Are you highly allergic to bee stings and want to drive the bees away from your garden?
While these hardworking pollinators are of great service to humankind, you need to plant flowers that don’t attract bees and do some alterations if you have insect phobia or allergy.
But what flowers are bee-repellant and why do these pollinators avoid them?
In this article, we compiled an extensive list of flowers that do not attract bees.
Furthermore, we’ll also spill the reasons why bees are not attracted to these beautiful blooms.
So, if you want to build a beautiful bee-free floral oasis, you have come to the right place.
Before we unveil the list, let us first discuss the factors or reasons why some flowers, despite their regal beauty and bright colors, aren’t attractive to bees.
Why Don’t Some Flowers Attract Bees?
Here are common reasons why there are flowers that bees don’t like.
Unattractive Color
Bees can see and identify colors easily. They can be able to see them five times faster compared to humans.
So, the first thing they look for in a flower is its color.
The most attractive for bees are the colors with shorter wavelengths, like purple, violet, and blue.
These wavelengths are the distance between the consecutive crests of electromagnetic waves. The waves include visible light, which reflects different colors.
However, some flowers don’t attract bees due to their petal’s color.
Flowers with a shorter wavelength, like red, are ignored by bees because it appears color black to their eyes due to their lack of receptors for red.
So, if you want to grow a bee-free flower garden, it is best to choose flowers with red-hued blooms.
Unpleasing Smell
Aside from the sense of sight, bees are very attentive to smell.
They can detect the scent of a flower, even in traces during flight, and identify its species.
Bees can use their sense of smell more than other insects, like mosquitoes and fruit flies. They can also use it to find food for themselves.
Lavender, Beebalm, Basil, and Rosemary are among the flowers that attract bees due to their irresistible and pleasing scent.
However, the Mexican marigolds, Chrysanthemums, Cinnamon, Geranium, Cucumber, and Citronella smell unpleasing for them.
Lack of Nectar and Pollen
Bees are good pollinators. Their primary purpose in visiting flowers is to collect pollen and nectars.
Some flowers don’t attract bees due to the lack of nectar and pollen.
Pollens are produced by male flowers that are essential for flower reproduction, and pollinators are responsible for transferring the pollens to the female flowers.
On the other end, nectars are liquid raw materials for producing honey.
So, if the flower lacks nectars and pollens, bees won’t stay on them and will transfer to another flower.
But the amazing fact about flowers is that they provide a “nectar’s guide” that will help bees to determine which flowers contain many nectars and pollen.
Flower Shape
Another thing that bees consider before visiting flowers is their size.
Smaller bees only visit small flowers, while larger bees visit the bigger ones.
In that way, their body can handle the amount of nectar in every flower.
For the shape of the flowers, bees prefer flowers with wide petals where they can easily land.
Smaller bees have short tongues, so they prefer shallow and tubular corollas – the flower’s center where nectars are stored.
On the other hand, larger bees have long tongues that can reach deep corollas.
So, if you want to plant flowers free from bees or at least fewer bees, choose the one with long corollas and trumpet shapes.
27 Flowers That Don’t Attract Bees
In this section, we’ll reveal to you the flowers that you should avoid if you want to try garden beekeeping and attract pollinators.
But if you want to keep your garden bee-free, they’re the best options for you.
1. Geraniums
These small-bearing flowering plants are a popular staple for hanging pots and baskets.
And it’s available in a wide range of colors, including red, pink, and even purple and mauve.
Geraniums are perfect for hanging plants on your balcony or resting areas because their flowers grow in clusters in one stem.
This flower is very attractive to butterflies and other insects. But how about bees?
Geranium flowers don’t attract bees due to two different reasons.
The first reason is geraniums excrete unpleasant odors for bees. But for butterflies, it is very fragrant.
The other reason is that this flower contains only a few nectars and can’t support the bee’s needs.
It’s just not worth their time, so it’s understandable why they prefer other flowers.
| Botanical Name: | Pelargonium |
| Sun Exposure: | 6 hours a day |
| Soil Type: | Neutral or Alkaline soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | May to October |
| Lifespan: | 2 years |
2. Marigold
Marigolds is a multicolor flower-bearing plant available in the hues of yellow, white, orange, and red.
Mostly, it appears as a combination of two colors, like yellow and orange or red.
Like geraniums, marigolds can attract butterflies.
It has a carnation or daisy-like petal pattern and grows in a single or cluster.
