I’m aware that some lace caps feed the bees, but not all specimens do, as some have flatter heads than the “mop heads” kind.
However, on the Lacecap Hydrangea macrophylla Blue Wave in this image, I have observed several bees foraging. I intend to add more cultivars to this page in the future.
Which hydrangea varieties should you avoid?
Some hydrangeas are better left out of the garden if you are concerned that your planting decisions may benefit bees and other pollinators.
Since the flowers are infertile and provide no food to bees, French hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophyllahortensis) often do not help pollinating insects.
These are the types with ball-shaped blossom heads, a compact circular “mop-head,” and no discernible flower anthers.
According to my personal experience, the unskilled foragers at most land, take a rapid flight away, or rest without eating.
Though even some of the kinds with “looser flower heads” are not particularly helpful to pollinators, it is advisable to concentrate on those that are popular with bees.
elongated, white flower heads typically contain a mixture of viable and sterile blooms.
Some varieties have non-scented, primarily sterile flowers whereas others have highly fragrant, bee-friendly blossoms. All are garish.
It is better to visit a nursery and distinguish between plants with a lot of bees visiting them and others that are not aromatic. The plants can range in size from three feet to roughly six or eight feet. Numerous cultivars exist.
Native to the eastern United States, hydrangea arborescens is frequently planted along the coast or in regions that receive a lot of coastal impact. ‘Annabelle’ is a popular cultivar.
It features very enormous umbels of white flowers that resemble mopheads, but each blossom is somewhat smaller than the mophead varieties, giving the flowering plant a softer and more elegant appearance.
The leaves are a brighter shade of green, much smaller, and less waxy. Large flower heads and weak stems can cause flowers to occasionally topple down.
While cultivars like “Haas Halo” have lacecap blooms made up of both fertile and sterile flowers and are exceedingly spectacular and bee-friendly, this cultivar only has sterile flowers. H. arborescens has exclusively viable blooms in its wild form.
Are hydrangeas good for pollinators?
The aesthetic appeal of a garden is no longer sufficient. It must also be visually appealing. The local ecosystem’s food chains are more successfully maintained the more we accept insects. In particular, we help our own food supply when we care for pollinators.
Get rid of the pesticides first. Put your faith in nature to regulate pests. Then add the features that make gardens beautiful: a succession of nectar- and pollen-rich blooms from the last to the first frost, as well as plants that serve as hosts for caterpillars of moths and butterflies.
Most pollinators are not particularly choosy. Some pollinators, like honeybees, only work with one species at a time, which makes them effective pollinators of food crops. Others eat from the buffet’s entire selection. Even though many pollinator species are armed with stingers, when they’re out feeding in the garden, they’re friendly associates willing to cooperate with you and each other.
Spring is simple. Everything that grows is essentially fair game. Beekeepers highly respect dandelions as the first dependable food supply following a long winter. Make room for them in your grass. The same is true for clover, which was only recognized as a weed after being unintentionally targeted by weed killers.
All kinds of bees, wasps, moths, and butterflies are drawn to the following things:
- Ajuga (Ajuga and cvs., Zones 39)
- Catmint (Nepeta and cvs., Zones 38)
- Hyssop anise (Agastache foeniculum, Zones 411)
- Lavender (Lavandula and cvs., Zones 410)
- Mountain thyme (Pycnanthemum and cvs., Zones 48)
- Calamint (Calamintha nepeta subsp. nepeta, Zones 49)
- Plants of the Lamiaceae (mint family) are effective pollinator magnets.
These plants have tubular flower spires that bloom all summer, attracting hummingbirds and bumblebees alike:
- Honey balm (Monarda and cvs., Zones 49)
- Agastache, such as Mexican giant hyssop (Agastache and cvs., Zones 411) (Agastache mexicana, Zones 710)
- Salvia species, including blue anise sage (Salvia and cvs., Zones 511). (Salvia guaranitica, Zones 710).
There is a secret weapon that hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp. and cvs., Zones 49) use. They only provide pollen and nectar from considerably smaller viable florets, yet they attract pollinators with enormous, showy flowers. Some mophead cultivars, like “Nikko Blue,” are just for appearance. Because lacecaps (H. macrophylla normalis, Zones 59) feature a platform of pollen-rich fertile blooms surrounded by prettier sterile sepals, bees and butterflies will appreciate your choice. Also take into account local species like oakleaf hydrangea (H. quercifolia, Zones 59) and smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens, Zones 39), both of which have attractive pompoms and panicles of fertile and infertile florets.
In the aster or composite family, fertility may also be given up for the extra-showy appearance of extra petals. Bees and butterflies can get nectar and pollen from the single-flowered purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea, Zones 39), as well as cultivars like “Virgin” and “Green Envy.” Additionally, throughout the fall and winter, their seed heads draw goldfinches.
Include caterpillar host plants in your garden layout to make it truly hospitable to butterflies. The only plant that monarch caterpillars eat is milkweed (Asclepias spp. and cvs., Zones 39). Any garden arrangement is made brighter by the two-foot-tall, beautiful orange blossoms of the butterfly weed (A. tuberosa, Zones 49). While ‘Ice Ballet’ blooms white, Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata, Zones 39) is higher at 3 to 4 feet and bubblegum pink. Both species are hardy perennials that self-sow native to the area. For fritillary butterflies, the violet family (Viola spp. and cvs., Zones 39), the spice bush (Lindera benzoin, Zones 49), and native grasses provide additional hosts (for skipper butterflies).
Don’t simply believe me; entire books have been written about this (my favorite is Attracting Native Pollinators by the Xerces Society). Make your garden your teacher. Your garden will be more inviting to pollinators and hence more beautiful.
