Pollinators depend upon floral resources for their pollen and nectar. Nectar provides pollinators energy while pollen provides them proteins, nutrients, and lipids. Some pollinators depend upon one specific type of plant for their food or habitat, but most are generalists who thrive with a wide variety of plants to feed from. The goal is to have pollinator plants blooming at all times of the year. (Carroll, 2017) This is especially true for beekeepers who need to provide forage to keep their bees healthy. By providing floral resources in close proximity to apiaries the bees will be able to find nectar and pollen to maintain the health of the hive with little or no supplemental feeding by the beekeeper necessary. (Watkins de Jong, 2019)
This list of plants is arranged alphabetically by botanical name and by the month they start to bloom. Some plants bloom over an extended period so the months the plant can be in bloom are also listed across the top. The goal for the beekeeper is to provide plentiful plants that are blooming every month of the year. This list of plants was developed to help identify the plants and their bloom times in the low elevations of Arizona. Weather, exposure and elevation will affect the exact bloom times in your area. Some of the plants listed are only sources of pollen. While this resource is intended to benefit beekeepers and honeybees, many of these plants are also excellent sources of pollen and nectar for native bees and butterflies.