Chapter I: Foreword (1)

In the first volume of American Bee Journal, published in 1861, appears a plea for the publication of a volume devoted to the honey flora of America. In numerous instances since that time, writers have mentioned the great need of a work of this kind. In common with other students of beekeeping, the author came to feel this lack in our beekeeping literature. This book is an attempt to fill that need. It is to be expected that the first work on this great subject will overlook many things which should have been included and that numerous errors should creep in. In an attempt to gather the desired material, the author has visited the important beekeeping regions from the Atlantic Coast to California and from Canada to Florida and Texas. Careful notes have been made of the honey plants of each section as indicated by the many beekeepers with whom the author has come in contact. To this multitude of beekeepers who have thus assisted by furnishing notes of this kind the author is greatly indebted.

The literature of beekeeping has been carefully examined for references to honey plants, and hundreds of quotations appear in the text. The few bulletins which have appeared on the subject have been quoted freely, as well as similar material appearing in the bee magazines.

The illustrations are for the most part from the author’s original photographs, although a number have been borrowed from the American Bee Journal, which appeared in that publication, from John H. Lovell, Homer Mathewson, J. M. Buchanan, M. C. Richter, C. D. Stuart, Florida Photographic Concern, Wesley Foster, W. A. Pryal, and some others, the identity of the originator of which are lost.

Since most of the readers of this book will be men who are not accustomed to botanical classification, it has been thought best to treat each plant under the name by which it is most widely known, giving other names as cross references, and to treat all in alphabetical order. Numerous related subjects which seemed to have a place in a book of this kind, such as nectar and nectar secretion, poisonous honey, propolis, pollination, weather and honey production, etc., have been likewise included in proper alphabetical order.

No one is likely to be more conscious of the shortcomings of the volume than is the author. As it is his hope to expand the scope of the work in a later edition, he will be grateful for notes on additions and corrections from all parts of America.

FRANK C. PELLETT.

Hamilton, Ill.
November 18, 1919.

AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS

The late Prof. A. J. Cook estimated that there are nearly eighteen hundred species of plants on which bees work in America. Most of these are minor sources, which the bees visit incidentally for the minute quantity of nectar that may be available, or for pollen. There are some plants rich in nectar which can never be important to the beekeeper because they are not sufficiently plentiful.

Honey production, as a business enterprise, is dependent upon a few species which yield nectar abundantly and which are sufficiently common to enable the bees to secure honey in large quantity. In order to make the most of his business, the beekeeper should have a thorough knowledge of the honey plants in all the country surrounding his apiaries. It often happens that a distance of but a few miles makes a great difference with the available honey sources. Many a man by moving an apiary a few miles has greatly increased the yield. It sometimes happens that the plant which is the main dependence will fail, and that by moving to some other source, a crop may be harvested. To know fully the honey plants of his region, their time of blooming and habit of nectar secretion under his particular conditions, is of fundamental importance to the man who would succeed as a beekeeper.

In many places the presence or absence of a single plant determines whether or not beekeeping is worth while. Over a large portion of the Middle West, the beekeepers depend almost entirely upon white clover for surplus, and in seasons when this plant fails they get no honey to sell.

Likewise, in many localities in the irrigated regions of the Rocky Mountain States, when alfalfa fails to yield, there is no surplus honey. Yet in all these sections, beekeeping would be impossible if there were no other plants. There are localities where tremendous honeyflows occur for a short period of time, where beekeeping is not practical because there is insufficient forage to support the bees the rest of the year. In such places beekeepers often take advantage of the flows by moving the bees away as soon as the plants cease to yield nectar, and returning them the following year at blooming time. This applies to some parts of the valley of the Appalachicola River in Florida. While the flow from Tupelo is sometimes remarkable, there is a shortage of pollen throughout the summer months.

The ideal situation for beekeeping is one where there are at least three plants which yield surplus honey in considerable quantity, and which bloom at different periods. Beside the main sources, there should be a great variety of minor plants yielding both pollen and honey throughout the season to support the bees between the main flows. In such a situation, there is seldom an entire failure of the honey crop; and, in good years, the beekeeper fares well, indeed.

There are many localities where the bees suffer seriously for lack of pollen at some seasons of the year. An available source of pollen is second only in importance to an abundant honeyflow. This being the case, the plants which are generally regarded as valuable for pollen, especially those blooming at seasons when pollen is not abundant generally, are included in this book.

HONEY PLANT REGIONS

Several attempts have been made to outline the principal regions of the United States. A careful examination of all these outlines brings out serious discrepancies. There are too many small regions within larger ones to permit of anything like accuracy with the present data and the present knowledge of the honey plants. In general, white clover may be said to be the principal honey plant of all the region from Nova Scotia west to eastern Dakota and south to Tennessee and Arkansas. Yet within that large area, there are many places where white clover is unimportant, and where other plants furnish the principal surplus. In much of Michigan white clover is of first importance, yet in the cut-over districts of the northern part of the State, raspberry, fireweed and milkweed furnish nearly all the honey that goes to market. It is good clover territory, and with the ultimate development of the region, clover will predominate.

In the irrigated regions of the Rocky Mountain States, alfalfa is the principal source of surplus, but sweet clover is rapidly crowding it for first place.

Basswood was once a very important source of honey over all the Northeastern States. The cutting of the basswood forests has gradually reduced the basswood area until there are now few localities, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois or Iowa, where it is really an important honey source. In parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario, basswood is still sufficiently plentiful to yield large quantities of honey, but there it is being rapidly reduced.