Author and gardener Kristin Green lives in Bristol, Rhode Island, and is the creator of Plantiful: Start Small, Grow Big with 150 Plants that Spread, Self-sow, and Overwinter.
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How many bees are drawn to hydrangeas?
You might think that hydrangeas are a bee attraction given their huge blossoms, but that isn’t necessarily the case. While certain varieties of hydrangeas draw bees, others do not. Flowers on mophead hydrangeas are sterile and lack nectar that would draw pollinators. Lacecap hydrangeas do, however, produce fruitful blossoms that draw bees. Pollinators like bees are also drawn to Climbing Hydrangeas, Oakleaf Hydrangeas, and Smooth Hydrangeas.
Mophead hydrangeas are the best choice if you want to keep bees away. On the other hand, if you want to make a space that attracts pollinators, consider growing Lacecap, Climbing, Oakleaf, or Smooth hydrangeas. The Lacecap and Oakleaf Hydrangeas appear to draw the greatest number of bees and other pollinators among these types.
You might ask why hydrangeas don’t draw in more pollinators given their opulent blossoms. Don’t pollinators want big, vibrant flowers, like bees do? It turns out that the nectar and pollen that the pollinators are truly pursuing are not present in every Hydrangea bloom. Most of the spectacular flower clusters that Hydrangeas are valued for are sterile. The cluster’s only viable flowers, which have nectar and pollen, are located inside.
The “petals on Hydrangeas are technically sepals, not blooms,” as the saying goes. Normally, these sepals would be green in plants. However, the outer part of hydrangeas mimics the shape that we usually refer to as a flower.
In the natural, hydrangeas produce more little, fruitful blossoms rather than large, spectacular flowers. The proportion of fertile to sterile flowers has changed as Hydrangeas have been bred by growers to produce larger blooms.
Because they don’t create a lot of pollen, hydrangeas are a suitable choice for allergy sufferers. Since there is no need to worry about pollen allergies, Hydrangeas are excellent for cutting and bringing indoors.
What draw things to hydrangeas?
Meet Hydrangea paniculata, often known as a panicle hydrangea, and its various forms if you’re searching for a lovely, low-maintenance shrub with interest throughout all four seasons. One of these incredible shrubs belongs in every sunny environment, and here are four reasons why we believe you’ll agree.
A Reliable, Four-Season Show
Panicle hydrangeas never fail to fill your landscape with an abundance of color. They establish their blooms on new growth in the spring, protecting this year’s crop of buds from the harsh winters. Starting in the middle of July, panicle hydrangeas produce abundant clusters of white or creamy-white blooms after a spring covered in beautiful, bright green foliage. As late summer transitions into October, many other summer bloomers are starting to lose their vibrant colors. Depending on the variety, the blossoms gradually turn pink or lime-green, then colors of strawberry or burgundy. When the first frost hits, they become an appealing tawny-brown and stay on the plant, adding lovely texture to the winter landscape. Furthermore, unlike the well-known pink or blue mophead hydrangeas, none of these color changes are caused by a unique soil chemistry; rather, they take place as the evenings get cooler in the late summer and early fall.
A Perfect Fit for Any Sunny Space
There is a panicle hydrangea for every requirement in your landscape, whether it be a gorgeous anchor for a perennial bed, a magnificent blooming hedge along a border, a natural living screen, or a tiny splash of color in a smaller corner. Some cultivars grow large—five to eight feet tall and wide—and can fill a large area with several lovely blooms. However, some, like “Little Lime” or “Bobo,” are significantly smaller and can fit almost anyplace.
Even panicle hydrangeas in the shape of trees can be found, with their stunning blooms and leaves perched high above a single trunk. Even the smallest places may accommodate the lovely hydrangea blossoms thanks to tree hydrangeas. There is a panicle hydrangea to fit any landscape design thanks to the variety of form and function.
There are several designs for the clustered panicle blossoms as well. Some cultivars produce clusters that are more compactly packed and rounder, like the traditional mophead hydrangea that is common in formal gardens. Others, like Quick Fire and the tiny Little Quick Fire, have more open, airy blossoms that blend in well with the local vegetation in a setting that is influenced by nature. Additionally, some, such as Pinky Winky, develop large, highly conical clusters that resemble enormous aster flowers.
An Easy-Going Personality
Hydrangeas in a panicle are not picky. They won’t require much more care from us if they are placed in a location with four to five hours of sunlight every day, well-drained soil, and a little mulch to retain moisture in the summer. Pruning is also simple. A trim in late winter or very early spring won’t have any impact on the flowers of the next year as long as you avoid doing so when the buds are emerging in the spring and summer. Additionally, panicle hydrangeas are resilient enough to survive many of our harsh winters.
A Benefit to the Garden Community
Most harmful insects, including the vile Japanese beetle, seem to disregard panicle hydrangeas. However, panicle hydrangeas are even better because they draw beneficial insects that prey on some of the pests that may be harming your other garden plants. Soldier beetles and their larvae love the pollen and nectar from panicle hydrangeas; these voracious predators eat cucumber beetles, aphids, spider mites, and other pests that harm plants. The steel-blue cricket hunter parasitoid wasp, which feeds on the nectar of hydrangeas before employing insects like crickets and cutworms as incubators for its eggs, is attracted to panicle hydrangeas. A variety of bees, butterflies, and other significant pollinators are drawn to your landscape by the lovely white and pink blossoms.
Need an Amazing Shrub?
It’s difficult to match panicle hydrangea for aesthetic appeal, dependability, year-round interest, and adaptability. Visit the Nursery Yard on your next trip to view all the beautiful types we have. Please ask us any queries you may have.