17 Flowering Shrubs Bumblebees Love

Bumblebees are charming in their flight and garden travels and are also highly valuable pollinators. Flowering shrubs are long-lasting installments that provide reliable resources for bumblebees and other pollinators. The shrubs create a hospitable habitat for generations of bees, as queen bumblebees nest underground in our gardens to emerge and repopulate the colony in spring. 

Shrubs also serve wildlife through shelter and seeds as forage for songbirds and small mammals. The shrubs that are tailored to bumblebees (Bombus spp.) include bell-shaped blooms for long-tongued species and open flowers for short-tongued species. They also draw a host of native bees, honeybees, and other beneficial insects.

Here are 17 flowering shrubs that will magnetize bumblebees to your garden.

Bumblebees in the Garden

Bumblebees are social insects, though their colonies change each year with new offspring from the queen. The populations fluctuate according to factors like pesticides, habitat, weather, parasites, and predators. Bumblebee queens spend the winter beneath the leaves and burrow into soft soils. They’ll emerge to lead the next generation of workers. The hairy, full-bodied black and yellow bees visit blooms to forage for nectar and pollen.

Queen bumblebees are the only ones to survive winter, and they hibernate alone. In spring, they surface to nest, collect pollen, and lay eggs.

Their Role

Bees are essential to flowering crops and are responsible for pollinating one-third of all plants. Some wildflowers tailor their reproduction specifically to bumblebees, who work their way into a tubular bloom, shimmying to reach the nectar and pollen. The granules stick to the bumblebee’s fuzz as it travels between flowers and dusts other blooms.

Bumblebees pollinate wildflowers that support the food web with seeds for birds and mammals. Some are long-tongued species, able to reach flowers with deep tubes. Others are shorter-tongued and access open-faced flowers and central pollen discs.

In the home garden, bumblebees pollinate our vegetable and ornamental crops. Active earlier in the season than other bees, they get a head start on production.

Ninebark

	botanical name Physocarpus opulifolius
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 2-8

Ninebark is a versatile flowering shrub for bumblebees due to its rugged durability and easy growth. Native to eastern North America, common ninebark is drought-tolerant and withstands various soils from clay to rocky. They’re also exceptionally cold-hardy, surviving as low as zone 1 and growing across conditions.

Ninebark’s ornamental features distinguish it by season in the landscape. Soft, pinky-white bloom clusters cover the shrubs in spring. New leaves emerge chartreuse and age to deeper green, turning yellow in late summer and fall. Drooping red berries develop post-bloom. In winter, it’s exfoliating, peeling bark reveals shades of red, copper, and light brown, extending the interest.

Ninebark is a favorite for pollinators and beneficial insects because of its rich nectar from the multitude of flowers. Birds and small mammals forage on the fruits. There are a number of cultivars with dynamic foliage in burgundy or gold and in dwarf or compact forms.

Summersweet Clethra

	botanical name Clethra alnifolia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-10’
	hardiness zones 3-9

Clethra is native to eastern North America and carries multi-season interest, from highly fragrant bloom clusters to seed pods to fall color. Bumblebees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators favor summersweet’s pinkish-white blooms and spiced pepper scent. Clethra produces high-quality pollen and nectar. It flowers when other plants take a break, during the high summer heat, for weeks from July to August, providing essential resources.

The native shrub withstands various soil conditions, from moist, sometimes wet, to dry spells once established. But avoid sites that are generally hot and dry. It performs best with consistent moisture, well-draining soils, and with afternoon shade protection from intense sun.

Lilac

	botanical name Syringa vulgaris
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-16’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Lilac shrubs bring a sweet welcome to spring and delight the bumblebees that rely on them. Their purple panicle bloom clusters carry an intense fragrance that signals their rich nectar to pollinators. Bumblebees see ultraviolet light, and blue and purple blooms attract them.

With hundreds of lilac cultivars, they’re available as single or double blooms in creamy white to rose to purple. Clip a single stem for the vase, and the sweet fragrance quickly fills the room. Deadhead faded flowers to encourage re-flowering and bud set.

Lilacs need cold winters to develop buds. They don’t thrive in climates with high heat and humidity. In warm zones, look for those bred for improved heat tolerance, like Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’ or Syringa hyacinthiflora.

Sweetshrub

	botanical name Calycanthus floridus
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 6-12’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Calycanthus, or Carolina allspice, has fragrant, strappy, chocolate-red blooms that appear in May on short stems with broad leaves. The handsome foliage is attractive even when not in flower, lustrous and deep green. They bring fall color in bright gold. When crushed or bruised, the leaves and stems have a spicy, ginny fragrance.

