Botanists from the University of Copenhagen and the UK have set out to find the best flower combinations for bees and hoverflies. The results make it easier for garden owners and municipalities, among others, to plant the perfect pantries for insects, which also delight the human eye.
Flower strips, seed mixtures and wild by design, their aim is to help bees and other vital pollinators which are in decline all over the world. But which flowers are actually the best?
This question prompted botanists from the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen and botanists from the National Botanic Garden of Wales to conduct a scientific study of which flower mixtures attract the most pollinators.
“Much of our knowledge in this area is anecdotal,” says professor and botanist Natasha de Vere from the Natural History Museum of Denmark. “So, there was a need for a scientific approach, where we systematically test different flowers to be sure how we can best help pollinators, which are extremely important to our ecosystems.”
Yarrow, garden cosmos and cornflower are a treat
The researchers reviewed over 400 previous research articles on flowers and insects and investigated how much bees and hoverflies like the finished flower mixtures that are currently sold commercially.
Based on the study, the researchers developed two new seed mixtures, which they evaluated both on the number of insects that visited them, and on their aesthetic appeal to humans.
“We can see that seed mixtures containing both non-native and native flowering plants establish themselves better in the soil and bloom for longer,” says de Vere. “And they have more visits from pollinators. And they are also most attractive to the human eye.”
Based on the study, the researchers recommend choosing seed mixtures with these species if you want to attract bees and hoverflies and are also interested in the aesthetic value of the flowers:
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis)
- Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
- Purple viper’s bugloss (Echium plantagineum)
- Corn marigold (Glebionis segetum)
- Common poppy (Papaer rhoeas)
- Field mustard (Sinapis arvensis)
- Scentless chamomile (Tripleurospermum inordorum)
- Garden cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
- Moroccan toadflax (Linaria maroccana)
- Common phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)
If everyone does a little, we can help the bees
The reason why the researchers have also included the aesthetic dimension of flower mixtures in their study is, of course, that appearance also has a significant impact on what we choose to plant in our gardens and green spaces.
De Vere points to the recent popularity of adding strips of flowers where before there had been only lawns in both urban areas and gardens. “This is because flowers are good for bees, but also for our mental health,” she suggests.
According to the professor, who has conducted in-depth research into the interaction between plants and pollinators for a number of years, even small areas of flowers are of great importance to our buzzing friends. Her research shows that gardens and urban areas can be very good for pollinators.
“It’s important that everyone does something to help,” she says, “and even small changes can really make a difference.” Practicing what she preaches, despite only having a small backyard, de Vere has filled it with the best plants for pollinators and, she says, it is now full of bees and hoverflies.
“I hope our new research results can be used to provide evidence-based guidance on how to select plant species – whether you are a garden owner, a municipal gardener, or otherwise involved in producing seed mixtures.”
A blooming future for people and pollinators
In a time when nature so often feels distant from daily life, planting for pollinators offers a simple way to reconnect. These small choices – choosing yarrow over lawn, poppies over paving – remind us that we’re not separate from the ecosystems around us, but part of them. A colourful patch of wildflowers may seem modest, but it can restore something greater: not just habitats, but our sense of belonging in the natural world.
With thanks to Michael Skov Jensen, press officer University of Copenhagen for permission to reproduce.
More from East Anglia Bylines
