Some cultivar differences are more surprising. Lavenders are rightly regarded as excellent plants for bees and butterflies, but are they all the same? No, they’re not.
Although there is again some variation between cultivars, all varieties of the hybrid Lavandula x intermedia are better than varieties of L. angustifolia. Thus, although the RHS website describes old favourite 'Hidcote’ (a cultivar of L. angustifolia) as “particularly attractive to bees”, it’s not as good as the confusingly named 'Hidcote Giant’, which is a cultivar of the hybrid.
The reason for the consistent difference between the two lavenders is unknown, but the hybrid is sterile and it may be that it carries on producing nectar for longer, rather than diverting its energy into seed production. French lavender (L. stoechas), by the way, is about on a par with L. angustifolia.
Fascinating ehh !!!
I found the same, i had odd hkney bees on it but it always had lots of bhmbles on it , the reason is Bumbles will forage on a large variety of flowers in a day , honey bees tend to stick to one. & there was probably a much better source of pollen/ nectar about on other plants, maybe bramble or balsam?
