A honey bee collecting nectar from an rosaceous flower. The nectar resource in a given area depends on the kinds of flowering plants present and their blooming periods. Which kinds 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 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 thirds of a time zone) will cause a 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. An agricultural crop such as canola or alfalfa may be a major or minor source depending on local plantings. Generally, the more diverse a forage area is, the better for a stationary apiary. Urban, suburban and areas not under cultivation provide more consistent warm-season nectar forage than areas that are heavily cultivated with only a few agricultural crops. The nectar sources from large cultivated fields of blooming apples, cherries, canola, melons, sunflowers, clover etc. benefit a bee keeper who is willing to travel with his hives throughout the season. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 1 of 20 Honeydew sources are not included in this listing. Trees and shrubs Source for Begin End honey bees Plant Nonscientific Scientific Monofloral Bloom Bloom Availability / pounds of type name name honey Month Month honey per acre major but temperature T Maple Acer 2 4 no feral usually too cold major but temperature T Red Maple[1] Acer rubrum 2 4 no feral usually too cold for bees to fly Ohio Buckeye Aesculus T 4 5 no feral minor [2] glabra Amelanchier S Shadbush 4 5 no feral minor arborea Devils- S, T Aralia spinosa 7 8 no feral minor walkingstick Aronia Red arbutifolia , S 5 6 no feral minor Chokeberry Photinia pyrifolia S Black Aronia 5 6 no feral minor https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 2 of 20 Chokeberry[3] melanocarpa Catalpa, Catalpa feral, T Indian Bean 6 7 no minor speciosa ornamental [2][3][4] Common Celtis S 4 5 no feral minor Hackberry occidentalis Honey is light in Cephalanthus S Buttonbush [2] 7 8 color and feral occidentalis mild in flavor. minor - 50 - S Hawthorn Crataegus 4 5 no feral 100 pounds/acre Honeysuckle Diervilla S 6 8 minor [2] lonicera Gleditsia T Honey Locust 5 6 no feral minor triancanthos minor, American important in S Ilex opaca 4 6 no feral Holly southeastern US major in yes, see southern Liriodendron T Tulip-tree[5] 5 6 Monofloral feral Appalachians tulipifera honey and Piedmont No, the nectar is https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 3 of 20 mostly used for spring Malus brood T Apple[3] 4 5 cultivated minor domestica raising and not stored for surplus. see Monofloral honey[4] Malus sylvestris ; T Crab Apple 3 6 no ornamental minor Malus coronaria [2] feral, T Cherry [2][3] Prunus cerasus 4 5 no minor cultivated Pyrus T Pear 4 5 no cultivated minor communis feral, T Black Cherry Prunus serotina 4 5 no minor cultivated feral, T Plum Prunus 4 5 no minor cultivated Common Rhamnus S 5 6 no feral minor Buckthorn cathartica mixed with T Sumac[2] Rhus glabra 6 7 other feral major honeys major - 800 - 1200 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 4 of 20 yes, see pounds/; Black Robinia T 5 6 Monofloral feral short bloom locust[3][4] pseudoacacia honey period of about 10 days yes, see feral, major in S Raspberry Rubus 5 6 Monofloral cultivated some areas honey yes, see feral, major in S Blackberry Rubus spp. 5 6 Monofloral cultivated some areas honey [2] major but outside temperatures are usually too cold for feral, bees to fly. T Willow Salix 2 4 no ornamental 100 - 150 pounds honey per acre; 1,500 pounds pollen major but temperature feral, T Pussy Willow Salix discolor 3 4 no usually too ornamental cold for bees to fly T Bee bee tree Tetradium 7 9 ornamental major https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 5 of 20 feral, ornamental Produces a yes, short high flow up to volume of 14 days; honey on a major 800 - Tilia Honey cycle of 1,100 T Basswood[3][4] americana , 6 7 white; every five pounds Tilia cordata aromatic [2] to eight honey see years, with Monofloral lower honey volume of nectar other years. Ulmus T American Elm 2 4 no feral minor americana minor in Vaccinium most areas. corymbosum, no. Honey Strong Vaccinium amber and colonies may S Blueberry 5 6 cultivated angustifolium, of good store 50-90 Vaccinium flavor. pounds of pennsylvanicum surplus from it.