Black-tailed bumblebee
Bombus melanopygus
Medium bumblebee with yellow face patches, thorax stripe, and black abdomen. Thrives in Bay Area gardens and wild areas. Excellent pollinator for native wildflowers and cultivated plants.
Plants that support Black-tailed bumblebee
84 plants
Alameda Manzanita
Arctostaphylos pallida
shrub
Early season nectar source when flowers bloom
Alpine Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata
perennial herb
Mid to late summer nectar source during peak foraging
Alumroot
Heuchera micrantha
perennial herb
Early season forage for queen establishment
Arctic Butterbur
Petasites frigidus var. palmatus
perennial herb
Early season pollen source for colony establishment
Arroyo Willow
Salix lasiolepis
shrub
Early season resource for emerging colonies
Bald-hip Rose
Rosa gymnocarpa
shrub
Forages on rose flowers June-August for nectar and pollen
Big Deervetch
Hosackia crassifolia var. crassifolia
perennial herb
Spring foraging on available legume resources
Big-leaf Maple
Acer macrophyllum
tree
Spring blooming resource Apr-May; early season brood provisioning
Bigberry Manzanita
Arctostaphylos glauca
shrub
Early spring nectar source for queen emergence and colony establishment
Birch-leaf Mountain-mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides
tree
Early season pollen source for nesting queens and workers
Bitter Cherry
Prunus emarginata
tree
Forages on early spring flowers; important for queen nutrition post-hibernation
Bleeding-heart
Dicentra formosa
perennial herb
Early spring forager in coastal and montane regions of California
Brittleleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. crustacea
shrub
Early season nectar source during spring foraging
Buckbrush
Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus
shrub
forages for nectar during flowering period
California Buckeye
Aesculus californica
tree
Spring colony establishment and food collection, May-Jun bloom
California Chia
Salvia columbariae
annual
Early spring forager for nest establishment and brood rearing
California Coffeeberry
Frangula californica
shrub
Spring blooms provide early season forage for queen establishment
California Figwort
Scrophularia californica
perennial herb
Spring through early summer (Mar-Jun); hosts larvae on plant tissue
California Hedgenettle
Stachys bullata
perennial herb
Early season forager for queen establishment and colony initiation
California Lilac (Blue Blossom)
Ceanothus thyrsiflorus
shrub
Important early-season nectar source for queen foraging
Chaparral Currant
Ribes malvaceum
shrub
Early season foraging Oct-Dec before winter dormancy
Chaparral Sunflower
Helianthella californica
perennial herb
primary native pollinator utilizing nectar and pollen
Checker Lily
Fritillaria affinis
geophyte
Queen foraging and colony provisioning Mar-May during bloom
Chinese Houses
Collinsia heterophylla
annual
Early spring nectar source; colony establishment diet
Coast Larkspur
Delphinium hesperium subsp. hesperium
perennial herb
Host plant for larvae development in spring and early summer
Coast Range Mule-ears
Wyethia glabra
perennial herb
Pollinator; forages on flowers for pollen and nectar
Coast Trillium
Trillium ovatum subsp. ovatum
perennial herb
Early spring forager on trillium flowers during colony establishment
Coastal Tidy-tips
Layia platyglossa
annual
Spring foraging resource for establishing colonies
Collared Annual Lupine
Lupinus truncatus
annual
early season nectar source for queen establishment and worker rearing
Common Meadow foam
Limnanthes douglasii
annual
Spring foraging resource for establishing colonies
Common Snowberry
Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus
shrub
Spring pollinator in western North America; visits flowers
Creeping Oregon Grape
Berberis aquifolium var. repens
shrub
Spring and early summer pollen foraging, native California pollinator
Deerbrush
Ceanothus integerrimus
perennial herb
Spring foraging on flower clusters during colony establishment
Dense-flower Indian Paintbrush
Castilleja densiflora subsp. Densiflora
annual
Early spring forager, critical for queen establishment
Douglas Iris
Iris douglasiana
perennial herb
Spring bloom visitor Mar-May, foraging for queen and worker nutrition
Douglas' Drymocallis
Drymocallis glandulosa
perennial herb
Early season queen foraging and colony establishment
Flat-bud Prickly Poppy
Argemone munita
annual
Spring foraging period for colony provisioning
Flowering Currant
Ribes sanguineum
shrub
Spring nectar and pollen source (Feb-Apr) during early colony growth period