It has 50 species in different parts of the world, and some of them are called Tagetes Erecta, Tagetes Patula, and Tagetes Tenuifolia.
Does it attract bees? It doesn’t.
Why? Well, just like geranium, it has an unpleasing smell. On top of that, these flowers have double petals.
So, bees find it harder to collect the little nectar and pollen because they lay deeper within the flower.
| Botanical Name: | Tagetes |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil Type: | Loamy and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6 to 7 |
| Bloom Time: | Early summer to hard frost in late fall |
| Lifespan: | 1 year |
3. Red Lilies
Lilies have over 90 varieties with different colors, like red bloom or red lilies.
Example of lilies with red colors is red spider lilies and Lily cultivars.
These two lilies have different sizes of petals.
The red spider lilies have thin and short petals, while lily cultivars have broad, long, and pointed petals.
As the name suggests, red lilies have red-colored blooms, which are unappealing for these pollinators.
In addition, the structure of lilies’ petals makes bees harder to get nectar and pollen, so they prefer other brighter colors.
| Botanical Name: | Lilium philadelphicum |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil Type: | Organic matter |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Late summer to early fall |
| Lifespan: | 2 weeks or more depending on how you care |
4. Cardinal Flower
This elegant flower wears a brilliant scarlet red color.
It has a deep tubular shape flower and mostly grows in places near waters like banks of ponds, rivers, and streams.
Sometimes they can be seen on roadsides in cool regions and perennial borders of gardens.
This flower is attractive to hummingbirds but not to bees because of its color.
The nectars are also difficult to reach because of the tubular shape of their corolla.
| Botanical Name: | Lobelia cardinalis |
| Sun Exposure: | Full to partial |
| Soil Type: | Moist |
| Soil pH: | Between slightly acidic to neutral |
| Bloom Time: | Summer to early fall |
| Lifespan: | 2 to 3 years |
5. Red Hot Poker
It is a perennial flowering plant from Africa that comes in different colors, like yellow, orange, and bright red.
They’re sometimes called Torch lilies because their flower shapes are like a torch or fire, but they do not belong to the Liliaceae family.
The flower of a red hot poker grows taller than its leaves.
It has a tubular shape corolla, and its petals don’t spread out. Because of that, bees can’t easily get the nectar from it.
And even if the color yellow is attractive to them, bees might ignore them and find other flowers with easily accessible nectars.
| Botanical Name: | Kniphofia |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil Type: | Well-drained |
| Soil pH: | Neutral |
| Bloom Time: | Spring and summer |
| Lifespan: | Flowers can only last 2 to 3 weeks |
6. Tulips
The tulip is one of the most beautiful flowers in the world.
It comes in different varieties of colors like pink, red, yellow, orange, purple, white, lilac, salmon, violet, and even black.
The amazing fact about this flower is that its trunk is a bulb and produces a beautiful and blooming flower.
This flower is very hardy in cold conditions, so it is a perfect addition to your garden if you live in a colder region.
Are you wondering if this flower could attract bees? Well, you don’t have to worry much. Why?
Because even though most colors of tulips are so attractive to bees, they do not have many nectars to support bees.
And because of the close structure of flower heads, it is difficult for bees to get the nectars.
| Botanical Name: | Tulipa or Tulipa Gesneriana |
| Sun Exposure: | Full or afternoon sun |
| Soil Type: | Sandy and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Late March up to mid-May |
| Lifespan: | 2 to5 years |
7. Feverfew
This single-petal and single-colored flower brings a different aura to a flower garden.
It belongs to the Daisy family, with a white petal and yellow disc at the center.
Feverfew usually serves as an ornamental plant in many flower gardens because of its elegant color.
Its flower is small and measures only 3 to 4 inches in diameter, but in one shoot of a Feverfew plant, many flower heads will grow.
So, why it’s the best addition to a bee-free garden?
It is because Feverfew emits a strong citrus-like scent that can repel bees.
And another reason is that these flower doesn’t need pollinators like bees because they are self-pollinators.
| Botanical Name: | Tanacetum parthenium |
| Sun Exposure: | Full to partial afternoon sun |
| Soil Type: | Loamy or sandy well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.7 |
| Bloom Time: | Full bloom in mid of July |
| Lifespan: | Perennial or long-lasting if cared for properly |
8. Amaryllis
The Amaryllis flower has a similar structure to a red lily.
They only differ in the size of their petals. The petals of Amaryllis are wider than red lilies.
This flower also comes in many colors, such as red, white, salmon, pin, apricot, deep burgundy, and rose.