In the cotton belt, where cotton would naturally be expected to be the principal source, the area would be divided into many small regions. Cotton may yield much honey in a locality where the soil is heavy and rich, while a few miles distant, where soils are light and sandy, there is little honey from cotton, although the plant is just as commonly cultivated. In the cotton region there would be a great many sub-divisions. In parts of Texas, mesquite is the principal source, in others catsclaw and huajilla (wa-he-ya), while in eastern Texas basswood yields heavily. Buckwheat is important principally in the region about the Great Lakes and south in the higher elevations to Virginia and Tennessee. Goldenrod is one of the most important sources of nectar in New England, while it is seldom of much value west of the Mississippi River, although growing abundantly.

In California and Florida there are several entirely different regions within the State. There is no one plant of major importance over all parts of either State. A large amount of work still remains to be done before the honey resources of America can be mapped out with anything like accuracy. Changing conditions are rapidly removing one plant and substituting another in many sections. When the author visited west Texas he was told by the beekeepers there that the clearing of the land and planting it to cultivated crops was rapidly curtailing the bee range, as no cultivated crops being planted were equal to the desert flora which was being removed.

In other sections, the planting of forage crops which are good sources of nectar, like alfalfa and sweet clover, is greatly increasing the available bee pasturage. In parts of California, the extensive growing of garden seeds is providing pasture sufficient for producing surplus honey of a kind seldom heard of in the markets a few years ago. Parsnip and celery honey are examples.

THE MINOR PLANTS

Although only a few dozen plants are important sources of surplus honey, there are hundreds of minor plants which are of value for the support they give the bees when no major plant is in bloom. The number and variety of these plants will largely determine the value of the locality, and whether it will be necessary for the beekeeper to resort to migratory beekeeping at times.

Catnip is famous as a bee plant, yet it is doubtful whether a single pound of catnip honey was ever stored in America, unmixed with honey from other sources. If catnip could be grown in large fields like clover, it is probable that catnip honey would appear in the markets.

If the beekeeper is familiar with the minor plants, he will often be able to locate outyards where the bees will be able to gather enough nectar from such sources to keep his colonies in the best possible condition for the surplus flows. It is a well-known fact that it is only the big colonies which produce large crops of surplus honey. A little nectar coming to the hive for some time in advance of the main flow, is the best possible stimulant for brood rearing. It often happens that bees will be poorly prepared for the harvest in one yard, while others only two or three miles distant will be in the best possible condition, because of the presence of some minor plants not within reach of the first.

A

ACACIA.

The acacias are shrubs or small trees which are widely distributed throughout the warmer portions of the world. There are said to be 450 species, of which nearly 300 are native to Australia and Polynesia. We also find reference to them in India, Africa and South America. The different species are known by various local names. In Europe some are known as mimosa trees. As sources of honey they are important in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California.

The sweet acacia (=Acacia farnesiana=), in Texas called huisache, is found along the gulf coast in Alabama and as far east as South Carolina. In Texas the huajilla (=Acacia berlandiera=), is an important source of nectar. In fact, according to the Texas bulletin on honey plants, it is the main source in southwest Texas. It grows abundantly on dry and rocky hills which often are not suited to growing agricultural crops. The honey is white and of fine quality.

The catsclaw, or paradise flower (=Acacia greggii=), is another very important source of honey in the southwest. It is one of the principal sources of dependence in Texas, where it is reported as yielding in April. Arizona reports a later yield, blooming here in May and June. Like the huajilla, the honey is light colored and of very fine quality.

Figure 4 shows the black wattle of California (=A. decurrens mollis=), which is largely grown as an ornamental in the gardens and along the roadsides of that State. It blooms from February to June and produces some honey and an abundance of pollen. Fig. 3 is the Sydney golden wattle (=Acacia longifolia=), another widely-grown California shrub. A third California species, =A. melanoxylon=, is shown at Fig. 2.

The huisache (=A. farnesiana=), Fig. 1, already mentioned, is a common plant in south Texas, from San Antonio to the lower Rio Grande valley. It is of special importance for early pollen, though Scholl reports it as yielding honey also.

The huajilla (pronounced “wa-he-ya”) grows abundantly over a wide territory in southwest Texas and, as it requires but a small amount of moisture, makes beekeeping profitable where it would otherwise be a precarious business. Large quantities of white honey of mild flavor and fine quality are stored from this source. In a journey of several hundred miles among the beekeepers of Texas, the author found this plant, together with catsclaw and mesquite, to be the principal source of surplus south and west of San Antonio. Various sources were reported, but in nearly every case these three plants were mentioned as heading the list. Huajilla ranks high in both quantity and quality of nectar produced.

The catsclaw (=Acacia greggii=), known in some localities as paradise flower or devil’s claw, is a low spreading, bushy shrub or small tree with curved thorns, hence the name, “catsclaw.” This is a close rival of huajilla for first place as the source of white honey in much of southwest Texas. The far-famed Uvalde honey is largely huajilla and catsclaw. In many places the yield of surplus honey is being reduced through the clearing of the land for farming purposes. Both these plants grow in very dry sections, on land which until recently was thought to be of little value for any purpose without irrigation.

Scholl lists the round-flowered catsclaw (=Acacia roemeriana Schlect=) as a heavy yielder of honey of good quality, but plants are not abundant. He also lists =Acacia amentacea= as a source of pollen and some honey, but not in sufficient quantity to be important.

ACER, see Maple.

ADAM’S NEEDLE, see Yucca.

AESCULUS, see Buckeye.

AGARITES, see Barberry.

