Q: I want to learn more about the relationship between bees and trees. Can you recommend trees that are important to bees?

A: There are a wealth of trees that bees love for nectar. My Dad would take his hives to N. Georgia each spring so his bees could collect sourwood honey and he could tell when tulip poplar was blooming just by the color of the honey in his hives.

In addition, bees are important pollinators for some trees, like American holly.

Here’s a good list of “bee trees”:

Alder
American Holly
Basswood
Black Gum
Black Locust
Buckeye
Catalpa
Redbud
Fruit Trees (especially Crabapple)
Golden Rain Tree
Hawthorn
Magnolia
Maple
Sourwood
Sycamore
Tulip Poplar
Poplar
Willow

tulip poplar flower