Do herbs benefit pollinators?
Written by
Nguyen Minh
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Beyond their use in cooking, herbs benefit pollinators greatly. The small blue flowers of rosemary and the delicate flowers of thyme offer high-nectar meals to bees. Allow these plants to flower, and you may be surprised by how many bee species appear. I did not record many bee species for years until I allowed my sage to flower. Suddenly, I had twelve new bee species in my kitchen garden. Drought-resistant herbs such as oregano do well in areas where other plants do not.
Rosemary
- Blooms early spring, feeding emerging bees
- Produces 0.5ml nectar per flower daily
- Attracts mason bees and honeybees
Thyme
- Groundcover with summer-long blooms
- Shelters ground-nesting miner bees
- Requires no pesticides due to natural oils
Soil preparation makes herbs reach their maximum benefits. Plants should be grown within soil with adequate drainage and soil with a pH of 6.0-7.0 is best. My clay-heavy planting area, for example, experienced a major increase in thyme blooms when I added 30% sand to the clay soil. Another consideration is over-watering the plant. Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, are more fragrant and have higher nectar flow when grown in drier conditions.
Pruning
- Trim rosemary after flowering to encourage bushiness
- Cut mint back by 1/3 to prevent leggy growth
- Avoid cutting woody herbs below leaf nodes
Companion Planting
- Pair basil with tomatoes to repel hornworms
- Grow chives near roses to deter aphids
- Interplant dill to attract predatory wasps
Observe pollinator visits by placing sticky notes. My sage patch recorded 17 bee landings per hour during peak bloom. Share excess herbs with neighbors; community gardens connect habitats. A simple pot of flowering thyme on a windowsill can also benefit urban populations of bees.
Read the full article: Top 10 Flowers for Bees: A Gardener's Essential Guide
