Mason bee
Osmia
insectView on iNaturalist
Stocky blue-black or metallic bee with dense pollen baskets. Superior native pollinator—more efficient than honeybees; nests in hollow stems and cavities.
Plants that support Mason bee
4 plants
California Hedgenettle
Stachys bullata
perennial herb
Native solitary bee genus foraging during spring and early summer
Bay Area native
Narrowleaf mule ears
Wyethia angustifolia
perennial herb
Pollen collection for brood provisioning
Bay Area native
Red-flowering buckwheat
Eriogonum grande var. rubescens
perennial herb
Spring pollen foraging for nesting period
Bay Area native