Trees for Bees: Fruit and Ornamental Species

A single mature tree in full bloom can offer as much forage as hundreds of square metres of border planting, simply because of the sheer number of flowers held at once, and because tree canopies put that forage within easy reach of a hive without competing for scarce ground space. For gardens and smallholdings this makes trees one of the most efficient forage investments available.

Apple, cherry, plum and pear together form the backbone of UK fruit-tree forage, flowering in a fairly tight window from early to late April into May. Cherry and plum tend to open first, apple and pear slightly later, which naturally staggers the bloom if several species are planted rather than just one. Frost during flowering is the main risk factor for both the grower and the forager — a late frost can wipe out a week's worth of open blossom, so a spread of varieties with different flowering times reduces that risk on both counts.

Beyond fruiting species, several purely ornamental and native trees earn their keep for bees. Flowering cherries (Prunus 'Kanzan', Prunus serrula) and flowering crabapples extend the cherry/apple bloom window with garden-scale trees suited to smaller plots. Among native deciduous trees, field maple, hawthorn and rowan are reliable and low-maintenance, while lime is worth planting specifically for its exceptional midsummer nectar flow, albeit as a larger long-term tree. On the evergreen side, holly and strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) — unusually, flowering in autumn/winter — extend forage at the edges of the season when deciduous options have finished.