European flowers used by bumblebees

This list gives the flowering time, but this is an average for Europe, so will be later in the north and earlier in the south. The most important thing is that the bumblebees have flowers from the time the first queens emerge from hibernation until the newly mated young queens go into hibernation for the winter. So the deal is this - in return for the nectar they drink and the pollen they eat, the bees will reward you with a hum and will pollinate your flowers for free. What more could you ask?

Common name	Latin name	Flowers	Colour	Height cm
Alkanet	Pentaglottis sempervirens	Apr-Jul	blue	30-60
Agrimony	Agrimonia eupatoria	Jun-Aug		50
Apple	Malus	Apr-May	white	tree
Aubretia	Aubretia sp	Apr-May	pink/purple	10-30
Azelea	Rhododendron Spp.	May-Jun	various	>100
Basil	Ocimium basilicum
Bergamot	Monarda didyma
Bindweed	Convulvulus arvensis	Jun-Sep	pink/white	climber
Birdsfoot trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	Jun-Sep	yellow	<15
Bluebell	Endymion non-scriptus	Mar-May	blue	15-30
Borage	Borago officinalis	Jun-Aug	purple	60
Bramble	Rubus fruticosus	Jun-Aug	white/pink	>100
Broom	Cytisus scoparius	May-Jun	yellow	200
Buddleia	Buddleia spp.	Jun-Sep	purple/white	>100
Bugle	Ajuga reptans	May-Jul	blue	<15
Carline thistle	Carlina vulgaris	Jul-Sep	purple	<15
Catmint	Nepeta cataria	May-Sep	purple	<30
Chamomile	Chamaemelum nobile	Jun-Jul	yellow/white	25
Chives	Allium schoenoprasum	Jun-Jul	purple	15-40
Clover	Trifolium pratense & repens	May-Sep	white or red	30 - 50
Coltsfoot	Tussilago farfara	Mar-Apr	yellow	25
Columbine	Aquilegia vulgaris	May-Jun	various	60_100
Comfrey	Symphytum officinale	May-Sep	pink	30-100
Cotoneaster	Cotoneaster spp.	Apr-Jun	white/red	30- >100
Crab apple	Malus sylvestris	May	white	tree
Currants	Ribes spp.
Daisy	Bellis perennis	Mar-Oct	white/yellow	<15
Dame's violet	Hesperis matronalis	May-Jul	pink/purple	80
Dandelion	Taraxicum officinale	Mar-Sep	yellow	35
Deadnettle, white and red	Lamium spp.	Mar-Oct	red/white	10-60
Elder	Sambucus nigra	May-Jun	white	700
Evening primrose	Oenothera biennis	Jun-Sep	yellow	80
Fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	Jul-Oct	yellow	120
Forget-me-not	Myosotis spp.	Mar-Jun	blue	15-40
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea	Jul-Sep	purple	>100
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.	Jul-Sep	yellow	60->100
Gorse	Ulex spp.	Jan-Dec	yellow	>100
Hawksbeard	Crepis spp.	May-Sep	yellow	15-70
Hawthorn	Crategus monogyna	May-Jun	white	bush/tree
Heather	Calluna spp. & Erica spp.	Jan-Dec	pink/white	20-60
Honeysuckle	Lonicera spp.	Jul-Sep	cream/pink	>100
Hyssop	Hyssopus officinalis	Jul-Aug	blue/violet	15-30
Kidney vetch	Anthyllis vulneraria	Jun-Aug	yellow	<15
Knapweed	Centaurea spp.	Jul-Sep	purple	30-80
Lavender	Lavandula spp.	Jun-Aug	purple	30-80
Lemon balm	Melissa officinalis	Jul-Sep	white	50
Lesser celandine	Ranunculus ficaria	Mar-May	yellow	<20
Lupin	Lupinus spp.	May-Jul	various	60-100
Marjoram	Origanum vulgare	Jul-Sep	pink
Marshmallow	Althea officinalis	Jul-Sep	pink	100
Meadow buttercup	Ranunculus acris	May-Aug	yellow	20-60
Meadow vetchling	Lathyrus pratensis	May-Aug	yellow	climber
Michaelmas daisy	Aster spp.	Jul-Oct	various	20-40
Mint	Mentha spp.
Meadowsweet	Filipendula ulmaria	Jun-Aug	Yellow	100
Nettle	Urtica dioica	May-Sep	white	150
Monks hood	Aconitum napellus	May-Jul	purple/blue	<100
Pansy	Viola spp.	Mar-Nov	violet/yellow	<15
Parsley	Petroselinum crispum
Pinks	Dianthus spp.
Primrose	Primula vulgaris	Feb-May	yellow	<15
Purple loosestrife	Lythrum salicaria	Jun-Jul	purple	60-120
Ragged robin	Lychnis flos-cucli	May_Aug	pink	30-40
Raspberry	Rubus ideaus	Jun-Aug	white	bush
Red campion	Silene dioica	Mar-Oct	red	>60
Red clover	Trifolium pratense	May-Sep	red	<30
Rhododendron	Rhododendron spp.	May-Jun	various	>100
Rose	Rosa spp.	Jun-Jul	white/pink	>100
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis
Sage	Salvia spp.	Jun-Aug	purple	30-80
Sallows	Salix spp.	Mar-Apr		tree
Scotch thistle	Onopordum acanthium	Jul-Aug	purple	100
Selfheal	Prunella vulgaris	Jun-Oct	purple	15-30
Small scabious	Scabiosa columbaria	Jun-Aug	pink	<60
Spear thistle	Cirsium vulgare	Jul-Sep	purple	100
Teasel	Dipsacus fullonum	Jul-Aug	purple	>100
Thyme	Thymus vulgaris
Toadflax	Linaria vulgaris	Jul-Oct	yellow	30-60
Viburnum		Oct-Mar	pink	>100
Viper's bugloss	Echium vulgare	Jun-Sep	blue/purple	70
White clover	Trifolium repens	May-Sep	white	<25
Whins	Genista spp	Jan-Dec	yellow	50->100
Wild thyme	Thymus praecox	May-Aug	purple	<10
Wood avens	Geum urbanum	May-Aug	yellow	30-60
Wood sage	Teucrium scordonia	Jul-Sep	yellow	50-60
Woundwort	Stachys spp.	Jul-Sep	red	30-60
Yarrow	Acillea millefolium	Jun-Nov	white	45
Yellow meadow vetchling	Lathryus pratensis	May-Aug	yellow	100

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