NORTHERN NECTAR SOURCES FOR HONEY BEES

The nectar source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation present and the length of their bloom period. What type of vegetation will grow in an area depends on soil texture, soil pH, soil drainage, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, extreme minimum winter temperature, and growing degree days. The plants listed below are plants that would grow in USDA Hardiness zone 5. A good predictor for when a plant will bloom and produce nectar is a calculation of the growing degree days. Hopkins' Bioclimatic Law states that in North America east of the Rockies, a 130 m (400-foot) increase in elevation, a 4° change in latitude north (444.48 km), or a 10° change in longitude east (two thirdth of a time zone) will cause any given biological event to occur four days later in the spring or four days earlier in the fall.
In botany, the term phenology refers to the timing of flower emergence, sequence of bloom, fruiting, and leaf drop in autumn.
The classification in major or minor nectar source is very dependent on the agricultural use of the land. Agricultural crops like canola and alfalfa may be a major or minor source depending on local plantings. Honeydew sources are not included in this listing.

Contents

Spring

Trees and shrubs

Flowers and annual crop plants

Summer

Trees and shrubs

Flowers and annual crop plants

Fall

Trees and shrubs

Flowers and annual crop plants

See also

References

Spring

Trees and shrubs

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honey bees
Maple	''Acer''	Feb - Apr	no	feral	major but temperature usually too cold
Red Maple	''Acer rubrum''	Feb - Apr	no	feral	major but temperature usually too cold for bees to fly
Shadbush	''Amelanchier arborea''	Apr - May	no	feral	minor
Red Chokeberry	''Aronia arbutifolia'', ''Photinia pyrifolia''	May - Jun	no	feral	minor
Black Chokeberry	''Aronia melanocarpa''	May - Jun	no	feral	minor
Ohio Buckeye	''Aesculus glabra''	Apr - May	no	feral	minor
Common Hackberry	''Celtis occidentalis''	Apr - May	no	feral	minor
Hawthorn	''Crataegus''	Apr - May	no	feral	minor
Honey Locust	''Gleditsia triancanthos''	May - Jun	no	feral	minor
American Holly	''Ilex opaca''	Apr - Jun	no	feral	minor, important in southeastern US
Tulip-tree	''Liriodendron tulipifera''	May - Jun	yes	feral	major in southern Appalachians and piedmont
Apple	''Malus domestica''	Apr - May	no	cultivated	minor
Crab Apple	''Malus sylvestris''	Mar - Jun	no	ornamental	minor
Cherry	''Prunus cerasus''	Apr - May	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Pear	''Pyrus communis''	Apr - May	no	cultivated	minor
Black Cherry	''Prunus serotina''	Apr - May	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Plum	''Prunus''	Apr - May	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Common Buckthorn	''Rhamnus cathartica''	May - Jun	no	feral	minor
Black Locust	''Robinia pseudoacacia''	May - Jun	yes	feral	major
Raspberry	''Rubus''	May - Jun	yes	feral, cultivated	major in some areas
Blackberry	''Rubus''	May - Jun	yes	feral, cultivated	major in some areas
Willow	''Salix''	Feb - Apr	no	feral, ornamental	major but temperature usually too cold for bees to fly
Pussy Willow	''Salix discolor''	Mar - Apr	no	feral, ornamental	major but temperature usually too cold for bees to fly
American Elm	''Ulmus americana''	Feb - Apr	no	feral	minor
Blueberry	''Vaccinium corymbosum''	May - Jun	no	cultivated	minor

Flowers and annual crop plants

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honey bees
Chives	''Allium schoenoprasum''	May - Sep	no	cultivated	minor
Asparagus	''Asparagus officinalis''	May - Jun	no	cultivated	minor
Milk Vetch	''Astragalus'' spp.	May - Jun	no	feral	minor
Mustard	''Brassica arvenisi (L.)''	Apr - May	no?	cultivated	minor?
Oilseed Rape (Canola)	''Brassica napus L.'', ''Brassica rapa''	May - Jun	yes	cultivated	major
Mountain Bluet	''Centaurea Montana'' (Knapweed)	May	no??	feral	major
Leopardsbane	''Doronicum cordatum''	Apr - May	no	feral	minor
Henbit Deadnettle	''Lamium sp''	Mar - May	no	feral	minor but valuable due to earliness/frost hardiness
White Sweet Clover	''Melilotus alba''	May - Aug	yes	feral, cultivated	major
Yellow Sweet Clover	''Melilotus officinalis''	May - Aug	yes	feral, cultivated	major
Lungwort	''Pulmonaria'' spp.	May	no	feral	minor
Woundwort	''Stachys byzantina''	May	no	feral	minor
Chickweed	''Stellaria Media''	Apr - Jul	no	feral	minor
Dandelion	''Taraxicum officinale''	Apr - May	no?	feral	major
Speedwell	''Veronica spicata''	June	no	feral	minor
Blackhaw	''Viburnum prunifolium''	May - Jun	no	feral	minor

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Source: Spring flowers Master beekeeper program, Cornell University Dyce Laboratory (web accessed Nov 2006)

Summer

Trees and shrubs

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honey bees
Devils-walkingstick	''Aralia spinosa''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Catalpa	''Catalpa speciosa''	Jun - Jul	no	feral, ornamental	minor
Sumac	''Rhus glabra''	Jun - Jul	??	feral	major
Bee bee tree	''Tetradium''	July - Sept		ornamental	major
Basswood	''Tilia americana''	June - July	yes	feral, ornamental	major

: ''See also: Honeydew source''