AGAVE, see Century Plant.

ALABAMA--Honey Sources of.

There is a large district in Alabama where sweet clover is the principal source of surplus honey. In this region good crops are the rule, since it yields from early June till late in August. In addition, rattan, tulip-poplar, black gum, hawthorne, field peas, privet, locust, redbud, cotton, bitterweed, asters and occasionally white clover, yield honey. There is the usual spring stimulation from fruit blossoms and willows in Alabama and a large number of minor sources which add something to the total yield, but which alone are unimportant.

ALASKA--Honey Sources of.

By the accounts given in Bancroft’s History of Alaska and in translations made for me by Rev. George Kotteometinoff from the records of the Orthodox Russo-Greek Church at Sitka, the honeybee was first introduced into Alaska in 1809 by a monk named Cherepenin. These bees came from the Department of Kazan, in Siberia, and were brought that honey might be added to the scanty food supply of the pioneer teachers of the Faith as well as to supply the candles for the church services. By decree of Church, only beeswax candles can be used, and it is recorded that at Sitka, in 1816, no services could be held for six months because the supply of wax ran out. As early as 1819 apiculture was taught in the church school and was continued up to 1894. It would appear that the bees never flourished and seldom swarmed. There are a number of records of new importations to take the place of dead colonies. Very early a white clover was introduced to help out the honey supply. About 1830 bees were taken from Sitka to Fort Ross in California. As late as 1905 there were about 30 colonies at the Russian school at Sitka. These bees were in straw skeps and were kept on shelves under the eaves of the house. In winter they were kept within the same projecting eaves. In 1906 the Experiment Farm at Sitka made an unsuccessful attempt to keep bees in Langstroth hives. It is not probable that beekeeping will ever be a commercial project in Alaska. References to beekeeping at Sitka by Dr. Sheldon Jackson are to be found in the Report on Education in Alaska, Bureau of Education. Prof. C. C. Georgeson, in the reports on work done at the Experiment Station in Alaska also mentions beekeeping. Bees were observed collecting nectar and pollen from plants given below during the years 1905 to 1912. It should be observed that a majority of these plants have pendulous flowers. In a climate such as at Sitka, where the normal precipitation is 120 inches, only pendulous flowers could protect the nectar:

Willow (=Salix speciosa=).
Crab Apple (=Pyrus rivularis=).
Salmon Berry (=Rubus spectabilis=).
Salmon Berry (=Rubus nutkonus noctino=).
Cloud Berry (=Rubus Chamaemorus=).
Nahgoon Berry (=Rubus stellatin=).
Wild Red Raspberry (=Rubus strigosus=).
Blue Berries (=Vaccinium uliginosum=).
Blue Berries (=Vaccinium ovalifolium=).
Blue Berries (=Vaccinium vitis Idaea=).
Seaside Portulaca (=Claytonia sp.=).
White Clover (=Trifolium sp.=).
Wild Tansey (=Achillea borealis=).
Yellow Water Lily (=Nymphaca advena=).
Water Smart Weed (=Polygonum sp.=).
Elder (=Sambucus racemosa=).
Cow Parsnip (=Heracleum lanatum=).

--H. B. Parks.

ALBERTA--Honey Sources of.

In the southern part of the province alfalfa is of first importance. Fireweed, white clover and alsike are the chief sources elsewhere. Willows and maples stimulate early brood rearing and some honey is gathered from prairie flowers.--F. W. L. Sladen.

ALDER (Alnus).

The alders are a group of shrubs or trees common from New England and Canada west to Michigan and south to Texas. The bark is sometimes used for tanning and as a dyestuff, and to some extent in medicine. The blossoms appear early in spring, and are the source of an abundant supply of pollen at a season when it is often much needed by the bees.

ALFALFA (Medicago sativa).

Alfalfa is the most important honey plant west of the Missouri river. It is also the most valuable forage plant in the same region. Once established, a field of alfalfa continues to return valuable crops year after year. From two to five cuttings are secured each season, depending upon the available moisture and the length of the growing period. It thrives best in the irrigated regions with its roots in the rich soil supplied with abundant, but not excessive, moisture. It is an old-world plant which has contributed much to the prosperity of western farmers since its introduction to this country.

The honey from alfalfa varies in color and quality in different localities. In Colorado and Idaho it is of very light color and with a spicy, mild flavor of excellent quality. In the Imperial Valley of California it is much darker in color and of poorer quality. Alfalfa honey granulates readily, but is generally regarded as a high quality of honey. The tendency to early granulation makes it more desirable to market in the extracted state than in the sections.

The yield varies greatly, according to season, but the heaviest yields come when there is a vigorous growth of the plant. Where grown without irrigation a much greater variation in yield can be expected. In Nebraska and Kansas, alfalfa often yields good crops of nectar without irrigation, while east of the Missouri River it is seldom of much value to the beekeeper. The author had a small field of alfalfa in western Iowa for several years. Only one season did the bees pay much attention to it. That season was very wet in the early part of the summer, thus promoting a vigorous plant growth. Later the weather turned very hot and dry. Conditions similar to those of the irrigated sections of the west were approximated. The roots of the plants were supplied with an abundance of moisture, while the air was hot and dry. Under such conditions alfalfa is at its best as a honey producer.

Alfalfa is reported as the source of considerable surplus honey in northeastern Louisiana, which is the farthest east of any locality where it is important, with which the author is familiar. While it is largely grown as a field crop in parts of Iowa, Illinois, New York and other eastern States, beekeepers all report but little honey from it. It seldom yields to any extent in humid climates. Given sufficient moisture at the roots, the hotter and dryer the atmosphere, the better seems to be the yield of nectar. The conditions which most favor nectar secretion are also favorable to seed production.

