TREES for Honey Bees

TREES for Honey Bees Eastern Kentucky Beekeeping School January 20, 2018 Patrick N. Angel, Ph.D. Senior Forester/Soil Scientist U.S. Department of the Interior Black locust Basswood Sourwood Maple Persimmon Yellow - poplar American Holly Common Sourwood Sourwood Known for high nectar production- many consider it the best honey The only honey that doesn’t crystalize Blooms in June & July, earlier in the valleys, but later on the highest slopes of the mountains, which extends the seasons Fragile combs difficult to extract, chunk comb honey in wide mouth jars Good season- 50-75 lbs/hive Sourwood Sourwood Sourwood ( Oxydendrum arboretum) Yellow - poplar Yellow - poplar High nectar production Flowers from May - June Bright amber honey when new Becomes redder with age and very thick One of the best dark honeys- ‘wears well’ on the table Tallest tree in eastern USA, up to 190 feet tall (state record in McCreary Co is 178 feet tall) Can live up to 400 years Cove hardwood, prefers full sun, well drained loamy soil 2008 2007 Black Locust Black Locust Black Locust Common tree on East KY surface mines Can tolerate poor soils due to nitrogen fixing bacteria in roots Flowers in dense clusters: April, May, early June before hives build to max strength Honey is water white, mild flavor, good body A cold rain will end it abruptly in middle of the blooming season 1 acre of black locust = 800-1200 lbs of honey 5-6 trees can produce as much nectar & pollen as a whole field of wildflowers Maples Sugar maple Maples Maples bloom so early in the season, their value for pollen and honey is underestimated Flowers appear late March - early April In early spring, the hives are so weak that a surplus from this source is seldom obtained Maples are regarded as important only for brood rearing Red maple is the most common KY tree Basswood Basswood Not a dependable source, but seldom fails entirely Best yield ever recorded for single hive = 43 lbs in 3 days Produces blossoms from July to August – can vary from 5-25 days It needs hot, clear, humid weather Small drops may be seen sparkling in the bloom – a bee can get a load from a single blossom Honey is white and has a strong aromatic or mint-like flavor Persimmon American Persimmon Medium sized tree; ‘alligator hide’ bark; leathery leaves; fleshy, juicy fruits that taste astringent until fully ripe Lovely, waxy, scented blossoms on male and female trees The white, greenish-yellow, whitish-green blossoms provides both nectar & pollen Blossoms begin opening from May to June Bees will work flowers from sunrise to sunset Most trees bloom for about 2 weeks or so Provides a very heavy, somewhat irregular nectar flow Due to flower shape, the nectar is unaffected by rain Provides an early honey crop, usually about 75 pounds The honey is light amber to amber and mild flavored Other Important ‘Honey Trees’ Serviceberry – Early spring Eastern redbud – Early spring (bitter honey) Fruit bloom – Early spring Flowering dogwood – Spring Willows – Spring Red mulberry – Spring Black cherry – Late spring American Holly – Late spring Sumac - Summer American chestnut – Summer Devils Walking Stick – Late summer Witch hazel - Fall What was the greatest ecological disaster in North America in the th 20 century? Timber qualities of the American chestnut •Lightweight, strong, and easily worked •Rot - resistant, even when exposed to soil •Fast, straight growth Photos courtesy of The American Chestnut Foundation American chestnut nut production • Reliable source of nutrition for wildlife and humans Potential net profit between $1,000-$6,000/ac./year • Photo courtesy of T. G. Barnes Photo courtesy of The American Chestnut Foundation Photo courtesy of T.G. Barnes Graphics courtesy of The American Chestnut Foundation • Dr. Tammy Horn, EKU • Committed to re -establishing bees and beekeeping across the landscape of disturbance in the coal fields • Provide high quality queens to commercial beekeepers across the nation • Many hundreds of acres of compacted mine soils have been ripped and planted to nectar & pollen trees and wildfires 1 million acres of reclaimed grass/shrub lands in Appalachia • Program to stimulate economy and improve the environment • Plant millions of trees on thousands of acres of degraded mine land • Create much needed jobs in Appalachia Autumn Olive Please do not plant this tree! Non- native, aggressive invasive, alien species Native to East Asia Average height of 10 feet High nitrogen content in roots, can tolerate poor soils Was used for mine sites Flowers from April to June Autumn Olive Autumn Olive Autumn olive Questions Patrick N. Angel, Ph.D. Senior Forester/Soil Scientist United States Department of Interior London, Kentucky Telephone: 606- 309 - 4159 Email: [email protected] .

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