Urban green areas can play a crucial role in establishing spaces that are valuable for pollinators. However, to help ‘pollinator-friendly’ management of urban areas, complete information on the quantity and quality of available floral reward is needed. In this paper, the nectar and pollen of six Cotoneaster species (Rosaceae) were investi- gated in a two-year experiment established in Lublin city, SE Poland. In temperate climate, Cotoneaster species can ensure nectar and pollen in the full spring period (May/early June) or in early summer (June). A single species can support pollinators on average for 22.9 days. Flowers of Cotoneaster species produce high quantities of nectar (2.27–9.48 mg per flower) and low amounts of pollen (0.11–0.33 mg per flower). On average, the total sugar yield in Cotoneaster species was 11.5 g/m2 (2.3–22.2 g/m2), whereas the total pollen yield was 1.3 g/m2 (0.8–2.8 g/m2). Due to the high potential for total sugar yield, C. macrophyllus, C. lucidus, and C. horizontalis should be recommended to optimize the management of food resources in urban areas. Honeybee was the main insect visitor (70.1 % of the total number of visitors); therefore, Cotoneaster species can be considered valuable for urban beekeepers. However, conservation schemes for bumblebees (21.3 % of the total number of visitors) might also benefit from arrangements with these shrubs. Nevertheless, considering Cotoneaster species in con- servation protocols, good-yielding pollen plants should be introduced to compensate for insufficient nutrient intake from pollen in spring