Field Culture

Alfalfa is a long-lived plant and very deep-rooted. The long tap root penetrates deep into the soil, thus securing all available moisture and making the plant drought-resistant when once well established. The plant is very tender when young, and great care is necessary in the preparation of the soil when starting a new planting of this crop. The seed bed should be thoroughly stirred, all lumps fully pulverized, and the surface soil as smooth as an onion bed. It is important that the ground be prepared some time in advance of seeding and frequently stirred to start any weed seeds that may be present, and destroy them before the alfalfa is sowed. On old land it is advisable to prepare the seed bed in the spring and stir it at frequent intervals until August before sowing the alfalfa seed.

Alfalfa does not do well on sour land, or land that is wet or weed-infested. It does best on rich, well drained soil, well supplied with lime. Lime is essential, and if the soil is lacking in lime it must be supplied.

In many localities it is the practice to grow a crop of sweet clover in advance of seeding to alfalfa.

From seven to twenty pounds of seed are required per acre. If good seed is used and put in with a drill, ten to fifteen pounds should be ample.

In cutting alfalfa it is important that some care be used to select the proper time. When the new shoots are well started is usually regarded as the safest time, if the plant is cut for hay. The leaves constitute the greatest portion of the feeding value, and much care is necessary in handling the crop to avoid shattering.

In localities where the plant is grown for seed, a much longer blooming period results and the beekeeper profits accordingly. Where cut for hay, alfalfa loses much of its possible value through the cutting just when it is reaching its period of greatest nectar secretion.

Harry K. Hill, of Willows, California, states that he gets three distinct shades of pure alfalfa honey in the same year. The honey from first extracting is much darker than later extractings.--Western Honeybee, April, 1913.

ALFILARIA, see Pin Clover.

ALGAROBA, see Mesquite.

ALLIGATOR PEAR, see Red Bay.

ALLIUM, see Onion.

ALMOND (Prunus amygdalus).

The cultivated almond is closely related to the peach and is native to Southern Europe, where it has been grown for centuries for its nuts.

The tree is extremely early in its blooming period and more tender than the peach. It is grown in large orchards in parts of California, and to some extent in Arizona. It grows on higher and dryer lands than any other fruit trees in California. The tree will not thrive on wet lands.

Bees gather both honey and pollen from the flowers and in the almond belt of California it is of great value for early brood-rearing. There it blooms in February, and beekeepers sometimes move their bees from a distance to the almond orchards to build them up for the orange flow.

ALSIKE CLOVER (Trifolium hybridum). Hybrid or Swedish Clover.

Alsike clover is one of the very best honey plants of America. The beekeeper who lives within reach of large fields of this crop is fortunate, for there is no better honey, and under favorable conditions the crops harvested from alsike are such as to give little ground for dissatisfaction. Some beekeepers have estimated that alsike will produce 500 pounds of honey per acre in a good season.--American Bee Journal, page 409, 1886.

Alsike thrives on clay soil, or lands inclined to be wet, where the other clovers do not succeed. It is sown very generally in a meadow mixture with timothy or red-top. In localities where grown for seed there is a long period of bloom, which is greatly to the advantage of the beekeeper. It is good for either pasture or hay, and although by itself alsike does not yield as many tons of hay per acre as red clover, when mixed with red clover the two together make more and better hay than red clover does alone.

Alsike is intermediate in size between white and red clover. The blossom looks like that of white clover, except it has a pinkish tinge of color not found in the white clover. The stem is upright and branched and on land with sufficient moisture reaches a height of two feet or more.

While alsike will grow nearly everywhere that red clover will grow, it thrives best in the northern part of the country. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and New York all report alsike as especially valuable to the beekeeper.

The honey is white in color, mild in flavor and is regarded as one of the best for table use. At times the yield is very heavy. In American Bee Journal, Nov. 2, 1899, are given several instances of large yields from this source. In one case a single colony of bees gathered 72 pounds in four days, or 18 pounds per day. Another report was of 251 pounds in 21 days, or 25 pounds per day, from alsike.

In number two of the first volume of the “Review,” Editor Hutchinson states that ten colonies of bees gathered 300 pounds of extracted honey from alsike, with only two acres within reach. This, of course, takes no account of the honey consumed by the bees, but indicates that the yield is good for the acreage within reach. In the following number of the same journal an Ontario beekeeper reports that he had not known a failure from alsike in eight years.

See also Clover.

ALTHEA, see Hollyhock.

ANDROMEDA.

“Andromeda (a scraggy shrub of the heath family) blooms in the central northwestern part of Florida for about four weeks in March and early April; yielding but little, three years out of four. The honey, too, is reddish yellow, thick and pungent, not very valuable as a surplus honey plant.”--E. G. Baldwin, Gleanings, March 15, 1911.

AMERICAN ALOE, see Century Plant.

AMERICAN CRAB APPLE, see Crab Apple.

AMERICAN IVY, see Virginia Creeper.

ANAQUA, see Knockaway.

ANGLEPOD, see Bluevine.

APPLE (Malus).

America’s best and most widely used fruit is the apple. It is a native of Asia, but as a cultivated fruit is grown in most of the temperate regions of the world. Hundreds of varieties have been developed by plant breeders until there are few horticulturists who are familiar with them all. They range in size from the small cultivated crab-apples not more than an inch in diameter to the big Wolf River, often five or more inches in diameter. Some varieties are hard and sour and suitable for little else than making cider, while others are of the finest quality.

