How to Grow Honey Bee
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Honey Bee
Phacelia tanacetifolia
flowerHoney Bee is a fast-growing annual cover crop and pollinator plant with delicate, lavender-blue flowers that bloom in tight coils. It is highly attractive to honeybees, native bees, and other pollinators, making it an excellent choice for gardens, orchards, and agricultural settings. The plant also suppresses weeds and can be used as a green manure crop to improve soil health.
When should you plant Honey Bee in your zone?
Get a personalized planting timeline — when to start seeds, transplant, and harvest — based on your USDA zone and local frost dates. Free to start.
Example Honey Bee timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Honey Bee
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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First Honey Bee blooms
Around Jun 1≈ 45 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Honey Bee dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 3-9; prefers cooler to moderate climates
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Germination & Seedling
2-3 weeksSeeds sprout in 7-14 days. Seedlings emerge with fine, feathery cotyledons and develop serrated, deeply divided leaves.
Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Ensure adequate light. Thin crowded seedlings to prevent competition.
Vegetative Growth
2-3 weeksPlant develops bushy foliage with characteristic deeply lobed, feathery leaves. Stems become sturdy and branched.
Water moderately; no supplemental fertilizer needed if soil is adequate. Light cultivation to remove competing weeds.
Flowering
3-4 weeksDelicate lavender-blue flowers appear in tight spiral coils at the tips of branches. Flowers open sequentially over several weeks, creating continuous nectar availability.
Maintain moderate soil moisture. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming if desired, though leaving flowers promotes seed production.
Seed Development & Maturation
2-3 weeksFlowers transition to seed pods containing small, dark seeds. Plant may begin to senesce if temperatures rise significantly.
Reduce watering. Allow seeds to dry on plant if self-seeding is desired. Collect seeds for next season before they shatter.
End of Season
VariablePlant yellows and wilts after frost or heat stress. Seeds are mature and viable for harvest or natural dispersal.
Remove plant material and till into soil as green manure amendment, or allow to decompose on the surface as mulch.
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Row covers on seedlings; encourage natural predators; neem oil spray if needed
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Increase humidity; spray with water; insecticidal soap if severe
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Strong water spray; encourage beneficial insects; insecticidal soap or neem oil
Uses
Pollinator Magnet
WildlifeHoney Bee phacelia is one of the most attractive plants for honeybees and native bees, providing abundant nectar and pollen over an extended blooming period. It is widely used in pollinator gardens and bee forage programs. [source]
Green Manure & Cover Crop
HouseholdUsed as a cover crop to suppress weeds, break pest cycles, and improve soil structure. When tilled into soil, it adds organic matter and can improve soil tilth for subsequent crops. [source]
Edible Flowers
CulinaryThe delicate lavender-blue flowers are edible and can be used as a garnish in salads, desserts, or cocktails, providing a subtle flavor and attractive visual appeal. [source]
Cut Flowers
CraftThe spiraling flower clusters make beautiful, long-lasting fresh or dried cut flowers for floral arrangements and bouquets. [source]
Herbal Infusions
MedicinalFlowers can be dried and steeped into herbal teas with traditional uses for supporting respiratory health and general wellness, though limited modern clinical research exists. [source]
This is not medical advice. LizPlants is not a medical resource. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before using plants medicinally.
Harvest Tips
Harvest flowers fresh in the morning when blooming for cut arrangements. For seed collection, allow flowers to mature fully and dry on the plant, then harvest seed pods when papery and brown. Crush pods and winnow to collect seeds. Collect before natural shattering occurs.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Honey Bee phacelia is native to California and the southwestern United States, and its common name perfectly describes its primary appeal—honeybees and other pollinators visit the flowers in remarkable numbers.
- 🌱 The plant produces copious amounts of nectar; a single field of Phacelia tanacetifolia can be as productive as many other honey plants, making it a favorite for beekeepers seeking to boost honey production.
- 🌱 Phacelia is allelopathic, meaning it produces compounds that inhibit the growth of competing plants nearby, helping it establish dominance in dense plantings and making it an excellent weed suppressor in cover crop systems.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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