Access
Honeybee tongues are relatively short and cannot reach the nectar in some plants, ruling out such plants for them altogether. Buddleia’s long flower tubes need the long, unfurled tongue of the butterfly, for example.
On the other hand certain plant families’ flower shapes are ideally suited to honeybees. Flowers of the mint family (Lamiaceae) and pea family (Fabaceae) fall into this category.
Single and double flowers
Horticulturists have taken an evolutionary development a stage further by encouraging more and more stamens to become petals through breeding. This makes for a fuller, showier flower and the lack of pollen means pollination cannot occur or is reduced so that the flower remains open for longer, waiting. Often the exuberant mass of petals means the bee can’t access the nectar and rather than wasting energy trying they will move on to another flower.
For more information on single and double flowers visit the Beeginner Beekeeper website.
Shrubs and swathes
Honeybees are incredibly clever at working out what flowers to visit in terms of efficiency. Lots of flowers within a smaller space means they use less energy flying between them so trees, shrubs and swathes of the same plant are likely to attract them.
Each time they visit a new type of plant they have to work out how to access the nectar too. Once the code has been cracked the information is passed on within the colony and that crop continues to be visited until the food dries up.
Colour
Honeybees see colour differently to humans. They can see ultraviolet light that is invisible to us but can’t see the red end of the spectrum. Choosing plants on the basis of their colour is tricky therefore – they love red heleniums for example!