There are better options!

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)

Red Maple is wind pollinated but various bees will still collect pollen from the flowers. Visitors include native bees such as bumblebees, mason bees, carpenter bees and flies.

Sweet Crabapple (Malus coronaria)

Sweet Crabapple is a small tree with showy pink to white flowers. It is a nectar and pollen sources for bumblebees, long-horned bees, small short-tonged bees (Andrenid, Halictid), butterflies, and skippers.

Serviceberries (Amelanchier sp.)

Serviceberries are a group of early flowering small trees and shrubs. They show off with attractive smooth bark and a profusion of white flowers. Serviceberry provides nectar and pollen for Carpenter bees, Andrenid bees, Halictid bees, Syrphid flies (hoverflies), beetles, flies and some early butterfly species.

Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Red Osier Dogwood is valued in gardens for its red bark, white berries and early flowers. The nectar and pollen of Red Osier Dogwood supports long-tongued bees such as carpenter bees, short-tongued bees such as miner bees, flies, wasps and early butterflies. Andrena fragilis is a specialist pollinator of Dogwood meaning they only feed off Dogwood flowers.

Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)

Leatherwood is an early blooming understory shrub found in rich forests. The flowers provide nectar and pollen to medium sized bees. Visitors may include carpenter bees, mining bees, mason bees, Cuckoo bees and the occasional Mourning Cloak butterfly.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

The showy yellow flowers of Spicebush provide nectar and pollen to various insects including flies and small native bees such as mining bees. Occasionally, small butterflies may visit the flowers.

Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)

Chokecherry produces fragrant white flower clusters that reward pollinators with pollen and nectar. Visitors are mainly bees including bumblebees, Andrenid bees, Metallic green sweat bees and flies such as syrphid flies.

Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica)

Fragrant Sumac is a low growing shrub adapted to dry conditions. The yellow flowers of Fragrant Sumac appear before it’s leaves and support green metallic bees, Andrenine bees, small carpenter bees cuckoo bees, Syrphid flies, and butterflies.

Wild Black Currant (Ribes americanum)

A small, shade-tolerant shrub.

The flowers are visited by small carpenter bees, Halictid bees, and a specialist bee, Andrena nivalis.

Willows (Salix sp.)

Willows are moisture-loving shrubs. They are very important sources of nectar and pollen sources for a variety of pollinators. Native bees ( including Bumblebees & mining bees), predatory wasps, sawflies, beetles and butterflies visit the flowers. On warm, early spring days willows are usually buzzing with hungry pollinators.

Red Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa)

Red Elderberry is a shade tolerant shrub with lacy leaves and clusters of white flowers. The slightly smelly flowers provide pollen (no nectar) to beetles, flies and Sweat bees.

Bladdernut (Staphlea trifolia)

A fast-growing small tree usually found in woodlands, thickets and shaded streamsides. Drooping clusters of white, bell-shaped flowers provide pollen and nectar for mining bees, sweat bees and bumblebees.

Field Pussytoes (Antennaria neglecta)

Field Pussytoes is a low growing groundcover with gray-green leaves and white flowers. Small bees and flies visit the flowers, including Sweat bees, Andrenid bees, cuckoo bees and flies such as Syrphid flies. Some sources claim that Pussytoes may have the ability to wind pollinate too. This makes sense as many early spring flowers have had to adapt to a lack of early season pollinators.

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

The bright yellow flowers of Marsh Marigold primarily support bees and flies such as Bee Flies, Syrphid flies, sweat bees and bumblebees. A great choice for adding pollinator value to a pond garden.

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

Wild Strawberry is a low growing, adaptable groundcover with abundant white flowers. These flowers are highly valuable to early pollinators such as Syrphid flies, sweat bees, carpenter bees, cuckoo bees, andrenid bees and a variety of flies. Your strawberry patch is guaranteed to be buzzing with bees!

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

Prairie Smoke is a compact plant that thrives in dry, rocky habitats. The pink flowers are primarily visited by bumblebees who seek nectar from the flowers. Prairie Smoke is a great choice to support bumblebee queens emerging from hibernation.

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

Golden Alexander is a great choice for filling in the gap in bloom time between spring and summer plants. Few native plants can compete with the abundance of pollinators that Golden Alexander supports. The yellow, dill-like flowers will support pollinators such as Sweat bees, mining bees, Syrphid flies, wasps and Andrenid bees.

Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)

Forget tulips! Pasque flower bursts through the cold ground in late April to show off its large royal purple flowers.

The hardy flowers fade into wispy seed heads by summer time.

Pasque flower becomes the local hang-out for the first pollinators to surface from winter.

Pasque flower may rebloom in the fall.

