In Canada, spring is a hungry time for wild, native bees. Unlike honey bees, most of the 850+ wild, native bees in Canada are solitary bees nesting in the ground or, in some cases, in twigs and wood crevices. The almost 50 species of bumble bees are ground-nesting and their sole winter survivor, the queen bumble bee, emerges early in the spring with a huge appetite for pollen and nectar before she can begin selecting her nest and raising the new colony.

Flowering trees offer pollen and nectar, called “floral resources”, that are, sometimes, even more generous than herbaceous plants.  As an example, author Douglas Tallamy compares the floral resources of a Black Cherry tree to that of Goldenrod. He reports that the Black Cherry tree supports 456 different wild pollinator species compared to 115 supported by Goldenrod. (Tallamy, 2008). Black Cherry is native to Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI, Saskatchewan and Quebec.

Flowering trees such as the Red Maple (Acer rubrum, not the Norway maple, an invasive species) are Canadian icons with flowers that open before their leaves emerge. A smaller, native tree, the Eastern Redbud, flowers prolifically before the leaves emerge and is a favourite of bumble bees, mason bees, and mining bees to name just a few.  But it has a limited range in which it survives in Southwestern Ontario so it is important to check on not only size but planting region. Scientist Heather Holm publishes online and hard copy directories that describe trees’ floral resources and the pollinators attracted to them.

Not everyone in an urban setting will have the space to plant a glorious Red Maple but many city lots can accommodate a smaller flowering tree. Cities are very important refuges for wild, native bees because they’re largely pesticide free, unlike monoculture farm fields. Planting early flowering trees in an urban setting will delight inhabitants – both people and native bees!

Take a look at this poster of pollinator-friendly trees that are native to many regions of Canada. You can help provide early floral resources to wild, native bees by planting a tree! Scroll down to see an online version of the tree info that’s on the poster.

Printing instructions:
• If you are printing at home, make sure to change the Print Layout to TABLOID (11in x 17in) before hitting OK.
• If you are unable to print at home but would like a physical copy, we recommend Staples Copy & Print or your local print shop.

Eastern Redbud
(Cercis canadensis)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: May – Jun
Pollinators: bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles
Native to: Southern ON

Red Maple
(Acer rubrum)

Tree type: Large
Blooming: Apr – May
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies, wasps, flies
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PEI, SK, QC

Honey Locust
(Gleditsia triacanthos)

Tree type: Medium – Large
Blooming: May – Jun
Pollinators: Bees, flies
Native to: NB, NL, NS, PEI, SK, QC

Balsam Poplar
(Populus balsamifera)

Tree type: Large
Blooming: Mar – Apr
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NT, NS, NU, ON, PEI, SK, QC, YT

Native Black Cherry
(Prunus serotina)

Tree type: Large
Blooming: Mar – Jun
Pollinators: Bees, flies
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PEI, SK, QC

Service Berry
(Amelanchier spp.)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: Mar – Apr
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beatles
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PEI, SK, QC

Wild Plum
(Prunus americana)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: Mar – Jun
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies, moths, flies
Native to: ON, Southwest QC

American Basswood
(Tilia americana)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: Apr – Jun
Pollinators: Bees, beetles, flies, wasps, moths
Native to: NB, NL, NS, PEI, QC

Butternut
(Juglans cinerea)

Tree type: Large
Blooming: Mar – Jun
Pollinators: Bees, moths, flies, wasps, beetles, sawflies
Native to: NB, ON, QC (endangered)

Crabapple
(Malus coronaria)

Tree type: Small – medium
Blooming: Apr – May
Pollinators: Bees, flies
Native to: North America (nine species); Pacific crabapple in BC only

Pussy Willow
(Salix discolor)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: Apr – May
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles, sawflies
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PEI, SK, QC

Hawthorns
(Crataegus spp.)

Tree type: Small
Blooming: May – June
Pollinators: Bees, butterflies, wasps, flies, beetles
Native to: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PEI, SK, QC

References

Tallamy, D. W. (2008). Bringing nature home: How native plants sustain wildlife in our gardens. Portland, Or. Timber Press.

Heather Holm, (2017) Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide, Pollination Press LLC Minnesota www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com