Amaryllis is a Greek name that means “to sparkle.”
That’s why it sometimes symbolizes determination, pride, and strength.
Same with tulips, this flower is a bulb-type plant, but they prefer places with warm temperatures.
So, you can grow them anywhere you want as long they are exposed to sunlight.
However, these are among the flowers that don’t attract bees because of their deeper corollas where the nectar is present. Even long-tongued bees can’t reach those nectars.
| Botanical Name: | Amaryllis in Amaryllidinae family |
| Sun Exposure: | Direct full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours a day |
| Soil Type: | Sterilize well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Lat December up to June |
| Lifespan: | 25 years |
9. Chrysanthemum
This elegant and beautiful double corolla flower, also called mums or chrysanths, is also the perfect addition to your garden.
It has beautifully organized and colored petals that will surely attract your eyes.
They come in many colors like red, pink, yellow, orange, lavender, purple, and white, sometimes in two-tone colors.
They love being in the sunlight and will bloom beautifully in the tropical region.
But they are among the perennial flowers that don’t attract bees because Chrysanthemums have a distinct structure of petals that makes it difficult to get the nectars.
And even though bees will visit Chrysanths, they can’t successfully get the nectars because mostly spiders lodge on it, which are one of their predators.
| Botanical Name: | Chrysanthemum |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 hours a day |
| Soil Type: | Loamy and sandy well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.5 to 7.0 |
| Bloom Time: | September up to November |
| Lifespan: | 4 to 5 years |
10. Celosia
The Celosia is an Amaranth flower that is popular even in ancient times because its leaves and seeds are edible.
They can grow anywhere. You can just spread their seeds in cultivated soil in your garden.
This flower has also come in different color variations, like red, yellow, white, pink, maroon, orange, and purple.
And it has a unique plumed, wheat, cockscomb, and fire-like structure of flowers.
But why are they among the flowers bees don’t like?
Well, its structure can turn off bees. And even if they have nectars, it would be hard to collect them.
| Botanical Name: | Celosia Argentea |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun at least 8 hours a day |
| Soil Type: | Organic matter content |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | June until frost |
| Lifespan: | 1 year |
11. Red Roses
Roses are one of the most popular flowers in the world, especially the red one.
No one can ever resist and deny how beautiful and fragrant this flower is.
This flower is very easy to grow and loves being exposed to the sun even all day.
Luckily, bees don’t love these vibrant red roses as we are.
But why are red roses included in this list of pretty flowers that don’t attract bees?
It’s simply because they don’t like its color. Red roses have a fragrant scent; bees don’t approach them because of their color.
However, other colors of roses are attractive to them, and they love the scent!
So, if you want to plant this flower but want it to be bee-free, choose the red one.
| Botanical Name: | Rosa |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 4 hours of direct sunlight |
| Soil Type: | Deep, well-drained, and decayed organic matter |
| Soil pH: | Between 6 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Late May to early fall |
| Lifespan: | 6 to 10 years or more, depending on how you cared |
12. Forsythia
The Forsythia flower, also called golden bells, is a shrub type of plant that blooms a rich yellow that indicates the spring season.
So they are the first flowers that insects visit to find food after winter.
The interesting fact about this plant is that its flowers will bloom first all over their branches before their leaves.
That’s why when spring comes, you can see them bloom brighter in all yellow colors.
Does this flower attract bees?
There is a possibility that bees will visit this flower because they will also search for food after winter. But the nectar content can’t support bees.
There might be only a few bees that will visit it, so there’s no need to worry if you have this flowering plant in your backyard or garden.
| Botanical Name: | Forsythia suspensa |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 hours of full sun |
| Soil Type: | Acidic, alkaline, sandy, loamy, moist, rich, silty loam, and well-drained soil. |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.0 to 8.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Spring time like mid-March to mid-April |
| Lifespan: | 20 to 50 years |
13. Bleeding Hearts
This vibrant flower, also called Dicentra, is named after its unique pink heart-shaped flower heads that dangle in its arching stems.
Why it’s called bleeding hearts?
Because at the bottom of the heart, it has drop-like protruding white petals that look like it’s bleeding white blood.
So, people believed that it symbolized unrequited or rejected love.
It best blooms in spring. However, when summer comes, it becomes ephemeral and disappears.
But luckily, the roots remain, and they regrow when the next fall or spring starts.