Sweetshrub makes an excellent shrub for bumblebees as a specimen or grouped planting in woodlands, mixed borders, pollinator gardens, and naturalistic settings. Place them near entrances, patios, and walkways to enjoy the fragrance, with plenty of room to grow.

Carolina allspice has a dense, upright, and rounded habit, nearly as wide as tall. It spreads through suckers and seeds and forms colonies in the wild. In the home garden, it behaves in a more contained manner. Calycanthus develops buds on old and new wood, meaning the spring blooms continue as new growth emerges for an extended display. They’ll flower even after a cold winter if old wood buds receive winter damage.

‘Nootka’ Rose

	botanical name Rosa nutkana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-10’
	hardiness zones 5-10

The Nootka rose is a North American wild rose with single flowers in showy pink. The flat, open-faced flowers have bright yellow centers with pollen-packed stamens. Native roses, with their accessible pollen centers, attract more pollinators than those with dense petals. Nootka also hosts various moths and butterflies.

Abundant purple-red hips persist through winter, and colorful foliage brightens in fall. Nearly thornless canes make for easy pruning and care (though young stems contain prickles until maturing).

Nootka is an easy-care, rugged, and adaptable rose. It grows quickly and spreads by vigorous rhizomes, suitable for bank stabilization and erosion control, in addition to its pollinator and ornamental value.

Camellia

	botanical name Camellia spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-25’
	hardiness zones 7-9

Camellias are evergreen shrubs for warm southern climates. They bloom in fall to winter or later in winter to early spring, depending on the species. The striking blooms are a joy when little else is blooming and offer forage during transitional seasons for bees. They lend a lush look to the landscape year-round with glossy, dark green leaves.

Camellia sasanqua blooms in the winter, with numerous flowers in shades from soft pink to scarlet. It tolerates more sun. Camellia japonica blooms in late winter/early spring with larger flowers and leaves.

To attract bumblebees, look for straight species rather than cultivars, which often have little pollen and therefore little to offer to bumblebees.

Daphne

	botanical name Daphne odora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 7-9

Flowering daphnes lure bumblebees with their deliciously scented blooms. Some varieties bloom in winter through spring, while others flower heavily in spring and repeat lightly through fall. Early-to-rise queen bumblebees visit the early nectar source after they emerge for the season. Sturdy bumblebees are able to forage even in cool weather, where some other bees aren’t.

Daphne odora is an evergreen species with all-season appeal. Blue fruits follow the blooms. Variegated varieties like ‘Aureomarginata’ and ‘Banana Split’ have lovely foliage in minty blue-green with creamy margins.

Plant daphne in moist soils with good drainage. They’re somewhat drought and salt-tolerant and can dry out slightly between waterings. Enjoy the fragrant shrub as a container specimen, in a woodland setting, and as a foundation plant. Situate daphne in a permanent spot, as their roots are slow to establish and don’t like to be disturbed.

Oregon Grape

	botanical name Berberis aquifolium
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Oregon grape has broad, serrated evergreen leaves like an oversized holly. They bring high foliar and winter interest with eye-catching yellow bloom spikes followed by dark berries.

Oregon grape holly is a slow-growing shrub native to the Pacific Northwest. The leathery leaves have coppery new growth in spring, maturing to deep green and turning burgundy in the fall. 

In late winter and early spring, the bright flowers are a beacon for pollinators. The extended flowering provides weeks of support before other spring selections begin.

Pieris

	botanical name Pieris japonica
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-10’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Pieris is another transition-season blooming shrub for bumblebees. Delicate bell flowers suspend gracefully from whorled, leafy stems. The buds develop in late summer and hang like beads all winter. Late in the season and into early spring, the beads open to the bells that resemble lily-of-the-valley (it’s also called lily-of-the-valley shrub).

New growth on pieris is bronze and red, with established leaves in deep, glossy green. The narrow, pointed leaves form bushy rosettes along the stems.

Pieris thrives in acidic, well-drained soils. Prune stems as blooms fade to promote bud set for the next season.

Snowberry

	botanical name Symphoricarpos albus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Snowberry is a rugged North American native with sweet clusters of petite pink bell blooms in late summer. After flowering, pale green berry clusters emerge and ripen to white.

In the wild, snowberry provides important shelter and browse for wildlife, though birds leave most of the berries alone. This leads to a winter show with lots of fruits on the bush after the leaves drop.