Flowers and annual crop plants

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honeybees
Anise hyssop	''Agstache foeniculum''	Jul-Frost	no	feral	minor
Chives	''Allium schoenoprasum''	May - Sep	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Garlic chives	''Allium tuberosa''	Aug - Sep	no	cultivated	minor
Leadwort	''Amorpha fruticosa''	Jun - Jul	no	feral	minor
Milkweed	''Asclepias'' spp.	Jul - Aug		feral	major
Butterfly Weed	''Asclepias tuberosa''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Aster	''Asteraceae'' spp.	Aug - Sep	no	feral, ornamental	can be major
Borage	''Borago officinalis''	Jun - Frost	no	feral, ornamental	minor, but can be major on cultivated area
Marigold	''Calendula officinalis''	Jun - Sep	no	ornamental	minor
Thistle	''Centaurea'' spp.	Jul - Sep	no	feral	minor
Clethra Summersweet	''Clethra alnifolia''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Cucumber	''Cucumis'' spp.		no	cultivated	minor
Melon	''Cucumis melo''	Jun-Frost	no	cultivated	minor
Pumpkin	''Cucurbita pepo''	Jun-Frost	no	cultivated	minor
Wild Carrot	''Daucus carota''	Aug - Sep	no	feral	minor
Blue thistle, Viper's bugloss Blue weed	''Echium vulgare''	Jun - Aug	no	feral	minor
Globe Thistle	''Echinops ritro''	August		feral	major
Fireweed	''Epilobium angustifolium''	Jun - Sep	yes	feral	major
Joe-Pye weed	''Eupatorium'' spp.	Aug - Sep	no	feral	minor
Buckwheat	''Fagopyrum esculentum''	Jul - Aug	can be	cultivated	minor
Blue vine	''Gonolobus laevis''		no	feral	minor
Soybean	''Glycine soja''	Jul - Oct		cultivated	major
Sunflower	''Helianthus annuus''	Jun - Sep	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Basil	''Koellia''		cultivated	no	minor
Lavender	''Lavendula augustifolia''	Jun - Sep	can be	cultivated	minor
Birdsfoot trefoil	''Lotus corniculatus''	Jun - Aug	no	feral	minor
Alfalfa	''Medicago sativa''	July - Aug	as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Clover	''Melilotus'' spp. and ''Trifolium'' spp.	May - Aug	as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
White Sweet Clover	''Melilotus alba''		as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Yellow Sweet Clover	''Melilotus officinalis''		as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Catnip	''Nepeta mussinii''	Jun - Sep	no	feral, ornamental	minor
Oregano	''Origanum vulgare''	Jun - Sep	no	cultivated?	minor
Russian Sage	''Perovskia atriplicifolia''	Jul - Sep	can be	ornamental	minor
Smartweed	''Polygonum'' spp.	Aug - Sep		feral	major
Selfheal	''Prunella vulgaris''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Mountain Mint	''Pycnanthemum flexuosum''	Aug-Frost	no	feral	minor
Azalea	''Rhododendron'' spp.	Jun - Aug	no	ornamental	minor
Scrophularia	''Scrophularia'' spp.	July	no	feral	minor
Chick weed	''Stellaria media''	Apr - Jul	no	feral	minor
Korean euodia	''Tetradium daniellii''	Aug - Sep	no	feral	minor
Germander, Thyme	''Teucrium canadense''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Thyme	''Thymus pulegioides''	Jun - Jul	no	feral, cultivated	minor
Red-Flowering Thyme	''Thymus praecox''	Jun - Jul		feral?	major
Alsike Clover	''Trifolium hybridum''		as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Crimson clover	''Trifolium incarnatum''		as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Red Clover	''Trifolium pratense''	Jun - Jul	as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
White Clover	''Trifolium repens''	Jun - Jul	as clover honey	feral, cultivated	major
Blue Vervain	''Verbena hastata L.''	Jul - Aug	no	ornamental?	minor
Tall Ironweed	''Vernonia altissima''	Aug - Sep	no	feral	minor
Tufted Vetch	''Vicia cracca''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor
Common Vetch	''Vicia sativa''	Jul - Aug	no	feral	minor

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Source: Summer flowers Master beekeeper program, Cornell University Dyce Laboratory (web accessed Nov 2006)

Fall

Trees and shrubs

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honey bees
Bee bee tree	''Tetradium''	July - Sept		ornamental	major

Flowers and annual crop plants

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Monofloral honey	Availability	Source for honey bees
Anise hyssop	''Agstache foeniculum''	Jul-Frost		feral	minor
Aster	''Aster'' spp.	Sep-Frost		feral, ornamental	major
Borage	''Borago officinalis''	Jun - Frost			minor
Melons	''Cucumis melo''	Jun-Frost		cultivated	minor
Pumpkin	''Cucurbita pepto''	Jun-Frost		cultivated	minor
Soybean	''Glycine soja''	Jul - Oct		cultivated	minor
Mountain Mint	''Pycnanthemum flexuosum''	Aug-Frost			minor
Goldenrod	''Solidago'' spp.	Sep - Oct	can be	feral	major
Tall Ironweed	''Vernonia altissima''	Aug - Sep		feral	minor

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Source: Fall flowers Master beekeeper program, Cornell University Dyce Laboratory (web accessed Nov 2006)

See also

★ Forage (honeybee)

★ List of honey plants

★ Honeydew source

★ Nectar source

★ Pollen source

References

★ Tew, James Some Ohio Nectar and Pollen Producing Plants Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, 2000,

★ Tew, James; Beekeeping Consultant for Auburn University, Associate Professor, Entomology,Nectar and Pollen Producing Plants of Alabama A Guide for Beekeepers, Ohio State University, 1998, accessed Mar 2006

★ Major Honey Plants In Virginia and Their Bloom Times

★ Michigan Bee Plants

★ Delaplane, Keith Bee Conservation in the Southeast The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension; Service Bulletin 1164; February 1998 (web accessed Nov 2006)