Though they are very attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, bumblebees rarely get near them, so you don’t need to worry much.
| Botanical Name: | Dicentra or Lamprocapnos spectabilis |
| Sun Exposure: | Light shade |
| Soil Type: | Humus-rich soil, but can withstand sandy and clay if given proper moisture |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Late spring to early summer |
| Lifespan: | 5 to 7 years, depending on the condition |
14. Begonia
This small flowered Begonia has over 2,000 species that come in different colors like orange, red, pink, yellow, and white.
The hardiness of these flowers also varies.
Some of them only grow in cold places, while others can withstand heat.
They have beautiful colors, shapes, and small sizes, and they are perfect for indoor gardening.
But they are also great in light shade gardens with tropical climates.
Begonia colors are attractive to bees, but due to their diminutive size, only a few nectars are present in their corollas.
That’s why it falls into this list of flowers that don’t attract bees.
| Botanical Name: | Begonia |
| Sun Exposure: | Only morning and afternoon sun |
| Soil Type: | Sandy loam soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Early summer until frost |
| Lifespan: | 10 years |
15. Red Alstroemeria
This flower is also called the Peruvian Lily. But compared to common lilies, Red Alstroemeria can grow up to 4 feet tall.
They often grow in a partly shady sunny place, like in temperate countries, so they are perfect as perennial plants.
They don’t have a fragrant smell, and their pollens don’t stain, but their corollas are deep, and their red petals don’t impress bees.
That’s why these pollinators often ignore them.
| Botanical Name: | Alstroemeria aurea |
| Sun Exposure: | Morning and shady afternoon sun |
| Soil Type: | Organic and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | June to October |
| Lifespan: | 2 to 3 years or more |
16. Red Petunia
This flower is another beautiful ornamental plant that blooms every spring.
Red petunias come in different varieties, like Alladin Red, Capri Rose, Capri Red, Double Valentine, Mambo Red, and Hurrah.
And take note, all of these varieties have red hues.
This flower love being exposed to the morning sun because it blooms and brightens its color.
But they might go weak in extreme heat, especially if they are not well-hydrated.
They are perfect for hanging plants on your balcony or terrace because they give a welcoming aura to your guest.
But will they attract bees? Not really.
Well, you already knew that bees don’t like red, even if they have nectars on them.
| Botanical Name: | Petunia × atkinsiana or Petunia × hybrida |
| Sun Exposure: | Fun sun |
| Soil Type: | Chalk, Clay, Loam, and Sand |
| Soil pH: | Acid, Alkaline, and Neutral like 6.0 to 7.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Late spring to the first frost |
| Lifespan: | 2 to 3 years |
17. Pennyroyal
This plant thrives in small containers and is simple to grow.
It can reach a height of between 6 and 12 inches and needs a lot of water.
This plant is ideal for gardeners who appreciate growing medical plants because it has a perfume resembling spearmint, which bees surely don’t like.
It has also been used frequently in herbal treatments.
Numerous other types of bothersome insects, such as mosquitos and flies, are also repelled by this plant.
However, there is research that says bees are attracted to mint scent.
So if you want to use pennyroyals as medicine, you can remove their flowers by cutting them to prevent bees from visiting.
| Botanical Name: | Mentha pulegium |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 hours of full to partial sun |
| Soil Type: | Chalk, Clay, Loam, and Sand |
| Soil pH: | Acid, Alkaline, and Neutral like 7.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Mid to late summer |
| Lifespan: | Perennial plant |
18. Citronella
This flower is one of the main components of many natural insect repellents and gives a distinct and potent scent.
Some growers burn little bundles of this dried herb as incense.
Unfortunately, some replace authentic citronella with geraniums which have a similar lemony aroma.
Contrary to what they are advertised, these fake citronella plants have failed to keep mosquitoes away, and as a result, they are unlikely to keep bees away either.
But true citronella is effective in repelling insects like bees. They won’t harm them, which is good since bees play an essential role in plant pollination and must be protected.
Even though this grass isn’t invasive, it can uproot surrounding plants due to its rapid growth.
| Botanical Name: | Cymbopogon citratus |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 to 8 hours a day but need to be hydrated |
| Soil Type: | Moderately rich, moist, and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.8 to 6.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Late spring to mid-fall |
| Lifespan: | 5 to 6 years |
19. Cardinal Vine
The Cardinal vine, also known as the Cardinal climber, is a vine type of plant that is often mistaken for the Cypress vine.
But Cardinal Vine has a broader leaf and large flower than Cypress.
It has only one red color variety.