There is no more beautiful sight than an orchard in bloom in spring. The blossoms secrete nectar freely and in favorable weather the bees fairly swarm over them. The honey is light amber in color and of good quality. The trees bloom so early that it is of greatest value to stimulate spring brood-rearing, though strong colonies easily store surplus when the weather is suitable for the bees to fly freely during the period of bloom. Large orchardists often offer inducements to beekeepers to locate near their orchards for the better pollination of the fruit blossoms which results from the presence of large numbers of bees. In orchard districts there is frequently complaint on the part of the beekeepers that the bees are killed by the application of poisonous spray while the trees are in bloom. When American beekeepers learn to winter their colonies in such a manner as to maintain a reasonable strength in early spring, surplus honey in quantity may be expected from the orchard districts in favorable seasons. The weather is often too wet or too cold for the bees to fly during apple blossom, and this condition the apiarist can never overcome.

APOCYNUM, see Dogbane.

APRICOT (Prunus armeniaca).

The apricot is a well known cultivated fruit, somewhat intermediate between the plum and peach. It blooms very early in spring and is valuable as a source of early nectar and pollen. It is grown in large acreage in some portions of California, where it is regarded as valuable, by the beekeepers.

ARBUTUS (Epigaea repens). Trailing Arbutus or Ground Laurel.

A trailing plant with evergreen leaves. The rose colored flowers, in small clusters, appear in early spring. They are fragrant and attractive to the bees. There is an occasional report to the effect that arbutus is valuable to the bees as a source of early nectar.

ARCTOSTAPHYLOS, see Manzanita.

ARIZONA BUCKTHORN, see Gum Elastic.

ARIZONA--Honey Sources of.

The sources of our honey are the desert flora and cultivated crops, chiefly alfalfa. A few of the principal producing plants and their seasons are as follows:

Time of Blooming.
Mesquite (=Prosopia velutina=) April-July
Screw Bean (=Prosopis pubescens=) April-July
Catsclaw (=Acacia greggii=) May-June
Acacia (=Acacia constricta=) June
Paloverde (=Parkinsonia torreyana=) May
Desert flora (=Miscellaneous=) Depending upon rainfall
Alfalfa (=Medicago sativa=) April-September

The wild honey plants, because of grazing animals and of wood-cutters, have greatly decreased within recent years. The area in alfalfa, on the other hand, is constantly increasing; but without a corresponding increase in honey-producing power. This is due to two principal causes: Farmers are now cutting alfalfa for hay at a much earlier stage in its growth than formerly, not allowing the plant to come into full bloom; and the alfalfa butterfly (=Colias eurytheme=), has so increased in numbers since 1895, that the honeyflow, which used to continue well into September, is now cut short in July. It is difficult to state the net effect of these changes upon the producing power of the country as a whole; but in Salt River Valley, under present conditions, judging from the shipments made during the last few years, our present irrigated areas, with adjoining desert tracts, are pretty fully stocked with bees. Other parts of the territory are as yet less thoroughly occupied.--R. H. Forbes, University of Arizona. “Timely Hints for Farmers,” No. 46.

ARKANSAS--Honey Sources of.

White clover is the source of some surplus in Arkansas, although it is too far south for such heavy yields as occur in the northern part of the range of this plant. Sweet clover is valuable in some localities. Tupelo, holly, blackgum, redbud, locust, tulip-poplar, blackberry, heartsease and asters are the important sources of nectar. Cotton yields in some sections of the State. Fruit bloom is valuable in spring, and where colonies are sufficiently strong some surplus may be expected.

ARTICHOKE, see Sunflower.

ASCLEPIAS, see Milkweed.

ASPARAGUS.

The garden asparagus is an introduced plant widely cultivated. It is very attractive to the bees and yields pollen plentifully. As a source of nectar it is unimportant.

ASH (Fraxinus).

There are more than twenty species of ash trees common to various sections of America. Some are well known timber trees, furnishing lumber for furniture and for interior finishing. The flowers are small, inconspicuous and of a greenish color. Their principal value to the beekeeper is as a source of pollen, although Richter lists the Oregon ash (=Fraxinus oregona=) as a source of honey also.

ASH LEAVED MAPLE, see Box Elder.

=ASPEN (Populus).= Poplar or Cottonwood.

There are several species of poplars. It is a widely distributed group, some species being found in most all sections of the country. They are important for pollen, though some honeydew is reported from them also. They thrive especially well on the low lands along streams and are the most common trees of the plains region from Dakota south to Oklahoma and western Texas. This group should not be confused with the tulip-poplar, which see.

ASTER.

The aster family is very widely distributed, being common in Europe, Asia and South Africa, as well as America. There are more than 200 recognized species, of which at least 125 are found in the United States. They are extremely common in the Eastern and Southern States, although some kinds are to be found in every State in the Union, and from Canada to Mexico. Every American beekeeper may be sure that his bees are within reach of at least one species of aster, and, in most localities, there are several species. Some species produce nectar much more abundantly than others, and it is probable that the flow from all kinds is more or less affected by soil or climatic conditions. So few beekeepers differentiate between the species that it is very difficult to secure satisfactory information regarding their comparative value.

Asters are very seldom mentioned as sources of nectar in the southwest. Yet twenty-one species are listed as occurring in New Mexico. They seem to be of importance principally in the Eastern States. There are numerous reports of honey from asters in the Southeastern States of Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, the amount of surplus increasing northward.

