North Shore Plant Club
Bees. They're the unsung heroes of your backyard, the tiny titans of pollination, and the only insects that moonlight as breakfast condiment manufacturers. But in Chicagoland, like everywhere else, bees are facing some serious challenges — from habitat loss to pesticide overload to the general chaos of urban life (have you tried flying through downtown traffic?).
So, how can we be better for bees so they can bee better for us?
Here are 10 surprisingly fun and effective ways to support bees in the Windy City and its leafy suburbs — no beekeeper suit required. Want to get started locally? Groups like the Wild Ones North Shore and Chicago chapters and the state's Conservation@Home program (more on that in #10) are great places to plug in right away.
Forget the exotic orchids and tropical hibiscus. Bees in Illinois are all about the local flavor. Native plants like Black-eyed Susan, Joe-Pye weed, purple coneflower, and wild bergamot are basically the deep-dish pizza of the bee world — comforting, familiar, and irresistible. To keep pollinators fed all season, aim for a continuous bloom succession using local native perennials:
Bonuses for you: Native plants also tend to be low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. A succession of blooms keeps your garden full of color from April to October while ensuring continuous pollination for your veggies.
It's easy to lump all pollinators together, but Illinois is home to over 500 species of native bees — most of which are non-aggressive and rarely sting. Managed honeybees (Apis mellifera) are actually European imports used for agricultural honey production, while native bees (like sweat bees, leafcutters, and bumblebees) evolved directly alongside our Midwest flora.
Understanding native bee habits lets you tailor nesting sites and plantings precisely to the species doing the heavy lifting in Midwest gardens — which makes the next several tips much more effective.
Did you know that over 90% of native bee species don't live in hives or produce honey? They're solitary nest-builders that burrow into wood or ground tunnels. You can help by installing a bee condo — a cozy box filled with hollow reeds, bamboo stems, or drilled wooden blocks.
Early-emerging solitary bees, like Mason bees, visit flowers at lower temperatures than honeybees, giving your early fruit trees and berry bushes a massive pollination boost.
This one's for the lazy gardeners (you know who you are). Bees love a bit of wildness. About 70% of Illinois' native bees nest in the ground, requiring bare, unmulched soil patches. In the fall, resist the urge to cut everything down — leave hollow-stemmed perennials standing and leave leaves under shrubs to provide overwintering shelter. Let a few dandelions bloom. Keep a pile of twigs or a rotting log in a corner of your yard.
It's not neglect — it's ecological chic. Leaving plant debris until spring temperatures consistently stay above 50°F also acts as natural mulch, retains moisture, and saves you hours of late-autumn yard work.
Broad-spectrum insecticides and neonicotinoids are like kryptonite for bees, disrupting their navigation, reproduction, and immune systems. For pest outbreaks, rely on biological controls like releasing ladybugs or applying neem oil in the late evening when pollinators aren't active. Avoiding synthetic sprays also protects predatory beneficials like hoverflies and lacewings, establishing a natural balance that keeps aphids and mites under control without lifting a finger.
Flying in humid 90°F Chicago summers is thirsty work. Set out a shallow saucer or birdbath filled with water, lining the bottom with pebbles, river stones, or floating corks as landing pads so bees don't drown. A safe water source keeps pollinators in your yard longer, encouraging them to forage on nearby blooms before returning to drink.
Just remember to change the water regularly so you don't end up supporting more mosquitoes than you bargained for.
Don't have an acre of land? Urban pollinators love container gardens, window boxes, and vertical green walls. Research from the Chicago Botanic Garden shows that urban and suburban gardens can host thriving pollinator communities when container plants are packed with nectar-rich native plugs.
Vertical native plantings bring life and color to patios, balconies, and small suburban nooks, turning unused spaces into dense blooming zones.
Take your gardening passion to the next level by joining community science initiatives. Organizations like the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Field Museum frequently run pollinator monitoring programs where volunteers observe, identify, and report local bee activity.
It's a great excuse to spend time outdoors, meet fellow bee enthusiasts, and casually say things like "I'm tracking *Bombus impatiens* today." Tracking species in your yard also helps you see firsthand which plants attract the highest biodiversity, making you a sharper, more data-informed gardener.
Buying local honey isn't just delicious — it's a vote for bee health. Chicagoland has a buzzing community of beekeepers who care deeply about their colonies. Look for honey at farmers markets, co-ops, or directly from beekeepers.
Bonus: local honey may help with seasonal allergies. At the very least, it makes your toast taste like civic virtue.
Take the message beyond your garden gate. Encourage your local garden club, HOA, park district, or school board to designate native pollinator patches, reduce turf grass mowing schedules, and pursue certifications like Conservation@Home. Creating continuous "green corridors" across neighborhoods lets pollinators travel safely between backyards, expanding the overall health and yield of every garden on the block.
Talk about bees. Post about bees. Gently correct your uncle when he says, "Wasps and bees are the same thing." Bees may be small, but their impact is huge — and so is yours.
Helping bees in Chicagoland doesn't require a hive in your backyard or a PhD in entomology. It just takes a little awareness, a few native plants, and maybe a bee condo or two. In return, you'll get a healthier garden, a more vibrant ecosystem, and the satisfaction of knowing you're doing your part for some of the hardest-working creatures on Earth.
So go ahead — turn your yard, balcony, or even your windowsill into a bee haven. Because when it comes to saving the world, every buzz counts.
And knowledge is power: bees are more complex than you think. Illinois has over 500 species of native bees. Only female bees sting. And "Dumbledore" is genuinely an old English dialect word for bumblebee — J.K. Rowling borrowed it because she pictured her headmaster humming to himself.
Read up, attend a workshop, or visit the Chicago Botanic Garden's bee exhibits. The more you know, the more you'll appreciate these tiny marvels.
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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