Nectar and Pollen Sources of New Zealand I
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Nectar and Pollen Sources of New Zealand I. .,,'"\' ~ /({JUJ,; by R.S. Walsh(N.D. Ap. N.Z.) together with a list of suitable source trees for planting in various districts and a chapter on the function of the flower. CONTENTS Introduction.. .. 3 .. WinterSourcesof Nectarand Pollen. .. 5 Tree Sources of Spring Pollen . .. 9 ~M."' 'Y' .." '~._'\:;"-","" , .~ { Spring & Summer Nectar Sources. 11 . " -.:. '\~.."~ "('. r I. ,"" , " Lite Summer & Autumn Sources of Nectar and Pollen. .37 'h , r Ii.: 1/.,' FlightRangeof Bees. .43 I \~ ............. Acknowledgements.. .45 N(~(~tar and Pollen The Flower. .47 Sources of Ne\V Zealand Plantingfor Production. .49 by R.S. Walsh First published 1967 This edition fully revised and published by National Beekeepers Association of New Zealand (lnc) P.O. Box 4048 Wellington, N.Z. February 1978 Printed by David F. Jones Ltd Home Street, Wellington Typesetting, layout and editing by Agricultural Press Company Ltd P.O. Box 176, Carterton, N.Z. /{oWII!;/ Editor: Trevor Walton with assistance from David Williams, Rotorua INTRODUCTION Illustrations by This appeared as a preface to the first edition of "Nectar and Pollen Sources of Paul Nicolai, Tuturumur.i NewZealand." So numerous are the sources of nectar they are of little economic importance, and pollen to be found in NewZealand while plants that would yield appre- that it would be an almost impossible ciable quantities of nectar if sufficiently task to give a description of all of them. numerous are in many cases now so However, to compile such a list would scattered and decimated by the en- serve no useful purpose as the yields croachment of civilisation, the ravages from some sources are so slight that of disease, fire and drought that they 3 contribute little to the beekeeper of ahead of inland districts and some inland today. There are a number of great locations well south are more forward forest trees that at one time must have than northern districts that have every been valuablesources of nectar had bees appearance of being more favourably been kept within flight range. situated. The writer has no knowledge of the As a result of observation and the com- honey yielded by the flowers of many piling of records over a period of years of these trees but has, on rare occasions the writer believes the ideal conditions when a convenient vantage point has necessary for a really good honey season allowed the opportunity of looking into in Auckland and North Auckland re- their foliage high above the ground ob- quires heavy winter rains until late served the bees freely working the nec- September. The next two months taries of the flowers. Muchof the pollen should be without wind as wind almost collected by bees kept in apiaries near entirely curtails nectar secretion. bush areas is very difficult to identify. Warm weather is, of course, necessary as Were it possible to index the variety of are some periods of rain which should pollen in one colour range alone - that not, however, be accompanied by ex- between white and deep yellow - it tremes in temperature. If the above would present an imposing list. Out- conditions prevail up until the middle' standing colours observed in the corbi- of November a prolonged drought will cula of the pollen gatherers are snow have no effect on crop returns. I am white, black, bright red, bright blue, inclined to believe that drought condi- green, wine, orange, mauve, purple and tions following ideal spring and early brown. The pollen colours recorded summer weather favour long and here are as observed in the pollen copious nectar secretion from all baskets of the bee. sources in this district. Unseasonal The principal nectar sources of the weather and a light honey flow will pro- Auckland Province are today mainly duce more delicate flavoured honies of the same as those relied upon by bee- lighter colour. With a few notable keepers elsewhere in New Zealand. exceptions, honey gathered from tree However, the presence of manuka and sources is denser than that of ground bush honies may be detected in the flora and takes longer to granulate. greater proportion of crops produced There are a few areas in Northland and in North Auckland, the district with elsewhere where a pollen dearth exists which the writer has been most closely for a short period. This is overcome by associated. He has, however in addition, professional apiaries bringing combs of been associated with beekeeping in pollen from hives situated in more Canterbury, Taranaki, Poverty Bay, favoured areas, or by feeding a pollen Waikato and Thames districts and has supplement. Garden flowers are usually also been a honey grader for 13 years. despised as being valuelessto largescale This experience has enabled the writer producers, but as a source of pollen to familiarise himself with the major supply the writer is of the opinion it 1?R7l1 and minor nectar sources of the Domin- would be well worthwhile to sow half hll[ ion. an acre or so in flowers adjacent to I' The periods stated in which native apiaries in pollen deficient areas. Peony I. fN' plants flower yield nectar can only be Roses {Paeoniaspp. Ranunculaceae}and given approximately for any named wallflowers {Cheiranthus spp. Crucife- area as there isa considerable fluctuation rae} are two kinds of flowers that are WINTER SOURCES between seasons and locations. heavy pollen producers and very attract- Coastal areas are always some weeks ive to bees over a long period. OF NECTAR AND POLLEN 4 5 III! Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragifer- given to soft granulation. Grows to Parapara (Heimerliodendron brunonian- a slight amount of grey plasticine-like um). 8 m. um). pollen of poor quality. This is another late flowering clover that A small tree up to 10m in height. The As an experiment, the rearing of queens assists colonies in this district. It is in Brush Wattle (Albizzia lophantha). leaves are opposite and 10 to 40 cm was attempted on one occasion and 60 full bloom in April and favours swampy A small tree with spreading branches. long. The flower panicles are hairy, 4 per cent of the cells grafted were accept- locations and saline soils. The flowers The young branchlets and leaves are cm to 10 cm across, green in colour. ed and the virgins successfully mated. are pale pink and the seed heads have covered closely with soft hairs or down The flowers appear to be present The queens proved themselves the fol- a strawberry appearance, hence the (pubescent), the flowers are yellow and throughout the year in this district. Bees lowing summer to be the equal of those name strawberry clover. The honey is in axillary racemes. Found in waste are sometimes found adhering to the raised in the spring, but the hives in sticky fruit of the tree. They collect a which they were reared were completely white and of delicate flavour, but is places and forest margins in the Auck- ruined. rather light bodied. land Province, in areas where the plant pale yellow pollen from this source. is plentiful surplus honey can be taken Confined to the North Island. Heath honey is medium amber in colour Houhere (Hoheriapopulnea). from hives. It yields from fate May until and has a flavour suggestive of well early August. The honey is water-white MaireTawake (Eugeniamaire). cooked marmalade. It is easily extracted A smallforesttree,up to 12 mhigh,also and remainsliquidfor a longperiod.Its known as lacebark, yielding abundance in colour and of excellent body. The This Maire reaches a height of 15 m flavour is reminiscent of rape honey. in favourable damp localities. This tree keeping qualities are excellent. Hives of nectar mainly in May. The flowers expertly prepar~d average a 25 kg sur- are whiteand star shapedand bloomin is conspicious because of its smooth Spiny Hakea (Hakeaacicularis). white bark. It flowers in terminal, many plus. A limited quantity of heath honey such profusion that the leaves are fre- has reached the market and has been Originally a hedge plant that has thrived flowered, short, flat topped panicles. quently concealed. Infavourableseasons, favourably received. and May is generally a good month for to such goodpurposein Aucklandthat The flowers are white and the fruit large red edible berries. The blooming period nectar gathering in Auckland, the bees it grows profusely on wasteland over Spanish Heath (Ericalusitanica). obtain a surplusfrom this source. Flower- a wide area. It is also found in South extends from June until August and Auckland where it appears to do as well bees eagerly visit the blossoms during Similar to tree heath (E. arboreal, but ing period extends from March until suitable weather. The nectar is clear and May. The honey is medium amber in as in the north ifallowedthe opportunity. more strictly erect in habit. The leaves colour with a strong but not unpleasant Spiny hakea flowers from June until very light in colour. The pollen is a dirty are rather irregularly arranged. The dull white. Found throughout the North flowers, corolla white to rosy, stamens flavour. It is light bodied and if the cap- September. Its flowers are very minute, Island and north of the South Island. pings are bruised runs very freely. but are worked freely by the bees for and stigmas d.eeppink, are in clusters at both nectar and pollen which is light the ends of the twigs. Found in both Pinl<Heath (Ericabaccans). islands. Spanish Heath flowers most of Mountain Ribbon Wood (Hoheria Iyal- yellow or mustard in colour. Northern Iii). apiarists who extract early in the season A native of South Africa - is found in the winter and is a useful source of are harveting increasing quantities of small isolated patches in a number of nectar.