Trees do more for pollinators than a flat of annuals ever could. A single mature native tree can offer thousands of flowers in one season, plus bark crevices, hollow twigs, and leaf litter where wild bees nest and overwinter. If you live in Maryland, or anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic with similar woods and weather, the species below are proven landscape performers that feed honey bees, bumblebees, sweat bees, mining bees, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, and hummingbirds at different times of year.
This list favors **Maryland-native** trees (naturally occurring in the state, not just hardy here). Match each plant to your site: wet or dry soil, sun or shade, room for a large canopy or a small ornamental. When in doubt, local native nurseries and your county extension office can help you choose ecotypes and avoid problematic cultivars.
1. Eastern redbud (*Cercis canadensis*)
Redbud is one of the cheeriest signs of spring: magenta-pink pea flowers line bare twigs weeks before many other trees leaf out. Those blossoms are rich in nectar and pollen for early-flying bees when little else is available. Redbud is an understory tree, so it tolerates partial shade and fits smaller yards. It is native throughout Maryland.
2. Downy serviceberry (*Amelanchier arborea*)
Serviceberries (also called shadbush or Juneberry) open clouds of white flowers in early spring, drawing bees and other pollinators at a critical time. The sweet berries that follow feed birds, and people, if you beat the catbirds to them. Downy serviceberry is a Maryland native; several other *Amelanchier* species and hybrids are used in landscaping, but *A. arborea* is a reliable native choice for woodland edges and sunny spots.
3. American basswood / American linden (*Tilia americana*)
Basswood is famous among beekeepers: when a linden is in bloom, its fragrant, nectar-rich flowers can hum with insect activity. Many kinds of bees and other pollinators visit the blooms in early to mid summer. American basswood is native to Maryland, especially in richer, moister woods. Give it space, it becomes a large shade tree, and avoid confusing it with European lindens sometimes sold in trade; stick to *T. americana* for maximum local ecological value.
4. Tulip poplar (*Liriodendron tulipifera*)
Maryland’s tall, straight tulip poplar produces unique green-and-orange cup-shaped flowers high in the canopy. They produce abundant nectar and are worked by bees that can reach them; they also attract ruby-throated hummingbirds. Tulip poplar is common in Maryland forests and makes a stately yard tree if you have vertical room. It is the state tree of neighboring states in the region and fully at home here.
5. Flowering dogwood (*Cornus florida*)
Before the iconic white or pink bracts open, the small true flowers in the center offer pollen and nectar to bees, flies, and other insects. Dogwood thrives as an understory tree in partial shade and is native across Maryland. Planting native dogwood supports spring pollinators and later fruit for birds. Choose disease-resistant selections if anthracnose is a concern in your area, and confirm with your supplier that material is suited to the mid-Atlantic.
6. Black cherry (*Prunus serotina*)
Black cherry’s elongated racemes of white flowers appear in late spring, feeding a wide variety of bees and other pollinators. As a member of the rose family, it is also a caterpillar host for many moths and butterflies, supporting the broader food web that pollinators need. It is native statewide and colonizes disturbed ground; in a yard, it can be grown as a medium tree with wildlife value. All parts except the ripe flesh of the fruit are toxic to humans and livestock, so plan placement accordingly if children or animals browse plants.
7. Sassafras (*Sassafras albidum*)
Sassafras is unmistakable for its mitten-shaped leaves and spicy scent. Inconspicuous yellow-green flowers appear before the leaves in early spring; they attract small bees, flies, and beetles. Female trees later produce dark berries on red stalks that birds love. Sassafras is native throughout Maryland and tolerates poor, dry soils, making it useful for edges and restoration plantings.
8. Black willow (*Salix nigra*)
Willows are among the earliest trees to flower, often providing the first pollen of the year for bees emerging on warm late-winter days. Black willow is Maryland’s common native streamside willow; it stabilizes wet banks and supports pollinators and many insects that specialize on *Salix*. Plant it where the soil stays moist or where you can give supplemental water while it establishes, not for dry berms or sidewalk strips.
9. American holly (*Ilex opaca*)
American holly is dioecious: male trees shed pollen from small spring flowers; female trees (with a male nearby) set the red berries beloved at Christmas. Bees are the primary pollinators of holly flowers. Evergreen foliage provides winter cover. American holly is native in Maryland and prefers acidic, well-drained soils. For berries, plant at least one male for several females.
10. American persimmon (*Diospyros virginiana*)
Persimmon flowers are small and easy to overlook, but they produce nectar used by bees and other insects; female trees yield sugary fruit for wildlife (and for humans who wait until fruit is fully ripe and soft). American persimmon is native to Maryland, particularly in warmer, drier counties. Like holly, it is usually dioecious, so plan for both a male and a female if you want fruit.
Planting for maximum pollinator benefit
Group the same species in drifts when you can, pollinators find resources more easily. Avoid systemic insecticides on or near blooming trees. Leave some bare soil and standing dead wood where safe; many native bees nest in the ground or in old stems. Layer your yard with native shrubs and forbs so something is always in flower from redbud and willow season through basswood and beyond.
Image credits
Photos and illustrations below are used under free licenses from [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/). Thumbnails are linked at **330px width** to keep file sizes small for readers. For full resolution, author names, and exact license terms, open each file page.
- [Apis mellifera Western honey bee.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Apis_mellifera_Western_honey_bee.jpg), Andreas Trepte; CC BY-SA 2.5.
- [RedbudOhio02.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RedbudOhio02.jpg), Greg Hume; CC BY-SA 3.0.
- [Amelanchier arborea leaves.JPG](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amelanchier_arborea_leaves.JPG), see Commons file page for attribution and license.
- [Tilia americana (American Linden) (28268263222).jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tilia_americana_(American_Linden)_(28268263222).jpg), Plant Image Library; CC BY-SA 2.0.
- [Liriodendron tulipifera flower.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liriodendron_tulipifera_flower.jpg), P.gibellini; public domain.
- [Cornus florida Arkansas.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cornus_florida_Arkansas.jpg), see Commons file page for attribution and license.
- [Amerikaanse vogelkers Prunus serotina closeup.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Amerikaanse_vogelkers_Prunus_serotina_closeup.jpg), see Commons file page for attribution and license.
- [Sassafras Leaves June Nbg (261691941).jpeg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sassafras_Leaves_June_Nbg_(261691941).jpeg), see Commons file page for attribution and license.
- [Salix nigra Morton 180-88-3.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salix_nigra_Morton_180-88-3.jpg), see Commons file page for attribution and license.
- [Ilex opaca USDA.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ilex_opaca_USDA.jpg), USDA; typically public domain as U.S. government work (confirm on file page).
- [Diospyros virginiana BB-1913.png](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diospyros_virginiana_BB-1913.png), Britton & Brown, *An Illustrated Flora* (1913); public domain.
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