Bee pasture

Many native and non-native trees serve as an optimal food source for insects.

Pollen-collecting insects, e.g. honey bees, wild bees or butterflies, are very important for the balance in our ecosystem. They pollinate wild plants and crops and are indispensable in the food web of our environment.

ut the living conditions for bees & co. have deteriorated enormously - a large proportion of our wild bees, for example, are threatened with extinction. Therefore, plants for bees & co. are increasingly planted, so-called bee pastures.

Bee pasture

Bee pasture is a plant that produces a lot of nectar and pollen and is thus an ideal food source for bees and other pollinating flying insects, such as the bumblebee or butterflies.

Flower-visiting insects perform important functions in nature on which humans also depend, such as the pollination of wild and crop plants – an important component of the food chain. A nursery generally offers bees many sources of food and yet the planting of bee-friendly nursery trees is often ignored in the discussion about bee mortality: trees such as field maple (Acer campestre), linden (Tilia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), appletree (Malus in various species and varieties) or oak (Quercus petraea, Quercus robur) are natural food sources for insects such as honeybees, wild bees and bumblebees.

“Bees are also considered an indicator of environmentally sound production. That’s why we directly created areas for wild bees. In this way, we demonstrate our sustainable production and create habitats for endangered species.”

Jan Jaspers, Nursery Gardener, Lorenz von Ehren Nursery

Bee pasture shrubs from our tree nursery

Acer campestre

During its flowering period from May to June, Acer campestre bears yellowish flowers arranged in clusters or panicles that attract insects.

Castanea sativa

In addition to nectar from the flowers, bees also collect honeydew from this tree. A nutritious tree of the finest quality!

Fruit trees (Malus, Prunus, Pyrus)

When the fruit trees begin to blossom, a wonderful sight is revealed – for insects too. Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) provide abundant food for insects early on.

Robinia pseudoacacia

The black locust blossom produces large quantities of nectar. On average, between 1.7 and 2.9 mg of nectar is secreted in 24 hours. This makes the black locust one of the most important nectar producers – and thus bee pastures – among trees.

Salix alba

Native willow species are valuable insect plants. In addition to honey bees, over 500 native insect species benefit from the early flowering of willow, including numerous moths.

Tilia europaea

Due to the large number of flowers, the trees provide the last major source of nectar in the year, which is used by many insects. The lime blossom season begins in mid-June with the small-leaved lime. The large-leaved lime follows at the end of June, and the Crimean lime and silver lime bring the six-week lime blossom season to a close at the end of July.

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FAQ - Frequently asked questions

When is the right time to prune without harming insects?

Prune in late winter (February), but with caution. Many insects hibernate in high branches or as eggs in the bark. If you prune everything back radically, you will also remove the next generations. It is better to thin out the insect-friendly shrubs, i.e. only remove old branches close to the ground.

Which trees and shrubs are suitable for a bee pasture in a dry location?

As our summers become drier, robust trees and shrubs that require little water are coming into focus. Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas) and sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) thrive in dry soil. They have developed strategies to cope with periods of heat and still provide food for insects. So they are ideal for bees.

I have a shady garden. Which bee-friendly plants will bloom there?

Some bee-friendly shrubs thrive in shady locations. Honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum) and common snowball (Viburnum opulus) feel very much at home in the light shade beneath larger trees. Although flowering is somewhat sparser in the shade, these shrubs are still indispensable as habitats for insects.

How can I tell if a wooded area is a good place for bees to forage?

Listen for the buzzing! Bee pastures often have lots of single flowers. Another characteristic is the scent and colour of the flowers. Bees love yellow, blue and white. However, the most important indicator is the pollen and nectar value scale. A value of 4/4 means: full board for bees and insects.