We all know bees need flowers, yet not all flowers are created equal. And there are more habitat considerations—bees also need nesting habitat, which ranges from dead flower stalks to bare, sandy soils. Below are a number of resources that can help you turn your property into a spectacular pollinator haven, but in a sentence: keep it native and keep it messy.

A simple bee hotel made with firewood and a drill An even simpler nesting habitat - a rotten stump The Pruinose Squash Bee - another reason to grow Zuchinni Willows - the easiest wildflower to grow

Plant Status and Identification

Go Botany – Native Plant Trust

iNaturalist

Plant Selection Guides

For gardeners who wish to support native Vermont bees, the 2025 Checklist of Bees of Vermont includes a detailed supplement that lists the plant species each species was observed visiting.

Vermont-specific planting recommendations – VCE

Keystone Plants by Ecoregion – National Wildlife Federation

VT (and regional) nurseries carrying native plants – VCE and UVM

Planning a Pollinator Garden

Creating a Pollinator Garden – Cornell University

Pollinator Conservation Resource Center – Xerces Society

Building Nesting Habitat

Nesting and Overwintering Habitat – Xerces Society

Nests for Native Bees – Xerces Society

Bee Hotels – VCE

Bees on Farms

The Integrated Crop Pollination Project

Wild Pollinators of Eastern Apple Orchards and How to Conserve Them – Xerces Society

Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat on Farms – Xerces Society