Cardinal vine flowers are small flowers, but the plant itself can grow up to 10 feet long and climbs to other plants or fences.
That’s why they are perfect as decoration for your fences and gate that will welcome your guest without worrying about bees. Why?
Because bees won’t like its color, and the size of their flowers can’t support even one bee.
| Botanical Name: | Ipomoea quamoclit |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil Type: | Sandy, rich loam, and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Between 6.0 to 7.2 |
| Bloom Time: | Mid-summer |
| Lifespan: | 1 year |
20. Red Anemone
These flowers have an incredible red alternating tentacle that looks like a pinwheel.
It is paired with a greenish-to-bluish and reddish-colored center, making it more adorable.
Red Anemones also have many varieties, like Coronaria and Poppy Anemone.
These are perennial plants that are perfect in the autumn and spring season.
Why is it perfect in a bee-free garden?
Obviously, because of its color. So you won’t be bothered by bees if flowers like this are planted in your garden.
| Botanical Name: | Anemone multifida |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 4 hours of sun a day |
| Soil Type: | Moist but well-drained and loamy |
| Soil pH: | Between 5.6 to 7.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Late summer to early fall |
| Lifespan: | Depending on the species and how they have cared |
21. Red Carnations
You might be familiar with carnations, which have many varieties of colors, including red.
This double-shaped petal flower will surely attract your eyes, despite its small size.
It often symbolizes admiration and love like roses. It is popular for many pollinators like butterflies but not for bees.
However, other colors of carnations will attract them.
So if you don’t want bees around your garden, this red carnation is the perfect choice to plant.
| Botanical Name: | Dianthus caryophyllus |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 4 to 6 hours |
| Soil Type: | Alkaline, fertile, and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | Above 7.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Late spring usually May |
| Lifespan: | 3 to 4 years |
22. Red Daylilies
Another beautiful flower that works great in getting rid of unwanted guests like bees is the Red Daylilies.
They’re not pure red color; Instead, they are paired with bright yellow color at the center.
The other reason why bees are afraid of this flower is that its spread-out petals look like predators to bees.
They can only see the color yellow, and they see the red as black, which they usually mistakenly identify as spiders.
| Botanical Name: | Hemerocallis |
| Sun Exposure: | 4 to 6 hours of full to partial sun |
| Soil Type: | Deep fertile and medium loamy, but can tolerate light sandy or heavy clay soil |
| Soil pH: | pH 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | June |
| Lifespan: | 3 years |
23. Red Maltese Cross Flower
Maltese cross flowers are magnificent, with enormous heads made up of numerous small, brightly colored blooms and lovely green leaves.
This flower is a show-stopper in any flower boundary or cottage garden due to its complex nature and beautiful blooms, which belong to the carnation family.
To create eye-catching plant color schemes, flowers of Bristol plants are frequently cultivated alongside yellow blooms.
These are common perennial perennials that blossom halfway through the summer.
There are many colors to pick from, but crimson or scarlet are the best options to avoid attracting bees.
| Botanical Name: | Silene chalcedonica |
| Sun Exposure: | Full sun |
| Soil Type: | Loam, clay, sandy, moist, and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | pH 6.0 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Early summer |
| Lifespan: | Perennial |
24. Red Dahlia
Dahlias are frequently regarded as the best flower for a summer garden because of their undeniably beautiful color and structure.
These mouthwatering and spectacular red blossoms scream sunlight and warmth.
They have similar double-petal structures to roses, which helps them stand out in perennial gardens.
However, they’re one of the perennial plants that don’t attract bees.
Sometimes bumble bees may be seen on red dahlias, but honeybees often prefer more accessible nectar.
| Botanical Name: | Dahlia coccinea |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight |
| Soil Type: | Fertile, moist, and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | pH 6.2 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | Mig-summer to late fall |
| Lifespan: | Perennial or long-lasting |
25. Wormwood
Now we’re down to one of the flowers that don’t attract bees and wasps; the wormwood.
Bees and other insects like wasps are scared of this plant’s pungent scent.
These insects often use chemical signals to communicate, and the toxin released by wormwood poses a serious threat to honeybees.
That’s why they don’t visit the area. The plant needs direct sunlight and well-drained soil.
Unfortunately, because it kills other plants, this plant should only be grown in a separate area.
