California Native Bees
A field primer on 50 species: nesting, ecology, and what your yard can do
Understanding how California native bees are organized by nesting, diet, and ecoregion makes it much easier to choose plants and habitat features that actually work.
Ligated Sweat Bee (Halictus ligatus), one of the most abundant native bees in California gardens.
California has about 1,600 native bee species, more than any other U.S. state. The 50 in Pollinator Patch were selected for their likelihood of appearing in a residential garden, with full profiles on nesting, diet, seasonal activity, and ecoregion.
This guide covers how California native bees are organized ecologically, which species to expect in each ecoregion, and what garden actions produce the most habitat value.
California has roughly 1,600 native bee species, more than any other U.S. state. The diversity reflects an exceptional range of climates and habitats: coastal redwood forest, Mediterranean chaparral, Central Valley grassland, Sierra conifer forest, and the Mojave and Sonoran deserts (UC Berkeley Urban Bee Lab; Xerces Society).
Pollinator Patch currently covers 50 California native bee species chosen for their likelihood of appearing in a residential garden. Each profile includes ecoregion, activity months, nesting type, diet, host plants, and ID tips.
Use the filter in the Explore tab to narrow to bees most likely in your region, from the Coast Range to the Mojave.