Bee Friendly A planting guide for European honeybees and Australian native pollinators by Mark Leech From the backyard to the farm, the time to plant is now! Front and back cover photo: honeybee foraging on zinnia Photo: Kathy Keatley Garvey Bee Friendly A planting guide for European honeybees and Australian native pollinators by Mark Leech i Acacia acuminata © 2012 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation All rights reserved. ISBN 978 1 74254 369 7 ISSN 1440-6845 Bee Friendly: a planting guide for European honeybees and Australian native pollinators Publication no. 12/014 Project no. PRJ-005179 The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the Rural Industries RDC Publications Unit— telephone 02 6271 4160. In submitting this report, the researcher has agreed to RIRDC publishing this material in its edited form. Note: Plants listed as weeds should not be planted. Your local nursery can provide you with advice as to whether a plant is a listed weed. Researcher contact details RIRDC contact details Mark Leech Rural Industries Research 14 Belhaven Crescent and Development Corporation LAUNCESTON TAS 7250 Level 2, 15 National Circuit Email: [email protected] BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6271 4100 Fax: 02 6271 4199 Email: [email protected] Web: www.rirdc.gov.au Published by RIRDC in December 2012 Electronic bookshop: www.rirdc.gov.au, or phone 1300 634 313 Printed by Union Offset Printing, Canberra Designed and typeset by Cecile Ferguson Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Edited by Chris Pirie, Canberra ii Banksia spinulosa Foreword The Australian honeybee industry provides essential benefits to the agricultural and horticultural sector through managed and incidental pollination services. Urban environments also benefit from the activities of honeybees. Planting bee forage for honeybee nutrition can offer major benefits to the industry and to society. However, listed weeds should not be planted. Local nurseries will provide advice about which plants are listed as weeds in your area. This planting guide for bee forage is particularly timely as there is increasing public concern for the wellbeing and survival of global honeybee populations following the reported colony collapse disorder in the United States and Europe, and the threat to the Australian industry of the destructive varroa mite. This guide to planting choices from the backyard to the bush, right across the nation, will assist with increasing the available bee food. Australia’s flora is varied, with often highly productive trees and understorey plants that are well suited to the needs of the Australian honeybee industry. There is, however, uncertainty about the long-term availability and security of the existing natural resource. Dramatic changes in availability have come from land clearing, wildfire, agricultural practices and the change in land tenure from active management to conservation and the potential exclusion of honeybees. The existing resource is significant but decreasing in available area, so planting bee forage to offset major land use change and secure the food base for pollinators is a national concern. Individuals, gardeners, municipalities, government land management authorities and farmers can make a difference. Perennial pastures for semi-arid lands, biofuel plantations, carbon farming, biodiverse planting and revisiting existing plantation development can all deliver significant regional benefits. This guide gives some ideas and choices of species to bring about improved outcomes for honeybees and the Australian pollen- and nectar-using fauna, including mammals, insects and birds. This research investment was funded from industry revenue matched by funds provided by the Australian Government; the resulting guide is an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 2200 research publications. It forms part of our Honeybee R&D program, which aims to improve the productivity, profitability and biosecurity of the Australian beekeeping industry. Most of RIRDC’s publications are available for viewing, free downloading or purchasing online at www.rirdc.gov.au. Purchases can also be made by phoning 1300 634 313. Craig Burns Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii Acacia aneura Acknowledgments This work was made possible by the generous support of many people in Australia and overseas who willingly gave their time and provided information, images and advice. I thank Dave Alden, Helen Moffett and Cecile Ferguson of RIRDC for their support and patience and RIRDC for funding the project. A special thank you to Dean Nicolle who generously gave his time and images from his photographic collection; Linda and Rob Manning for their help with the Western Australian selection and images and their wealth of knowledge; Chris Moore for answering many questions about species and species locations; and Kim Flottum for the pre-publication version of the stationary beekeeping chapter of his latest book, Better Bee Keeping. Beekeepers and researchers who contributed either in writing or in conversation include Elwyn Papworth, Lynton Briggs, Ian Stephens, Julian Wolfhagen, Hedley Hoskinson, Peter Norris, Yves Ginat, Miles Kean, Roland Heese, Ian Hewitt, Lindsay and Yeonsoon Bourke, Louis van der Woude, Paul Heathmont, Lyndon Fenlon, Chris Strudwick, Gavin Jamieson, Stan Glowacki, Deidre Farrell, Rod Marti, Maurice Damon, Allan Vassey, Robert Dewar, Leigh Duffield, Ian Zadow, Martin and Lorraine Gilbert, Keith Gibbs, Tim Malfroy, Kieran Sunderland, Kevin Bingley, Bruce White, Doug Purdie, George and Charis Schwarz, Warren Jones, Linda and Rob Manning, Jason Emms, Dean Revell, Daniel Real and Michael Castley; from Israel, David Brand, Dan Eisikowitch and Arnon Dag; from Greece, Katarina Karatasou; from the United States, Eric Mussen, Kathy Kellison, James Tew, Deborah Hill, Kim Flottum, Marla Spivak, Tom Webster, Tammy Horn, Richard Underhill, John Wackman, Tim Wendell and Don Fowler. Images were generously lent by many. Many thanks to Dean Nicolle, Linda and Rob Manning, Des Cannon, Jason Emms, Dean Revell, Stephanie Haslam, Forest Products Corporation WA, Lesley Brooker, Jennifer Young, Joan Overeem, Barrie Oldfield, Ray Jones, Ross Flint, Philip Maher, Grevilleas.com, Kimberley Environmental Horticulture, Suzanne Pritchard, John Elliott, Paul Heathmont, Lyndon Fenlon, Patricia Gardner, Patricia Maher, Australian Desert Limes, Rus Glover, Brian Walters, Jamie McIlwraith, Terry Simms, Dan Eisikovich, Yanoton Matalon, Kathy Keatley Garvey, Kathy Kellison, Zachary Huang, Christopher Bailey, Fairmont Hotels and Mike Campbell. The front and back cover images of a honeybee foraging on zinnia were taken by Kathy Keatley Garvey. Special thanks to my wife, Susanne, who persevered with my long hours and bee passion and helped with critique and proofreading, to my daughter Esther, for species work and the tedium of references, and to my daughter Sarah, for proofreading the Rural chapter. Mark Leech iv Basil Contents Foreword iii Acknowledgments iv Contents v About this book 1 Urban sites: general 9 Cities as apiary sites 9 Available land 14 Design principles 16 The value of trees and urban vegetation 16 Where to now? 17 Domestic gardens 19 Bee garden design criteria 20 Garden preparation 22 Plant selection 23 Floral calendar 23 Garden species selection 25 Cool climate garden species 25 Temperate climate garden species 39 Warm/humid climate garden species 53 Hot/arid climate garden species 67 Streetscapes 81 The value of street trees and other plants 81 Street tree selection 82 Native, exotic or both? 84 Bees in the Streetscape 84 Streetscape species 87 Cool climate streetscape species 87 Temperate climate streetscape species 101 Warm/humid climate streetscape species 117 Hot/arid climate streetscape species 131 v Celosia Urban open spaces 145 Urban open spaces species 149 Cool climate urban open spaces species 149 Temperate climate urban open spaces species 163 Warm/humid climate urban open spaces species 179 Hot/arid climate urban open spaces species 193 Rural areas 209 Planting design 211 Native forests 211 Shelter 212 Traditional plantations 213 Grazing systems 215 Rural