[2] Viburnum S Black haw[3] 5 6 prunifolium cultivated, T Redbud 4 4 no minor ornamental https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 6 of 20 Flowers, crops, herbs and grasses Begin End Plant Common Monofloral Source for Latin name Bloom Bloom Availability type name honey honey bees Month Month Agstache F Anise hyssop[3] 7 10 no feral minor foeniculum Blue bugle, Bugleherb, Bugleweed, F Ajuga reptans 5 5 Carpetweed, Common bugle[3] Allium F Chives [3] 5 9 no cultivated minor schoenoprasum C, F Garlic chives Allium tuberosa 8 9 no cultivated minor Amorpha F Leadwort 6 7 no feral minor fruticosa feral All species are major 120 - great for 250 pounds honeybees. honey, Nectar is so depending on soil and if Asclepias abundant that F Milkweed [4][5] 7 8 good spp. 55 species it is possible to shake the fertilization blossom and Asclepias actually see syriaca has the nectar the highest https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 7 of 20 fall. honey yield. Butterfly Asclepias F 7 8 no feral minor Weed[3] tuberosa Asparagus C Asparagus 5 6 no cultivated minor officinalis F Milk Vetch Astragalus spp. 5 6 no feral minor usually mixed with feral, F Aster Aster spp. 8 10 major[3] goldenrod ornamental [2] minor, but can be major on cultivated area 200 Borago feral, F Borage[3] 6 10 no pounds officinalis ornamental honey per acre; 60-160 pounds pollen Brassica arvenisi (L.); C, F Mustard[5] 4 5 no? cultivated minor? Brassica campestris Brassica napus yes, see Oilseed Rape C L., Brassica 5 6 Monofloral cultivated major (Canola) [3] rapa honey Calendula F Marigold 6 9 no ornamental minor officinalis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 8 of 20 Carduus light honey F Canada thistle arvensis of good quality [2] Centaurea F Thistle 7 9 no feral minor spp. Centaurea F Mountain Bluet Montana 5 5 no?? feral major (Knapweed) feral (invasive F Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense 7 9 in North America) Sweet Autumn Clematis F 9 9 ornamental minor Clematis terniflora Clethra Clethra F Summersweet 7 8 no feral minor alnifolia [3] no; Honey is pale yellow or C, F Cucumber 6 9 cultivated minor amber with strong flavor.[2] C Melon 6 10 no cultivated minor Cucurbita C Pumpkin 6 10 no cultivated minor pepo Daucus C, F Wild Carrot 8 9 no feral minor carota Doronicum F Leopardsbane 4 5 no feral minor cordatum https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 9 of 20 Iberis F Candytuft[3] 5 5 sempervirens feral In California, spring blooming plant with repeat bloom. Fall bloom provides nectar for bees for overwintering. The most unusual feature of Echium vulgare is the protection of the nectar inside the flower from vaporization (when it’s hot) or flushing away (when it rains). It is why almost for 2 months this plant is a https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 10 of 20 stable source of nectar for bees. Additionally this plant Echium major 300 - produces vulgare 1,000 pounds nectar Echium vulgare honey/acre Viper's Bugloss, throughout is most widely depending on F Blue thistle, 6 8 no the day unlike known, though soil. 500- Blue weed [3] most plants there are about 2000 lbs of which 60 additional dark blue produce species. pollen. nectar for a short period of time. If the bees have a good access to Echium they can collect between 12- 20 lbs of nectar a day. The concentration of sugars in the nectar vary 22.6- 48.3% depending on the quality of https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_American_nectar_sources_for_honey_bees 7/21/16, 10:40 PM Page 11 of 20 the soil, and not on the amount of rain. The honey is light amber in color and very fragrant with a pleasant taste, and does not crystallize for 9–15 months.[6] F Globe Thistle Echinops ritro 8 8 feral major Epilobium F Fireweed 6 9 yes feral major angustifolium Erica vulgaris, see 100 - 200 F Heather though many Monofloral pounds varieties honey honey Eutrochium spp.