Want to help save the bees? Plant some trees!
The Michigan Beekeepers Association is once again making pollinator-friendly trees available for purchase online to encourage people to plant trees that will help bees and other pollinators.
The Trees for Pollinators program started three years ago when Michigan Beekeepers Association president Rich Wieske and beekeeper Mike Connor started to encourage people to plant types of trees that produce pollen and nectar.
“Honeybees are the most important pollinating insects in the world,” said Mike Connor, Michigan Beekeepers Association beekeeper, arborist and founder of the Grand Rapids Bee Club.
The two of them made a plan to make pollinator-friendly trees available through local bee clubs in Michigan. Wieske sold 100 basswood trees out of the trunk of his car the first year of the program. During the second year, more than 1,300 flowering trees were planted.
Michigan Beekeepers Association has trees for sale
The Michigan Beekeepers Association is selling Trees for Pollinators trees online through March 17, 2024. Orders can be placed at michiganbees.org/Trees-for-Pollinators. The trees will be delivered in the first week of April and distributed through your local bee club.
This year, the Michigan Beekeepers Association is offering the following trees:
- American basswoods ($20 for a 3-4′ bare root tree). These trees create high-quality nectar for honeybees.
- Tulip poplars ($20 for a 3-4′ bare root tree). These are large trees and produce a lot of nectar per flower.
- Pussy willows ($20 for a 3-4′ tree). These bloom in late April and help bee colonies with pollen and nectar when they emerge in the spring.
- Red splendor flowering crabapple ($20 for a 2-3′ bare root tree). These trees provide nectar and pollen in early May. They also offer winter food for robins and cedar waxwings.
- Seven sons ($25 for a potted 10-12″ multi-stemmed tree).
- Winged sumac ($20 for three 18-24″ plants). These produce a large amount of nectar in August, which helps the bees and the butterflies.
You can find tree planting tips, resources, and a planting map from the DNR at Michigan.gov/MiTrees.