Northern pollen sources for honeybees

The pollen 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 pollen is a calculation of the growing degree days.

The color of pollen below indicates the color as it appears when the pollen arrives at the beehive. Bees mix dry pollen with nectar and/or honey to compact the pollen in the pollen basket. Dry pollen, is a food source for bees, which contains 16 - 30% protein, 1 - 10% fat, 1 - 7% starch, many vitamins, but little sugar. The protein source needed for rearing one worker bee from larval to adult stage requires approximately 120 to 145 mg of pollen. An average bee colony will collect about 20 to 57 kg (44 to 125 pounds) of pollen a year.

Source: THE R-VALUES OF HONEY: POLLEN COEFFICIENT accessed Feb 2005

Spring

Trees and shrubs

Flowers and annual crop plants

Summer

Trees and shrubs

Linden (Tilia spp.), Jun - Jul

Basswood or American Linden (Tilia americana), Jun - Jul (yellow to light orange)

Sumac, (Rhus glabra), Jun - Jul

Catalpa (Catalpa speciosa), Jun - Jul

Elder (Sambucus canadensis), Jun - Jul

Flowers and annual crop plants

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), July - Aug (greyish yellow)

Alyssum (Lobularia maritima), Jun - Sep

Aster, (Aster spp.), Sep-Frost (reddish yellow)

Land-in-blue, (Aster x dumosus), Aug - Sep

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Blue Thistle (Carduus spp.)

Blue vine (Gonolobus laevis syn. Cynanchum laeve)

Borage (Borago officinalis), Jun - Frost

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), Jul - Aug (light yellow to light green) good source

Cat-tail, (Typha latifolia), Jun - Jul

Chickweed (Stellaria media), Apr - Jul; minor source

Allium (Allium spp.)

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), May - Sep

Onion (Allium cepa) (light olive)

Garlic chives (Allium tuberosa), Aug - Sep

Clover (Melilotus spp. and Trifolium spp.), May - Aug

White Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba)

Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)

Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridum) (yellow brown) good source

Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) (dark brown)

White Clover (Trifolium repens), Jun - Jul (yellow brown); good source

Cucumber (Cucumis spp.) (bright yellow)

Melons (Cucumis melo), Jun-Frost (bright yellow)

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepto), Jun-Frost (bright yellow)

Common vetch (Vicia cracca), Jul - Aug

Spring Vetch (Vicia sativa), Jul - Aug

Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), Jul -Aug, (blue)

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys), Jul - Aug

Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium spp.), Aug - Sep

Leadwort syn. Indigobush (Amorpha fruticosa), Jun - Jul

Mallow (Malva alcea) Jun - Sep

Marigold (Calendula officinalis), Jun - Sep

Smartweed (Polygonum spp.), Aug - Sep

Poppy (Papaver somniverum) May - Jun (grey); very good source

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus), Jun - Sep (golden)

Sweet Corn (Zea mays), Jun - Jul (yellowish white)

Star thistle (Centaurea spp.), Jul - Sep

Knapweed (Centaurea nigra), (very light olive)

Fall

Trees and shrubs

Flowers and annual crop plants

Aster, (Aster spp.), Sep-Frost (reddish yellow)

Borage (Borago officinalis), Jun - Frost

Hemp (Cannabis sativa), Aug (yellow green) good source

Goldenrod, (Solidago spp.), Sep - Oct (golden)

Melons (Cucumis melo), Jun-Frost

Pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo), Jun-Frost

Source: Bienenweide Arbeitsblatt 207, Bieneninstitut Kirchhain, 2001

See also

• Nectar source
• forage (honeybee)

Sources:

• Some Ohio Nectar and Pollen Producing Plants Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, 2000, Dr. James Tew
• Honey Plants Flowering Plants/Trees Dana Stahlman, 2004
• The pollen loads of the honeybee, Dorothy Hodges, Bee Research Association Limited, London, 1952