Midway into Pollinator Week, we shine the spotlight on pollinator-preferred trees. Crabapples, Lindens and Panicle Hydrangeas are among pollinator favorites, according to years-long research supported by the Horticultural Research Institute and summarized in a handy chart, Plants Bees Like Best.
The chart’s list of 41 trees and shrubs, arranged by bloom sequence through the growing season, is a helpful guide to providing a season-long buffet of tree and shrub-borne pollen and nectar. Supplemental tables identify plants preferred by bumblebees, as well as plants that are of little interest to bees.
While much research focuses on pollinator preferences for perennials and annuals, woody ornamentals play an important, but less-studied role in supporting pollinators. In a multi-year study conducted at the University of Kentucky, entomologists led by Dr. Daniel A. Potter observed, counted and identified many thousands of pollinators and their feeding preferences on trees and shrubs.
Six trees that collectively bloom in a sequence from March through August are featured below. Per the UK study, pollinator visits to Flowering Crabapples and Panicle Hydrangeas were rated as “very heavy,” while visits to linden flowers were rated as “heavy.”
Firebird® Crabapple
Malus sargentii ‘Select A’
Pollinators are drawn to the clouds of fragrant white flowers that emerge in early spring from dense clusters of red buds. Long-lasting blooms that crowd along the sturdy branches of this compact, round-headed crabapple are followed by clean, dark green foliage that offers excellent resistance to the common crabapple foliage diseases; scab, fireblight, cedar-apple rust and mildew.
As summer transitions to autumn, a profuse crop of small, bright red fruits takes center stage, providing a striking pop of color in the winter garden that may last until the arrival of spring. A great choice for small gardens, Firebird® Crabapple matures into a small, mannerly tree with a height and spread of about 8’ x 10’.
Royal Raindrops® Crabapple
Malus ‘JFS-KW5’
Unique for its purple cutleaf foliage, the spring blooms of this unusual tree glow bright pinkish red in springtime. As the blooms fade, purple-tinted leaves emerge. Foliage intensifies to purple and becomes deeply lobed as it matures, a shape inherited from its fruit parent, Golden Raindrops® Crab. Its purple color holds well through the summer and into autumn.
Not to be outshone by other purple-foliaged crabapples, Royal Raindrops® sports a medley of bronze-red, purple, orange, gold and yellow tones in autumn. Its tiny, bright red, persistent fruits sparkle with winter frost and appear to be favored by birds over larger-fruited cultivars. Based on its outstanding quality and dependable performance for the lower Midwest, it was named a Plant of Merit in 2013 by the Missouri Botanical Garden. Dozens of additional fine cultivars are described on our Crabapple Information Chart.
Greenspire® Linden
Tilia cordata ‘PNI 6025’
Pollinators love this and other cultivars of Littleleaf Linden. It’s a summer delight to step beneath the dense canopy of a blooming Linden tree to enjoy its dense shade while experiencing the hum of hundreds of hardworking honeybees.
The standard of comparison among the Lindens, this sturdy, reliable performer has a strong central leader, very uniform branch arrangement and a symmetrical, pyramidal form. Its symmetrical form lends this cultivar to marvelous alleés that soften the harsh landscapes of city streets. Its leafy canopy produces deep shade that helps to reduce air conditioning costs and urban heat island effect. It reaches about 40’ in height with a spread of about 30’. Dark green foliage turns yellow in the fall. Hardy through USDA Zone 4, it performs well in warmer climates, through Zone 8.
Redmond Linden
Tilia americana ‘Redmond’
Rapid growth and heavy caliper development at a young age give this sturdy selection of a North American native species a head start in the nursery and in the landscape. Large leaves give it a bold appearance as it matures to a symmetrical, pyramidal shape and a height and spread of about 35’ x 25’. Selected in Nebraska in 1942, this time-tested cultivar has proven over the decades to be very adaptable and hardy (USDA Zone 3) and among the most widely planted of the linden cultivars.
Limelight Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Raise the season-long beauty of Limelight Hydrangea to eye level by choosing our easy-care tree form. Carefully pruned throughout their years in our nursery, their branches are strong enough to support a dense canopy of medium green leaves and an explosion of pollinator-pleasing flowers that last all summer. They’re eye-catching from the moment their cone-shaped blooms emerge light green in late spring. Maturing to creamy white in mid-summer, their petals mature to deep pink in autumn. A great addition to the cutting garden, Limelight is a season-long source of colorful, long-lasting flowers that can be enjoyed fresh or dried for months-long enjoyment. Hardy through USDA Zone 3, they grow to an approximate height and spread of 10’ x 7’.
Quick Fire™ Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bulk’ PP 16812
This breakthrough hydrangea cultivar blooms earlier than is typical of the species. It’s the first of the Panicle Hydrangeas to flower, first to become pink in the garden, and the first to draw the attention of pollinators. Flowers change quickly from white to a rich pinkish red; color that lasts through the summer months and deepens to dark rosy pink in the fall. Reddish-orange fall color complements the rosy-pink flowers of autumn and extends its season of beauty.
Typically grown as shrubs, ours are trained as single-stem tree forms – a perfect fit for containers and confined spaces that can’t accommodate trees. Flowers are produced on new wood, and their color is not affected by soil pH. Hardiness is USDA Zone 3.
Thanks for reading our Pollinator Week blog. Want to learn more about protecting pollinators and enhancing home, commercial and public landscapes to support them? Our Pollinator Resources flyer is a great starting point for learning more about bees, butterflies, spiders, birds, bats beetles and the unsung heroes of the pollinator world – Flies!. If you missed it, check out last week’s blog, too: Buzzing Benefactors Boost Pollination.
Gardeners! Please note that our nursery is strictly wholesale. To purchase these and other trees grown by our nursery, please use our Retailer Locator to find sources of JFS trees near you.
