Top 10 native plants to support bees in fall

Grow Native!, a native plant education and marketing program from the Missouri Prairie Foundation, developed this list. Any of these plants, which are all native to the lower Midwest, would be excellent choices to attract native and European honey bees.

Stiff goldenrod is an excellent native plant for pollinators in the fall. — Stiff goldenrod is an excellent native plant for pollinators in the fall.
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Published July 12, 2022

These plants bloom into fall so nectar and pollen are available later in the year.

This list is intended as a starting point. It is not in ranked order. It was created by Dr. Ed Spevak, based on his experience and observations of plants readily available from native plant suppliers that attract a diversity and abundance of native bees and European honey bees. Dr. Spevak is the Curator of Invertebrates at the Saint Louis Zoo and Director of the Saint Louis Zoo's WildCare Institute Center for Native Pollinator Conservation. For details on soil moisture and other growing needs, visit www.grownative.org, Native Plant Database. For sources of these plants to purchase, visit the website's Resource Guide.

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