‘Pink Symphony’ has stems packed with bright pink berries. Showy in the landscape and floral arrangements, it’s a rich addition to the woodland border or against a backdrop of evergreens.

Snowberry grows across soil conditions and occurs naturally in dry, rocky sites. Grow it as a border specimen or along a slope for erosion control. It spreads through rhizomes to form thickets if allowed.

Viburnum

	botanical name Viburnum spp.
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-20’
	hardiness zones 2-10

There are numerous viburnums, including native species, in a range of sizes, making it a versatile flowering shrub that attracts bumblebees. Textural leaves, clusters of creamy white flowers, and fruits bring lasting interest and wildlife value. The woody specimens appeal to the senses with fragrance and color, including fall hues in yellows, reds, and burgundy.

The native arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) is a multistemmed, deciduous shrub with upright branches. They make adaptable screens, mixed borders, and grouped plantings in challenging sites.

Viburnum obovatum ‘Mrs. Schiller’s Delight’ is a small selection native to the Southeastern U.S. Its twiggy stems form a dense, mounding form that holds domed clusters of dainty white blossoms. Indigo-black fruits ripen in the fall, highlighted by purple and green foliage.

Viburnums are low-maintenance and prefer moist, well-drained soils. Situate winter-blooming species in a protected spot to preserve blooms during freezing periods. 

Abelia

	botanical name Abelia x grandiflora
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-8’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Abelia flowers in profusion all summer. Delicate tubular pink and white flowers entice pollinators in clusters on the ends of stems. Glossy, pointed, evergreen leaves line woody stems.

‘Miss Lemon’ is a dwarf variety with long-lasting light pink flowers among sprays of creamy yellow foliage with green centers. The compact ‘Kaleidoscope’ has color-shifting foliage from green to golden yellow in spring to red-orange in fall.

Abelia thrives in heat and is disease, pest, and deer-resistant. They withstand humidity and short dry spells.

Swamp Rose

	botanical name Rosa palustris
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-6’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Swamp rose is a native species with fragrant, single blooms in early summer. The open flowers are pink with yellow centers, and crimson rosehips carry into winter. Dark green foliage turns vibrant red in fall.

Swamp roses grow under the dappled light of a tree canopy and withstand hot and humid climates. They grow in moist soils and sites that experience occasional water, like pond margins, marshes, and rain gardens. 

Swamp roses are robust woody shrubs, making them a fit for naturalized areas and wild borders. The flowers, hips, and canes provide pollen, forage, and shelter for pollinators, birds, and mammals.

Bearberry

	botanical name Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-12”
	hardiness zones 3-7

Bearberry is a hardy, broadleaf evergreen spreading shrub or groundcover. The North American native brings summer blossoms for bumblebees, interest across the seasons, and berries for wildlife. Green drupes turn red in fall. The dark green leaves take on a bronze tint in cold temperatures.

The rugged low-grower does best in dry situations and tolerates dappled light under tree canopy. It thrives in arid, cool climates and won’t withstand high humidity.

Sweetspire

	botanical name Itea virginica
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 3-8’
	hardiness zones 5-9

The native sweetspire bears pendant blooms with a light fragrance for weeks of flowering. The deciduous shrub has an upright, rounded habit, slightly arching branches, and dark, willowy leaves. Foliage turns brilliant gold and burgundy in autumn, lasting on the branch into winter.

Long racemes of tiny white flowers attract pollinators and ornament the stems. Seeds that follow provide cool-season forage for songbirds. Sweetspire has an informal habit for the mixed border and woodland. It performs across growing conditions, including wet and eroded sites. Plant it in numbers to enjoy the showy fall foliage.

Virginia Rose

	botanical name Rosa virginiana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10’
	hardiness zones 3-8

Virginia roses are shrubby, woodland roses with pink blooms on stout, hairy stems. Large and showy deep pink flowers with bright yellow stamens attract bees and other beneficials.

Dark green, glossy leaves turn yellow and red as temperatures cool. Burgundy rosehips form early and attract birds and wildlife. 

Virginia roses are ornamental with a long bloom season. They adapt to various conditions, including salt. The shrub forms a natural hedge for the naturalized border and cottage garden.

Buttonbush

	botanical name Cephalanthus occidentalis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 5-8’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Buttonbush is a loose, informal native with showy little globe blooms that draw bees with their nectar and pollen. Buttonbush is a woody shrub or small tree with fragrant, spherical flowers from June through September. Flowers are tubular with long styles in a flared pincushion.