In most localities, the aster honey is mixed with that from goldenrod, and the two sources are usually spoken of together. In the September, 1917, issue of the American Bee Journal, appeared an extended article on goldenrods. Like the asters, they are of wide distribution, and, like them, they seem to produce nectar more abundantly in the moist climate of the Eastern States. Both bloom late in autumn, the crop often being cut short by frost.

According to Lovell, the asters are never common enough to yield a surplus in Maine, and the honey is always mixed with goldenrod.

As to the quality of the honey, there are many conflicting reports. Many reports are to the effect that the quality is poor and not suitable for table use. The fact that the honey is seldom unmixed with that of other fall flowers, may be responsible for this impression. C. P. Dadant had one year, in Illinois, a crop of about six barrels which was almost pure aster honey. This honey was secured late in the season, after other plants had ceased to yield, and was almost white, and of very fine quality.

There are numerous reports that a strong odor is apparent in the apiary when asters are yielding. We quote some of these:

“We had a fall flow from wild asters that filled the hives with
honey for wintering, and gave a few gallons of extracted honey. The
honey is of good color and weight, but rather strong for table use.
It also granulates very quickly. When the bees are gathering this
honey the hives give off a rank and somewhat sickening odor, which
can be detected for quite a distance away. * * * This odor disappears
as the honey ripens and the flow ceases, but the strong taste never
entirely disappears. It is as strong as basswood and not nearly so
pleasant.”--D. E. Andrews, Bloomington, Ind., page 98, American Bee
Journal, 1907.

“The odor is not unpleasant, but is very noticeable when the bees are
bringing much of it in, and it can be distinguished a considerable
distance from the hives. The amount of ‘smell’ is such a good
criterion as to the amount of honey that one can tell the quantity he
is getting from these indications alone.”--W. H. Reed, Herrodsburg,
Ky., page 228, Gleanings, 1911.

“In the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia, where I lived for fourteen
years, there were many acres of white aster. There were several years
when the bloom was in sheets, affording a good yield of surplus. The
honey was very light amber, of fine quality, and was considered next
to white clover. At such times a strong odor, which was distinctly
sour, could be noticed.”--Burdet Hassett. Page 257, Gleanings, 1911.

Much has been written concerning the danger of aster honey for winter stores. So many reports of disastrous results from wintering on aster honey have been published, that it is generally understood not to be safe for winter stores. However, it is probable that the trouble comes from honey gathered too late to be properly ripened, rather than because the honey is of poor quality. The fact that the honey granulates readily also probably accounts for the trouble in some cases.

In some localities, asters seem to be a dependable source of surplus, while in others they yield in appreciable quantity only in rare seasons. Kentucky seems to be in the heart of the territory where asters are important. The following are typical reports:

“We have never failed to get a good crop of surplus honey, and plenty
left for the bees, from aster for more than twenty years, till this
year.”--H. C. Clemons, Boyd, Ky. Page 90, Gleanings, 1909.

“In this section the asters are invaluable as fall forage for bees.
Let the season be cold or hot, we are certain to have a continuous
bloom from early in September until a really hard frost occurs. My
Italian bees have never failed to secure enough honey from aster to
carry them through the winter, even when there was hardly a pound
of honey in the hives at the end of August--Daniel M. Worthington,
Elkridge, Md., American Bee Journal, page 125, 1869.

“Blue aster (=Aster azureus=), known among farmers as blue devil, or
stickweed, in my judgment, is one of the best we have, from the fact
that it produces honey in the fall of the year. It is usually in full
bloom until about the middle of October, and if the weather is warm
enough for the bees to fly, they get plenty of honey to winter on
from this flower.”--West Virginia. Page 869, American Bee Journal,
1906.

It is probable that most of the species are of more or less value for honey under favorable conditions. The writer has seen bees working on arrow-leaf (=Aster sagittifolius=) on sunny days in Cass County, Iowa, the first week in November, after everything else had been killed by frost. Figure 13 shows this species, which occurs in dry, open woods, from New Brunswick to Ontario, and west to Dakota, and from New York to the Ohio valley, and along the mountains to Georgia and Alabama.

Generally speaking, the small-flowered species with willow-shaped leaves, are best for honey. =Aster tradescanti= is probably first in the list as a source of surplus. It is found from Ontario to Saskatchewan, and throughout the States east of the Mississippi, south to the Gulf States. =Aster salicifolius= is probably one of the best in Iowa and Illinois, being common on low ground.

In a private letter, F. W. L. Sladen writes concerning the asters in Canada, as follows:

“I have this year had confirmation that =Aster cordifolius= is a
useful source of surplus honey in favorable seasons in the Gatineau
valley in September. During a period of very fine weather between
September 11 and 22, a crop of 12,000 pounds of honey, principally
from this source, and from the late flowering species of goldenrod,
was obtained by Joseph Martineau, at Montcerf, Quebec, from 300
colonies. The honey was light amber color, and a pleasant flavor,
and not unwholesome for wintering, not granulating in the combs.
(See Experimental Farms report 1914-15, page 996). Other valuable
species of aster in Canada for honey production are =A. lateriflorus=
(Maritime provinces to Ontario); =Aster umbellatus= (Maritime
provinces to Eastern Manitoba), and =Aster puniceus=, Fig. 11
(Maritime provinces to Ontario).”--Ottawa, October 2, 1917.

=Aster puniceus=, the purple-stemmed aster, Fig. 11, is found from Nova Scotia to the Rocky Mountains and south to Northern Alabama. It is one of the most attractive of the asters, growing on wet land and in the borders of swamps. Lovell writes that in Maine he has seen the bees on this species in large numbers on September 17.

