Polylectic with a preference for Pulmonaria (Boraginaceae), foraging from flowers in the families Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Rosaceae (Westrich, 1989). In Dorset, S.P.M. Roberts (pers. comm.) identified substantial amounts of Ajuga reptans and Glechoma hederacea pollen removed from the heavily laden scopa of a female. D.B. Baker has observed females collecting G. hederacea pollen in Kent. These are the only established British pollen sources for this bee.
The species is particularly associated with the flowers of Ajuga reptans (Lamiaceae); but also visits Viola hirta (Violaceae); Vicia sepium (Fabaceae); Salix (Salicaceae); Symphytum (Boraginaceae); and Prunella (Lamiaceae).
The females possess hooked bristles on the galeae of the proboscis which serve to extract pollen from the narrow-tubed flowers of Pulmonaria (Müller, 1995; Müller et al., 1997).