British Columbia: Good for bees, bad for Deer

I am looking to establish a small flower meadow in my yard in Campbell River. I would like plants that are good for bees, and I NEED plants that are deer resistant. ;o)

I would appreciate suggestions for flowers, perennial or annual, and small shrubs that meet these criteria. I don't want to buy a packet of "wild flowers" as I'm sure they are half invasive species here in the Island.

Thanks for your assistance!

Tom

 

Are you looking only for the PNW native plants?

 

Wild Bergamot. Bees love it and it's deer resistant. A widespread native plant in North America including B.C, but not native to the Campbell River area.

 

My desire for "native" plants grows mostly from a fear of introducing an invasive species. The conditions are so good here that things that are annuals other places in Canada can take over here. I wouldn't want people talking about me like they do the Victoria man who brought a Scotch Broom plant his yard because it reminded him of home!

Thanks Chris! I'll give it a try, although I see on Wiki it likes a soil more to the base side, and our soil tends to be acidic.

 

The Master Gardener Association of BC has a nice list of deer resistant plants from the Victoria Master Gardener Association.
Deer Resistant Plants | MGABC

They are not all native plants, but the most serious invasives are identified. There is a lot to choose from.

 

Thank you - that is a lot to choose form, and nice to know I won't make things worse. :o)

 

Soil is acidic here in Burnaby too and it does very well in my yard.

 

Here is a list of plants for bees from the Garry Oak Gardener's Handbook, a local publication from Vancouver Island.
I'm not sure which are deer resistant though.

Early Flowering:
Blue-eyed Mary
Broad-leaved shootingstar
Oregon-grape
Sea Blush
Spring-gold
White fawn lily
Willows

Mid-season:
Arbutus
Camas species
Gold star
Menzies' larkspur
Nootka rose
Oceanspray
*Penstemon species
Red-flowering currant
Snowberry
Woolly sunflower

Late-Flowering:
Aster species
Brodiaea
*Canada goldenrod
Douglas aster
*Fireweed
*Hardhack
Pearly everlasting
Nodding onion
Other wild onions

*not necessarily Garry oak species,
but excellent native plants for bees.