These blue aster plants are perennial and will return each year, blooming from late summer to fall. They reach between five to seven inches in height.
This 'Sugar Buzz Berry' bee balm is a striking magenta color. It has a medium-sized growing habit, reaching up to 16 inches tall, and is sure to attract bees to your yard in fall.
Blooming from mid-summer through fall, common sneezeweed provides a pop of yellow in the garden. It can reach a mature height of five feet and does best in a full sun position.
FAQs
Should you give bees sugar water in fall?
Sugar water can be a valuable resource for bees when they are tired or struggling from heat, as it provides energy. However, experts advise against providing sugar water to bees in fall.
'Unless you’re a beekeeper, offering sugar water should be reserved for true emergencies when bees need reviving,' says Jen Rose from Bee Cups.
Instead, you should provide lots of native fall flowers which are rich in nectar and provide natural sugars for bees during this season.
Of course, water is also an essential resource to help bees in fall. However, this is much more readily available from the rainfall at this time of year. You can still make a bee watering station during fall, which is a dedicated spot for bees to hydrate.
Shelley Norris is Nashville Zoo's area supervisor and helps lead our conservation efforts for pollinators.
Jen Rose is the founder of Bee Cups. She is passionate about supporting pollinators in gardens.
Marcus has a background in entomology and is an environmental expert. He is the founder of the blogs Little Green Myths and Your Bug Club.
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