by: Kelly ParksThe Spring Bulb Guide
What to Plant for Pollinators (and What to Skip)
The Secret Pollinators Podcast | Episode 36 | www.secretpollinators.com
Most spring bulbs sold in North America are highly bred hybrids selected for visual appeal, not pollinator value. Many produce little or no pollen, no nectar, or contain compounds that repel bees. Meanwhile, bumblebee queens emerging from winter hibernation are starving and have days to find food before they die. This guide separates the bulbs that actually feed early bees from the ones that look pretty but offer nothing.
PLANT THESE: Bulbs That Actually Feed Bees
Bulb | Bloom Time | Offers Bees | Notes |
Snow Crocus Crocus tommasinianus, C. chrysanthus | Very early spring | Pollen (heavy), nectar | The single best bulb investment for pollinators. Bumble bee queens and honey bees crawl deep into the cups for pollen. Naturalizes in lawns. Plant by the hundred. |
Winter Aconite Eranthis hyemalis | Late winter / early spring | Pollen, nectar | Tiny yellow buttercup-like flowers. Blooms even earlier than crocus, sometimes through snow. Plant in the green for best results. |
Snowdrops Galanthus nivalis | Late winter / early spring | Pollen, nectar (in sun) | Classic early bloomer. Produces more nectar in sunny spots. Spreads by bulb division and seed. Plant in the green. |
Glory of the Snow Chionodoxa luciliae, C. forbesii | Early spring | Pollen, nectar | Starry blue flowers. Naturalizes well. Supports bees and hoverflies. |
Siberian Squill Scilla siberica | Early spring | Pollen, nectar | Creates stunning blue carpets. Vigorous spreader. Attracts bees and hoverflies. |
Grape Hyacinth Muscari armeniacum, M. botryoides | Early to mid-spring | Pollen, nectar (fragrant) | Bell-shaped blooms with sweet fragrance that attracts bees. Spreads readily. Easy. |
Species Tulips Tulipa humilis, T. tarda, T. clusiana | Mid-spring | Pollen (no nectar) | The real tulips. Smaller than hybrids but with functional reproductive parts. Bees actually visit these. More reliable rebloomers too. |
Wild Daffodils Narcissus pseudonarcissus, N. poeticus, N. jonquilla | Mid-spring | Pollen, some nectar | The original species. Much smaller and more fragrant than hybrids. N. poeticus is visited by moths and long-tongued bees. Skip the giant trumpets. |
Common Hyacinth Hyacinthus orientalis (single forms) | Mid-spring | Pollen, nectar | Multiple blooms per stalk make them efficient for pollinators. Choose single-flowered forms, not doubles. |
Ornamental Onion Allium (various species) | Late spring | Pollen, nectar | Globe-shaped flower heads are bee magnets. Long bloom time. Bridges the gap between spring bulbs and summer perennials. |
SKIP THESE: Bulbs That Look Great but Feed Nothing
These are not bad plants. They are beautiful. But if your goal is to feed pollinators, these are the ones to deprioritize or replace with alternative species.
Bulb Type | Why Bees Skip It |
Giant hybrid tulips (doubles, parrots, fringed) | Sterile hybrids. No nectar (tulips never have it). Reduced or no functional pollen. Reproduce only by bulb division. Bees gain nothing. |
Large trumpet daffodils (most commercial hybrids) | Highly bred for size and color. Lost pollinator-attracting scent and pollen quality. Contain Amaryllidaceae alkaloids (lycorine) that repel most bees. Toxic sap kills other cut flowers. |
Double daffodils | Extra petals replace reproductive structures. Even less pollen than standard hybrids. Ecological dead end. |
Double hyacinths | Same problem as double daffodils. Extra petals = fewer functional stamens = less pollen. |
"Pollinator-friendly bulb mixes" (most commercial) | Often contain the same hybrids as regular mixes with a bee on the label. Read the fine print. If it doesn't list species names, it's marketing. |
BONUS: Native Spring Ephemerals (The Best of All)
These North American native wildflowers co-evolved with native bees. Some bees are specialists that depend entirely on one of these plants. If you can add even a few to a shady garden edge, you are providing irreplaceable habitat.
Plant | Why It Matters |
Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) | Tiny pink-striped flowers. Host plant for the specialist mining bee Andrena erigeniae, which spends its entire life on this bloom. |
Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) | Supports bumble bees, long-tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, hummingbird moths, and hummingbirds. |
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) | Critical early food source for bumblebee queens. The queens that feed here found colonies that pollinate your summer garden. |
Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) | Woodland ephemeral. Supports bees. Takes years to establish, but worth the patience. |
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) | Early white blooms visited by mining bees and small native bees. Stunning native. |
Shopping Tips
1. Look for the word "species" or the full Latin binomial (two-word name) on the label. That's the real thing.
2. If the bulb package says "double," "parrot," "fringed," or "designer," it's bred for looks, not biology.
3. A cartoon bee on the label does not mean bees actually visit that flower. Read the fine print.
4. Plant in masses. A single crocus won't save a queen bumblebee. A hundred might. A thousand will.
5. Fall is planting time for spring bulbs. Order species bulbs from specialty suppliers by late summer.
6. Mix bloom times: winter aconite and snowdrops first, then crocus, then grape hyacinth and species tulips. Cover February through May.
Where to Buy Species Bulbs and Native Ephemerals
• Old House Gardens (oldhousegardens.com) — Heirloom and species bulbs. Excellent selection of wild tulips, species crocus, and historic varieties.
• Brent and Becky's Bulbs (brentandbeckysbulbs.com) — Wide selection including species and pollinator-friendly options.
• Prairie Moon Nursery (prairiemoon.com) — Native spring ephemerals: spring beauty, Virginia bluebells, bloodroot, trout lily.
• Toadshade Wildflower Farm (toadshade.com) — Eastern US native woodland plants, including Dutchman's breeches.
• Ernst Conservation Seeds (ernstseed.com) — Native seed and plant supplier for restoration projects.
• North Creek Nurseries (northcreeknurseries.com) — Wholesale native plants; check for retail partners.
Learn More
• Xerces Society (xerces.org) — Pollinator conservation guides, regional plant lists, nesting habitat info.
• Pollinator Partnership (pollinator.org) — Regional planting guides by zip code. Bee Friendly Gardening program.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (wildflower.org) — Native plant database searchable by region.
• The Secret Pollinators Podcast — Listen to Episode 36 for the full story behind this guide.
The Secret Pollinators Podcast | Companion Guide to Episode 36: The Spring Bulb Conspiracy
www.secretpollinators.com | @SecretPollinators | Pollinator Partnership Bee Friendly Gardening Ambassador
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