I'm not the bee expert, but in my experience, the bees in my garden have always
favored the violets, pinks, and light purple flowers. They are all over the
purple coneflower, violet monarda, violet butterfly bush, joe-pye weed,
catmint, etc. But they are not as enthusiastic for the yellows, like
black-eyed susans, and the reds, like the monarda.

Bianca
zone 6-7 Long Island

Right now the bees are finishing the last of the sumac, they will be
moving on to goldenrod and japanese knotweed. I haven't been in the
wet areas to see if Clethra is still blooming.
Honeybees go for the best nectar and pollen sources they can find and
tend to work those blossoms until they run out. They have an
incredibly sensitive sense of smell.

Across the sound from Lawn Guy Land
After a zone 5 winter they tell us we might be zone 7
Yeah right