Flowers of Whitethorn Acacia are highly beneficial to native pollinators such as solitary bees–as well as honey bees.
(Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons © 2024)
American Bee Control most enthusiastically recommends the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s “Plantcare” page of their website. You will find a huge list of plants that are beneficial to native bees as well as honey bees and other pollinators. In addition to the Desert Museum’s marvelous list of plants, we also recommend planting the native “Whitethorn Acacia” (Vachellia constricta) because the spherical, yellow-orange flowers are a favorite of many native pollinators and these attractive, small trees often bloom out-of-sequence to the native mesquite trees. (Mesquite trees are deep-rooted and typically blossom once a year, following springtime rains and prior to the high heat of June. Whitethorn Acacia, on the other hand, are shallow-rooted and may bloom during almost any warm month of the year. Like the nectar from mesquite trees, Vachellia constricta flowers make a light-colored, mild-flavored honey that is highly prized by those who know its virtues!)
Here’s another link the Desert Museum’s “plantcare” site. Most of the plants listed there have a complete info sheet available for download for your planning and long-term care. https://www.desertmuseum.org/plantcare/
Among the most important things Arizonans can do to help bees is to plant pollinator friendly (flowering) plants. Whether low-to-the-ground flowering shrubs or tall, flowering trees, the more flowers the better.
Other great resources for learning how to support native pollinators as well as honey bees are:
A. Tucson Botanical Gardens 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ 85712. 520-326-9686 (admission charge, but free for members)
B. Community Gardens of Tucson with 17 locations (as of 2024) throughout metro Tucson Administration: 5049 E Broadway, Suite 300
Tucson, AZ 85711 520-795-8823 admin@communitygardensoftucson.org
C. Tohono Chul Gardens 7366 Paseo del Norte Tucson, AZ 85704 (520) 742-6455 info@tohonochul.org
Please feel free to call or email American Bee Control with questions regarding ways you can support pollinator diversity and sustainability.