Northern Nectar Sources for Honey Bees

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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. Even more accurate would be a calculation of the growing degree hours. 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, or a 10° change in longitude east 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 1 Spring 1.1 Trees and shrubs 1.2 Flowers and annual crop plants 2 Summer 2.1 Trees and shrubs 2.2 Flowers and annual crop plants 3 Fall 3.1 Trees and shrubs 3.2 Flowers and annual crop plants 4 See also 5 References

[edit] Spring

[edit] 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

[edit] 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
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)

[edit] Summer

[edit] 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
Basswood	Tilia americana	June - July	yes	feral, ornamental	major

See also: Honeydew source

[edit] 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
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)

[edit] Fall

[edit] Trees and shrubs

There are no fall flowering trees that are a nectar source for honey bees.

[edit] 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)

[edit] See also

• Forage (honeybee)
• List of honey plants
• Honeydew source
• Nectar source
• Pollen source

[edit] 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)