New book explores the ABCs of California’s native bees

A female Anthophora curta Provancher bee, one of 1,600 wild species native to California. A female Anthophora curta Provancher bee, one of 1,600 wild species native to California. Photo: California Bees And Blooms Photo: California Bees And Blooms Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close New book explores the ABCs of California’s native bees 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

The plight of the nonnative honeybee has been much in the news lately, but little has been reported about the bees that are native to California. While these native bees don’t make honey, they are important because they pollinate not only wild plants but also our gardens and farm crops. Little has been known about how our “wild bees” are faring after 160 years of decreasing wild habitat.

In 1999, UC Berkeley professor and research entomologist Gordon Frankie began a statewide survey of wild bees in urban areas. His new book, “California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists” (Heyday Books; $28), written with Robbin W. Thorp, Rollin E. Coville and Barbara Ertter (in collaboration with the California Native Plant Society), reports the results of the 15-year survey and much more about these little-known creatures.

This is a landmark book, and one that could mark the start of a revolution in how our crops are pollinated. It will also provide a great deal of enjoyment as gardeners attract and learn about these big or tiny, fuzzy or shiny, striped, black, brown or iridescent green bees. Frankie says the book takes a “bee-flower-people approach to knowing what we have in our own environments in cities.”

After starting his observations in a Berkeley test garden, Frankie surveyed about 50 other gardens, in 15 cities from Redding to Palm Springs and east to Bishop (Inyo County). So far, about 400 of the 1,600 wild bee species ever recorded in California have shown up in these gardens. Most of the cities surveyed had 90 to 100 bee species.

Want to grow some flowers that will help these bees thrive and let you watch them at work? The book profiles many commonly grown “wild bee attractive” plants, tells you which bees you might see on the plants, and exactly how and when native bees use them. There are tips to help you choose the best cultivars of certain species, and often notes to identify the plants that attracted the most bees in particular cities.

Surprisingly, while California native plants, such as ceanothus, wild buckwheat and California poppy, do attract these native insects, so do a number of nonnatives, such as cosmos, sea holly (eryngium) and pride of Madeira (echium). Several “recipes for bee-friendly gardens” will help you design your planting. These include a food-centric garden and a design for “brown thumb” gardeners.

Want to recognize and understand the life cycles of these native bees? Here you will find plenty of information, along with many fine close-up photos.

One native bee, the carpenter bee, is being trialed in commercial orchards as a replacement for the imperiled imported honeybee. One of the many myths about native bees dispelled in the book is that honeybees displace the natives. In fact, except for an occasional scuffle with male native bees, the honeybees and wild bees seem to coexist in peace, so we should be able to get the pollinating benefits of both.

Pam Peirce is the author of “Golden Gate Gardening.” E-mail: home@sfchronicle.com