Create a bee-friendly garden with indigenous plants
Bees: What's all the buzzing about?
Did you know that bees are good for your health? They give you a dose of vitamin Bee! Ok, ok, we're just pollen your leg!
But seriously now: Bet you didn't know this?! South Africa has been recognised globally as a bee diversity hotspot, with close to 1 000 bee species, many of which are endemic to the Fynbos and Succulent Karoo biomes.
Honeybees specifically are often in the news these days. Research constantly updates what’s known about their importance to the environment, biodiversity, economies and food security.
But the well-known little honeybee is not only managed by beekeepers to allow for honey harvesting; are you aware that they're also important pollinators of many of our indigenous flowering plants (including many of our fabulous thorn trees) - helping to maintain various ecosystem functions.
It feeds on pollen and nectar of flowering plants, while at the same time providing the essential service of transferring pollen from one flower to another – thereby facilitating pollination and the reproduction of flowering plants.
Honeybees also pollinate about 50 (insect pollinated) commercial crops across South Africa, including sunflower seeds, apples, pears, blueberries, canola and subtropical fruit found in the northern region of South Africa. Imagine your world without all the fruits and vegetables we rely on for a healthy diet!
Let's talk food:
According to the experts, in just one province, the Western Cape, about 91,000 beehives are currently required to serve the deciduous fruit industry. And this number is expected to increase to at least 100,000 in the next five years.
These honeybees (but also other indigenous wild bee species) require a diverse quality and quantity of good forage resources to survive, to produce and to go on with their important job as pollinator.
But unfortunately their food resources are under threat these days.
It’s important to know that South Africa’s honey bees rely on both indigenous and exotic species, flowering crops, AND suburban plants to provide important forage sources all- year round.
And this is where YOUR garden comes into the play!
Bees will usually forage within 3km from their hives, but it is also known that they can fly as far as 12km in search of healthy food sources.
By planting just a few bee-friendly flowering plants in your own garden, you can do your part to help these very important little friends of ours AND you’ll be nurturing and cultivating an environment that supports biodiversity.
Here's a great list of Indigenous plants that provide food for honeybees:
Support pollinators by incorporating a variety of indigenous plants into your garden. These species provide nectar, pollen, and habitat for bees, ensuring a thriving ecosystem.
Herbaceous Perennials & Groundcovers: Asparagus, Gazania, Felicia, Helichrysum, Leonotis, Lessertia (Sutherlandia), Osteospermum, and Barleria create vibrant, nectar-rich spaces.
Shrubs & Trees: Anisodontea, Bauhinia, Buddleja, Salvia, Strelitzia, Searsia, Acacia, and Olea offer shelter and food sources throughout the seasons.
Climbers & Bulbous Plants: Rhoicissus, Thunbergia, Agapanthus, Clivia, Kniphofia, and Dietes add vertical interest while attracting pollinators.
Succulents & Proteaceae: Aloe, Bulbine, Carpobrotus, Protea, Leucadendron, and Mimetes provide year-round sustenance with their unique blooms.
By planting these species, you’ll create a resilient, bee-friendly haven that benefits biodiversity and enhances your garden’s natural beauty.
MORE Bee-friendly TIPS:
- Plant flowers in clumps: Flowers clustered into clumps of one species will attract more pollinators than individual plants scattered through the habitat patch.
- Bees also appreciate a drink – provide fresh water in a shallow source like a bird bath or shallow pond.
- Avoid using harmful pesticides and chemicals.
To bee or not to bee, that is the question....
We say Yes! to conserve these precious creatures. Let us all do our part.
Spoil yourself (and the bees) and visit your favourite Cape Garden branch to view our
impressive selection of bee-friendly plants.
Cape Garden stores:
Joostenbergvlakte / Stellenbosch / Somerset-west / George / Vredendal