Fool's-onion
Triteleia hyacinthina
geophyte
Early season forage for colony development
Foothill Penstemon
Penstemon heterophyllus
perennial herb
Spring and early summer forager; important pollinator throughout bloom season
Fringecups
Tellima grandiflora
perennial herb
Spring forage resource in Pacific Northwest and northern California populations
Fuchsia-flowered Gooseberry
Ribes speciosum
shrub
spring blooms provide early season pollen and nectar
Golden yarrow
Eriophyllum confertiflorum
shrub
Queen and worker foraging for colony establishment
Groundcover Rose*
Rosa spithamea
shrub
Early season pollen source for queen establishment and colony growth
Hillside Gooseberry
Ribes californicum var. californicum
shrub
Spring and early summer foraging on currant flowers; native California pollinator
Indian Warrior
Pedicularis densiflora
perennial herb
Spring blooms provide early season nectar for colony development
Ithuriel's Spear
Triteleia laxa
geophyte
Spring blooms coincide with colony founding Apr-Jun
Madrone
Arbutus menziesii
tree
Early spring pollinator during bloom season
Montara Manzanita
Arctostaphylos montaraensis
perennial herb
Early spring forager when flowers available
Mosquito Bills
Primula hendersonii
perennial herb
Spring pollen resource for colony development
Mt. Tamalpais Manzanita
Arctostaphylos montana ssp. montana
perennial herb
Spring pollen and nectar source for queen establishment
Ninebark
Physocarpus capitatus
shrub
Spring forager on ninebark flowers for nectar and pollen
Nootka Rose
Rosa nutkana
perennial herb
Spring through summer forager
Pacific Black-snakeroot
Sanicula crassicaulis
perennial herb
Early season nectar source for colony establishment
Pacific Pea
Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus
vine
Adult forage on flowers during blooming season
Pacific Poison Oak
Toxicodendron diversilobum
shrub
Early spring queen emergence and colony establishment
Pacific stonecrop
Sedum spathulifolium
perennial herb
Early season nectar source for queen establishment and colony founding
Pink Honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula
vine
Spring-summer foraging Apr-Jul bloom period
Point Reyes Ceanothus
Ceanothus gloriosus
shrub
Primary foraging Mar-May during bloom season; critical early season protein source for colony establishment
Popcorn-flower
Plagiobothrys nothofulvus
annual
Spring season nectar and pollen resource
Puget Balsamroot
Balsamorhiza deltoidea
perennial herb
Early spring forager, queen establishment diet
Red-flowering buckwheat
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
perennial herb
Early season pollen and nectar
Rough Hedgenettle
Stachys rigida var. quercetorum
perennial herb
Spring and early summer nectar source during colony growth phase
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis
perennial herb
Early spring blooms important for founding queens
Scouler's Willow
Salix scouleriana
shrub
Early season forage on catkins
Scytheleaf Onion
Allium falcifolium
geophyte
Early season pollen source for queen establishment and colony founding
Shatterberry
Arctostaphylos nummularia
perennial herb
Forages on Arctostaphylos flowers when available; important early season pollen source
Showy Penstemon
Penstemon spectabilis
perennial herb
Spring colony provisioning period
Showy Rock Montia
Montia parvifolia
perennial herb
Spring foraging resource for queen and worker provisioning
Silver bush lupine
Lupinus albifrons
shrub
Early season pollen and nectar
Southern honeysuckle
Lonicera subspicata
shrub
Early foraging resource in southern California range
Sticky Phacelia
Phacelia viscida
perennial herb
Early season nectar source for queen foraging and colony establishment
Wartleaf Ceanothus
Ceanothus papillosus
perennial herb
Early spring forager when other nectar sources limited
White bark California lilac
Ceanothus leucodermis
shrub
Spring forager in California chaparral; supports colony growth post-overwintering
Whitehead Mule-ears
Wyethia helenioides
perennial herb
Forages on flowers for nectar during spring bloom period
Whiteleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos viscida
perennial herb
Early season forager when manzanita blooms
Whiteleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos manzanita subsp. laevigata
shrub
Spring bloom period foraging
Woodbalm
Lepechinia calycina
shrub
early season nectar source for colony establishment
Yellow Coastal Bush Lupine
Lupinus arboreus
perennial herb
Primary spring pollinator in coastal scrub