Honey plants (plants which produce a juice or nectar which attracts pollinators)

Sow these plants which produce a juice or nectar which attracts pollinators. The latter, after having satiated and covered themselves with pollen, will fertilize other flowers in the garden.

Nectar for everyone! Pollinators are very useful in the garden. They carry pollen from one plant to another and thus ensure the fertilization of crops. You understood it well: without them, there is no abundance.
To attract them, introduce honey species whose flowers produce a lot of nectar.
There is a wide range of plants with varied smells. Some will rather bait the bee, the queen of the foragers. But others will turn the heads of pacifist bumblebees, butterflies or even aphid-eating hoverflies.
By sowing different plants known for their melliferous quality, you promote biodiversity.
By favoring plants with various flowering periods, pollinators forage in your garden for a long time. Aromatic, ornamental plants… there is a choice!

Honeysuckle

Latin name: Lonicera
Caprifoliaceae
Flowering: from June to September

In summer, butterflies bring honor to your garden if it hosts a honeysuckle. Indeed, its nectar, nestled in the hollow of deep-throated flowers, can only be foraged by insects with a long proboscis. Another peculiarity: the honeysuckle becomes more fragrant at nightfall and attracts moths such as the sphinx. Two varieties are particularly honeyed: Lonicera fragrantissima and L. tatarica. Honeysuckle is an evergreen shrub that appreciates dry, rather acidic soils and slightly shaded areas. In the garden, it is easy to find a place for it, it grows without problem on a structure (arbor or vault) or as a simple hedge.

Money basket

Latin name: Lobularia maritima
Brassicaceae (anc. Cruciferae)
Flowering: from April to October

The silver basket has the advantage of giving many small white flowers, fragrant, which last a long time. Its smell is differently appreciated, some find that it smells of urine and others that it exhales honey. Anyway, the bumblebees know how to appreciate it! Thanks to its highly branched shape, it is ideal for use in beds. It also forms a very good ground cover, perfect for controlling weeds. The silver basket likes the sun and drained soils. Supporting the wind and spray, it adapts perfectly to maritime situations. By eliminating the faded flowers, you promote a second flowering.

Wallflower

Latin name: Cheiranthus cheiri
Brassicaceae (anc. Cruciferae)
Flowering: spring

Here are small flowers which bees are very fond of. A biennial or perennial variety of the same family as cabbage, yellow wallflower or ravenella blooms in spring. With its upright habit, its many branches and its gold and orange colors, it blends in perfectly with flower beds. If the yellow wallflower is rather easy to grow, it is nevertheless better to plant it in areas protected from the wind, against a wall for example, as well as in dry soils. These conditions will allow it to flourish for several years, without special intervention. For long-lasting blooming, remove faded flowers as you go.

Large daisy

Latin name: Leucanthemum maximum
Asteraceae (ancient Compositae)
Flowering: June to September

These plants are perfect for small foragers such as hoverflies. Robust, measuring up to 90 cm in height, these large daisies bear flat white flowers (8 cm in diameter) with a yellow heart. They do well in many situations, but the ideal is to provide them with a rather cool and well-drained soil. Large daisies and daisies (L. vulgare) are non-perennial plants. You will find in the trade of varieties with single or double, giant, normal or dwarf shapes. In any case, pollinators love daisies a lot, passionately, madly… daisies.

Lavender

Latin name: Lavandula
Lamiaceae (anc. Labiee)
Flowering: from May to August This

is one of the best honey plants (25 known species). Bushy, it is rustic, ideal to withstand all situations: from the driest to the coldest temperatures. To grow successfully, it must receive enough light, be protected from the wind and have dry feet. You will find about twenty varieties on the market that produce a good amount of nectar. In addition to its use in cooking, here are plants that once dried will make excellent potpourris as well as sachets that will perfume your laundry. In short, a honey plant with multiple uses!

Rosemary

Latin name: Rosmarinus officinalis
Lamiaceae (anc. Labiee)
Flowering: from February to May

Rosemary has a powerful capacity for producing nectar. In trade, its honey is also very famous both for its taste and for its stimulating and digestive properties. In the garden, this shrub will make an excellent bait for bees at a time when few ornamental plants are blooming. Its flowers, lavender blue to deep blue, bell-shaped, persist for several months. Rosemary finds its place in a sunny area, but also sheltered from the wind. It makes perfect use of poor, dry and limestone soils. This essential aromatic herb in cooking is also a very useful honey plant.