Canada Ginger (Asarum canadense)

Canada Ginger is a woodland groundcover with bold leaves. The reddish-brown flowers rest on the ground, under the plants leaves, and are mainly pollinated by flies and beetles. While not as “showy” as bees, flies and beetles are important parts of the pollinating world. Canada Ginger is one of those plants that makes you stop to take a closer look at nature.

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Blue Cohosh is a unique spring wildflower, emerging with deep purple stems that fade to green as they mature. The purple/yellow flowers provide nectar and pollen to flies wasps, small sweat bees and bumblebees.

Spotted Geranium (Geranium maculatum)

Spotted Geranium is a showy woodland plant with light purple flowers. It is a pollinator magnet while in bloom. The flowers provide nectar and pollen to bumblebees, mason bees, cuckoo bees, sweat bees, long-horned bees, andrenid bees and the specialist pollinator, Andrena distans. You may also notice Syrphid flies and skippers visiting the flowers. Native bees can be found sleeping in the flowers at night.

Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)

Sharp-lobed Hepatica is a very early blooming wildflower. The evergreen leaves allow it to start photosynthesizing as soon as the snow has melted, thus giving it the ability to bloom really early. The flowers only produce pollen and are mainly visited by flies (Such as Syrphid flies) and beetles, however, small native bees (such as mining bees) may visit the flowers on warm, sunny days. Sharp-lobed Hepatica blooms so early that it might still be too cold for pollinators to visit it. Therefore, it has the ability to self-pollinate.

Broad Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum canadense) & Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)

The Waterleafs are very early to green-up in the spring. They show off with bell-shaped flowers that range from purple to white in colour. They are very popular with bees especially bumblebees, mining bees, mason bees and sweat bees. Syrphid flies are also common visitors along with bee flies. Andrena geranii is a specialist pollinator of the waterleafs.

Twinleaf  (Jeffersonia diphylla)

Twinleaf has unique leaves and white, Bloodroot-like flowers. Interestingly, it’s flowers only produce pollen. Being one of the few flower available so early in the year, it has no reason to entice pollinators with nectar. Pollinators include short-tongued and long-tongued bees such as sweat bees, leafcutterbees, mining bees and mason bees. Flies may feed on the pollen too.

Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

Virginia Bluebells are true spring ephemerals, putting on a dramatic display of pink to blue flowers and bold textured leaves, then going dormant as the heat of summer takes hold. The tubular flowers are especially valuable to bumblebees, mason bees and other long-tongued bees. Butterflies, skippers, Sphinx-moths and even Ruby-Throated hummingbirds will benefit from the flowers too.

Bishops Cap (Mitella diphylla)

Bishops Cap has Foamflower-like leaves and small, snowflake-shaped flowers. These flowers are small so they are visited by equally small pollinators such as Syrphid flies and short-tongued bees such as sweat bees and small carpenter bees.

Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata)

Woodland Phlox produces fragrant light purple/pink to white flowers. The long, tubular flowers are accessible by long-tongued bees (such as bumblebees), bee flies, butterflies and moths (especially sphinx moths).

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Mayapples produce bold, umbrella-like leaves and only ever produce a solitary, but relatively large, white flower. This flower is pollinated by bumblebees (especially bumblebee queens as they emerge from hibernation) and other long-tongued bees. Flies may visit the flower too.

Kidney Leaved Buttercup (Ranuculus abortivus)

Kidney Leaved Buttercup produces less-than-showy flowers by a horticultural standard, however, these small yellow flowers are a valuable source of nectar and pollen. Pollinators include beetles, flies, Syrphid flies and small native bees such as sweat bees.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Bloodroot is a sought-after native plant by pollinators and gardeners alike. The pure-white flowers don’t produce nectar, but supply ample pollen to bumblebees, carpenter bees, sweat bees and andrenid bees. Flies and beetles will also visit the flowers for pollen.

Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)

Foamflower is an attractive woodland groundcover with abundant spires of white flowers. These flowers are pollinated by bumblebees, mining bees, small butterflies, beetles and flies (especially Syrphid flies).

White Trillium (Trillium grandiflorum)

White Trillium is a familiar spring wildflower in the forests of Ontario. The single flower each plant produces is a source of pollen and nectar for a limited amount of insects including flies, beetles and some smaller bee species. Bumblebees may visit the flowers. White Trillium is a very slow-growing species and can take up to 7 years to flower from seed. Please never dig them from the wild!

Large-flowered Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)

Large-flowered Bellwort is a unique and showy spring wildflower often found in rich woods. The bell-like yellow flowers (and whole plant for that matter) have a twisted look to them. They are a source of nectar and pollen for Bumblebees, mason bees, Halictid bees , and Andrenid bees.

Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens)

Downy Yellow Violet is a colony forming groundcover with dainty yellow flowers. It is a source of nectar and pollen for mason bees, carpenter bees, mining bees, sweat bees and some small flies and skippers. However, bees are the only pollinators (the others just suck nectar).