Do Bees Visit Yellow Flowers?

Short answer:
Yes, bees do visit yellow flowers! There are many examples of wonderful yellow flowers for bees - including wildflowers,  garden plants and flowering shrubs.

I also love yellow, and have some elegant yellow flag iris, hypericum 'hidcote', wallflowers, helianthus and bird's foot trefoil in my tiny garden.  Bees love them!

Yellow Flowers And Shrubs For Bees

Bees are attracted to flowers offering a rich source of nectar and pollen, and there are plenty of plants and shrubs with lovely yellow flowers that offer bees a rich source of both.  Here are some of my favourites.

Solidago - Golden Rod
An absolute favourite of mine - Solidago - or golden rod as it is known, is a yellow flower visited by bees of multiple species, as well as many other pollinators.

It provides fantastic food for bees when colonies are at their peak, and queens need to feed up for overwintering - i.e. from August onwards.

It's also a great plant to include it in the border.

Zinnia
Zinnia come in lots of shades of jewels and pastels, and zinnias are great for bees generally, but if you are looking for yellow flowers specifically - well, they are available from the Zinnia range, and bees will visit them!  Go for the more open variety.

Note, they are not always easy to go, so check suitability for including in your own region and local conditions to avoid disappointment.

Wallflower
Select an old fashioned, fragrant variety if you can, and plant these lovely flowers in a sunny spot.  These were growing at my allotment, but I have a different, darker shade of yellow wallflower in my garden at home, and they are visited by bees too.

Rudbeckia - Black Eyed Susan
A lovely, vibrant yellow flower loved by bees and other pollinators.  Read more about planting Rudbeckia for bees.

Plant in a sunny spot where it will grow about 2 -3 feet tall.

Sunflowers / Helianthus
Well known for attracting bees, sunflowers are a real favourite with children. Birds can enjoy the seeds of the larger varieties later.

There are different types of sunflowers popular with bees such as the variety pictured below.  

Yellow Flag Iris
It can take a while to establish, but in my experience, it is worth the wait, and then it spreads out nicely.  Lovely tall stems and interesting seed pods.  Can grow in the pond (where it will spread more vigorously once it gets going) but I also find it works in the border too - actually quite versatile!

Helenium - Sneezeweed
Superb for attracting bees and butterflies, sneezeweed (also known as Helen's flower) comes in yellow and orangey red.

Kale 
Ever since I allowed kale to go to flower on my allotment, I have been converted!  Yet being a leaf vegetable, it gets little serious consideration as a plant for bees.  However, if you allow kale to flower, it will reward you (and the bees) with a bush of yellow, fragrant flowers in spring.

Hypericum
Some varieties are very attractive to bees. See my list of fantastic shrubs for bees.

Mahonia - Oregon Grape
Look out for early or late winter flowering varieties! 

  Pssst ... spread the word!