Supporting native bee populations
Native bees are a vital part of the Australian bush and are important pollinators of Australia’s unique flora. Nationally, there are over 1500 native bee species.
Planting bee forage for honeybee and native bee nutrition offers major benefits to agricultural industries through increased rates of incidental pollination.
Some plants are strongly preferred by native bees, including native peas and daisies, eucalyptus, banksia, Acacia and Bursaria species, and some introduced garden plants like salvia and lavender. This is a very simple way to attract native bees to an area.
For a comprehensive list of plants that are beneficial to European honey bees and native bees download the RIRDC report Bee Friendly: A planting guide for European honeybees and Australian native pollinators. It describes planting choices from the backyard to the bush.