The white field aster, or frost flower (=Aster vimineus=), Fig. 10, is common from Eastern Canada to Minnesota, and south to Arkansas and Florida. It grows in dry, open fields, along roadsides, and in waste places. It is a late bloomer, belonging to the group of field asters which are important for nectar. Some other species, however, yield more freely.

The swamp aster (=Aster acuminatus=) occurs on wet land, but as far as available information goes is not valuable for honey.

The large-leaved =Aster macrophyllus=, Fig. 12, is a northern species, found in open woodlands. Graenicher observed ninety-five species of insects on the flowers of this species in Wisconsin, which indicates nectar in abundance in that State.

Several other species are known to produce nectar freely, =A. multiflorus=, =A. lateriflorus=, =A. dumosus=, =A. paniculatus= and =A. vimineus= being reported from various localities. =A. ericoides= is reported as valuable in Missouri.

“There is an abundance of =Aster ericoides= now in full bloom. The
bees are working on it more vigorously than they have on white clover
or any other bloom.”--George E. Wilkins, Wright County, Mo. Page 699,
American Bee Journal, 1904.

So far, we have been unable to find any records of surplus honey from asters west of the Missouri River.

ASTRAGALUS, see Loco Weed.

AZALEA (Rhododendron).

The azaleas are closely related to the mountain laurel and are likewise sometimes reported as poisonous. (See Laurel; also Poisonous Honey). The flame-colored azalea is common in the mountains of the Eastern States from Pennsylvania to Georgia. It has a profusion of showy, flame-colored blossoms coming just when the leaves appear. Probably several of the group yield nectar in quantity to be important wherever they are sufficiently plentiful.

B

BALLOON VINE (Cardiospermum halicacabum).

The balloon vine is a herbaceous climber with alternate leaves and clusters of small white flowers, followed by a three-celled inflated pod. This species is common along streams in south Texas. =C. molle=, a Mexican species, is also found to some extent in the mountains west of the Pecos River, according to Coulter.

Balloon vine is reported as the source of considerable honey in Texas. Scholl lists it is a fair yielder, but plants not abundant. Other reports indicate that it is the source of considerable surplus along the Gulf Coast of that State.

BALSAM APPLE, see Wild Cucumber.

BANANA (Musa sapientum).

Since the banana plant is little grown in the United States, it is seldom mentioned as a honey plant, yet it secretes nectar very abundantly, and in countries where bananas are grown on a large scale it must be important to the beekeeper. We are showing herewith two illustrations, one of the plant in fruit and one showing the opening of the bloom.

The following description of the possibilities of this plant is reprinted from page 83 of the American Bee Journal for 1880, and was written by a correspondent in Clifton Springs, Florida:

“Recently noticing bees working upon blossoms, I concluded to
examine them. To my surprise, I found that each blossom had a sack
on its under side, which contained several drops of nectar of the
consistency and sweetness of thin syrup. This sack gradually opens,
allowing the contents to escape, unless appropriated by some insect.
The blossom hangs in a position that rain cannot enter to dilute or
wash out the nectar. Procuring a teaspoon, I emptied into it the
contents of a dozen blossoms, which filled it full. Each stalk, on
good land, will produce a head having a hundred hands or divisions of
blossoms, and each hand averages six blossoms, giving 600 blossoms
to the stalk. Estimating 100 teaspoonfuls to the pint (88 of the one
used filled a pint measure) we have 50 spoonfuls, or half a pint to
the stalk. Planted in checks 8×8 feet, there will be 680 plants to
the acre, yielding, according to the above estimate, 42¹⁄₂ gallons
of nectar. But usually more than one stalk in a hill blossoms and
matures fruit annually. The blossoms used were below those that
produce fruit, which later, I am told, are much richer in honey.

“The first blossoms which open mature fruit. These vary in number
from 25 to 100, according to quality of land, cultivation, etc.
They sell here at from 1¹⁄₂ to 2 cents per finger or pod.
Estimating fruit at 25 fingers per bunch and the bunches at 25 cents
each--which, you see, is a low estimate for both, the result will be
a barrel of nectar, or $170 worth of fruit per acre. How does this
showing compare with other cultivated plants as combined honey and
money crop?”

BARBERRY (Berberis).

The common barberry, introduced from Europe, has become naturalized in the Northern States and occurs in thickets and woodlands from the Atlantic Coast to Iowa and southward. It blooms in May and June and is well known as an attractive plant to the bees, though seldom sufficiently abundant to be important. It is much cultivated for ornament.

In Texas, the triple-leaved barberry (=Berberis trifoliata=) is known as agarites, the Mexican name, and as wild currant. It is common over a large part of the southern portion of the State and is an important source of early nectar. It is a shrub 4 to 6 feet high, with stiff leaves and bright yellow flowers that grow in dense clusters along the stem. The red berries ripen in May and are often called currants. They are used for jelly or sauce, as well as for barberry wine. The plants are to be found in thickets, in open woodlands and along roadsides, in fence corners and other waste places where the seeds have been scattered by birds.

“As a honey plant it is one of much value to me. It blooms here early
in February, and the bloom continues for several weeks, some bushes
blooming later than others. The pollen yield is abundant, bright
yellow in color. It is the second bloomer of the year on my list of
Texas honey plants, coming after mistletoe and before our main fruit
bloom.”--Louis Scholl, Gleanings, Feb., 1907.