But thankfully, even without bees, Wormwood can disperse its pollen through the wind to reproduce.
| Botanical Name: | Artemisia absinthium |
| Sun Exposure: | Full to partial sunlight |
| Soil Type: | Loam, chalk, and sandy |
| Soil pH: | Around 5.5 |
| Bloom Time: | August and December |
| Lifespan: | Perennial |
26. Night-blooming Cereus
These large cup-shaped and intensely fragrant blooms are seen on these gorgeous Epiphyllum family (commonly known as “orchid cactus”) night-flowering succulents.
When it is mature enough, buds for flowers are set in July and August and open with enormous, fragrant blooms.
When the sun goes down, the flowers bloom, and when it comes up, they close.
They do not, however, draw daytime pollinators, like bees and butterflies, because they’re sleeping at night when this flower blooms.
They entice nocturnal pollinators like moths to their flowers. Only a single night a year do they blossom, after which they wilt.
| Botanical Name: | Selenicereus undatus |
| Sun Exposure: | Full to partial sunlight |
| Soil Type: | Sandy and well-drained soil |
| Soil pH: | 5.5 to 6.5 |
| Bloom Time: | After dusk or at midnight (only one night in June to July) |
| Lifespan: | Perennial |
27. Evening Primrose
Now wrapping up this list of flowers that bees don’t like with the evening primrose.
Numerous types of evening primrose bloom in the evening and wilt the following day.
They do not draw bees and are self-pollinating. Why?
It is because their flowers close in the daytime.
When night comes, they start blooming while pollinators, like bees, butterflies, and other insects, are asleep.
And fun fact, they photosynthesis during the day and night when artificial light or moonlight is present.
| Botanical Name: | Oenothera biennis |
| Sun Exposure: | At least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun |
| Soil Type: | Moist but well-drained |
| Soil pH: | pH 5.5 to 8.0 |
| Bloom Time: | Early summer to early fall |
| Lifespan: | 2 years |
Frequently Asked Questions About Flowers That Don’t Attract Bees
What color of flowers are bees least attracted to?
The colors that bees are least attracted to are red, black, and brown.
Even though red is a bright color, it is ignored by bees because it has a longer wavelength, so it appears black to their eyes.
What color are bees most attracted to?
Bees see colors faster than humans. But not all colors are attractive to them.
They are easily attracted to yellow, orange, purple, violet, and blue.
Why? Because these colors have shorter wavelengths compared to red.
What flowers do bees like the most?
Bees are attracted to flowers like bee balm, white wild indigo, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, joe-pye weed, marsh blazing star, wrinkle-leaf goldenrod, and many more.
Any flowers that are color purple, violet, blue, yellow, or orange.
Do bees not like lavender?
Yes, they absolutely love it.
They are not only attracted to the color but also to the fragrance it has.
What scent do all bees hate?
Bees abhor the scent of lemon and lime and plants that produces lavender oil, citronella oil, olive oil, and vegetable oil.
So if you want to keep the curious bees away, try adding these oils to your skin.
What plant do bees hate the most?
Bees hate plants with bright red petals, strong odors, and long or double petal patterns because it makes it difficult for them to extract the pollen and nectar they need.
What will keep bees away?
Aside from the flowers and oils mentioned earlier, bees are also not a fan of peppermint, citronella, eucalyptus, and lemongrass.
So some people incorporate it into their skincare when they’re out and about in the garden to keep the bees away.
What smells are bees attracted to?
Bees are into aromatic mint herbs like lavender, basil, peppermint, and oregano.
They’re also attracted to the scent of borage, sage thyme, catnip, rosemary, and bee balm.
What color is best to repel bees?
The colors that aren’t attractive to bees are red, brown, black, and other dark colors mainly because these colors usually represent a threat to their natural habitat.
Furthermore, they don’t have eye receptors to see red.
Does perfume attract bees?
Perfumes with sweet, floral scents may attract bees.
So if you’re roaming around your garden, it’s best to avoid scented perfumes to avoid attracting bees.
Flowers That Don’t Attract Bees: Our Final Thoughts
To sum it up, bees don’t like flowers with a strong scent, such as chrysanthemums, cinnamon, and geranium.
Blooms with shorter wavelengths of colors, like red lilies, hot poker, roses, petunia, and red daylilies, can also turn them off.
Additionally, self-pollinating and non-flowering plants and trumpet-shaped blooms like Amaryllis are not their cup of tea.
So if you want to keep your garden free from bees, we highly recommend incorporating these flowers that don’t attract bees into your floral oasis.
However, if you want the opposite and you’re looking for flowers that attract bees, check out the article below for lots of eye-pleasing flowering plant options.