Clover Fields for Bees

A Bombus pratorum male

Up and down the country you can see white and red clover (Trifolium repens and T. pratense) flowering in gardens, parks and on road verges (but only if garden owners and councils don`t cut the grass too frequently). Clover does not only look nice but is also much loved by bumblebees as you can see in the pictures below.

You can help our struggling bumblebee population if you plant lots of pollinator-friendly flowers in your garden (look here for some ideas of what to plant for pollinators) and let the clover and other wildflowers grow in your law. It will also save you time as you don`t have to cut the lawn so often. Clover is also a lot more drought-resistant than grass and especially now in this sunny and dry weather your lawn will stay green if you let the clover grow.

Bombus terrestris/lucorum likes the flowers as well

A park full of white clover in Reading

Bombus pascuorum flying from flower to flower

Bombus pratorum on a white clover flower

Red clover is a great plant for bumblebees as well

Bombus hypnorum collecting nectar and pollen