Richter reports the California barberry (=Berberis pinnata=) yields surplus in Monterey County after manzanita has bloomed. The honey is amber in color. The plant is rather common from Berkely Hills south to Monterey, blooming in March and April, according to Jepson. (See also Oregon grape).

BARNABY’S THISTLE, see Star Thistle.

BASIL or MOUNTAIN MINT (Pycananthemum virginianum).

Basil is common from New England to the Missouri River and southward. There are numerous reports from beekeepers to the effect that bees work upon it very eagerly from morning till night. It is probably nowhere of much importance, though it would be if sufficiently common.

BASSWOOD (Tilia americana).

The basswood, also known as linden, whitewood, and sometimes as limetree, is one of the best known sources of honey in the Eastern States. There are other species closely related which also produce nectar, and which, perhaps, would not be distinguished by the casual observer. The natural range of the basswood is from Canada to Florida and west to Nebraska and Texas. It is also grown as a shade tree in other Western States and is mentioned by Richter in the bulletin on “Honey Plants of California,” as an introduced species of value. Fig. 18 shows the trees in bloom, and Fig. 19 a close view of the blossom and leaf.

The tree thrives on rich lands, and in the cooler regions of the country reaches a large size. The wood is soft and white and much in demand for making sections, separators and other bee supplies requiring a soft wood cut in thin sheets. For such purposes basswood has no superior. The wood is also sought for use in the manufacture of furniture, packing boxes, etc.; as well as for paper making.

The blooming period is short, seldom yielding to exceed ten days or two weeks, and often for a much shorter period. The honeyflows from basswood are irregular and only to be depended upon about two or three years out of every five. A heavy flow from this source occurs only occasionally, but when it does come it is worth waiting for, for enormous yields are sometimes secured. The honey is white in color, with rather a strong flavor, but is usually regarded as high quality. Good basswood locations are no longer plentiful, as the cutting of the forests over the entire country has resulted in a large reduction of this along with other trees.

The European linden (=Tilia europaea=) has been planted in many places and, according to Sladen, is the source of surplus honey at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

BASTARD-PENNYROYAL, see Blue Curls.

BATCHELOR’S BUTTON, see Centaurea.

BAY, see Magnolia.

BEAN (Phaseolus).

There are two varieties of the garden bean which are the source of nectar in quantity. Surplus honey from beans is seldom reported except in Southern California. Ventura County is said to produce as high as 72 per cent of the lima beans raised in the entire United States; 800,000 sacks is the reported output for 1910. The honey from lima beans is almost water white in color and of fine flavor, according to M. H. Mendleson, of Ventura, California, who has produced many tons of this honey. The black-eyed beans yield a dark amber honey, but of good quality. A peculiarity of honey from lima beans is that it will sometimes sweat and ferment when left too long on the hives of weak colonies, near the coast. This, according to Mendleson, seldom happens with strong colonies, nor does it happen in any case in the interior. Honey from beans granulates very readily.

The honeyflow from beans is regarded as very dependable. Occasionally the blossoms are blasted by hot east winds, but not frequently. In Ventura County the average from this source is reported as 50 pounds per colony per year, with as high as 140 pounds in an exceptional season. The beans bloom through a long season, beginning in July and continuing till September, with the principal crop of nectar harvested in July. The bloom is prolonged by irrigation.

The principal counties of California where beans are important are: Ventura, Orange, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego.

BEARBERRY, see Manzanita.

BEAVER TREE, see Magnolia.

BEE BALM (Melissa officinalis).

A sweet perennial herb, cultivated in gardens, from Southern Europe and North Africa. Sometimes escaped; flowers yellow or whitish, several in each auxiliary cluster. Plant erect and branching, with broad opposite leaves. Attractive to the bees, but not sufficiently abundant to be important.

BEECH (Fagus grandifolia).

The beech is a large tree common to Eastern America. It is known from Nova Scotia to Ontario and southward, sometimes in extensive forests. Its principal value to the beekeeper is as a source of pollen, though honeydew is sometimes secured from the leaves.

BEEWEED, see Rocky Mountain Bee Plant.

BEGGAR TICK, see Spanish Needle.

BINDWEED (Polygonum convolvulus).

The black bindweed is a common weed throughout the Eastern States. It is of European origin, introduced into this country. It belongs to a family of plants which produce honey in quantity, but, is itself, of little value. The first indication that reached the author that this plant was sometimes of value to the bees, was the receipt of a specimen, by mail, with the information that the bees were working upon it. Careful watch was then kept for several years, before they were seen to seek it in his locality. Since that time there have been a few occasions when the bees have sought it freely and when it seemed to yield some nectar. It is doubtful whether it is ever of much importance as a source of honey.

The seed has been widely distributed with grain seeds and is very troublesome in fields of small grain. The vine closely resembles the wild morning glory, to the casual observer, but the blossom is small and inconspicuous, followed with a seed somewhat like buckwheat, hence it is often called wild buckwheat.

BIRCH (Betula).

There are several species of birch trees and shrubs common to Eastern America. They are partial to low, rich woodlands, and some occur in the far north. In some localities they are valuable for pollen.

BITTERSWEET (Celastrus scandens). Waxwork, or Climbing Bittersweet.

A well-known climbing shrub common in woodlands. The orange-colored pods displaying the scarlet covered seeds are often gathered for winter bouquets. The flowers are small and greenish in raceme-like clusters at the termination of the branches.

“The bees work freely on bittersweet.”--Miss Mitchell, Keokuk, Iowa.

BITTERWEED (Helenium tenuifolium).

The author’s first experience with bitterweed honey was in south Missouri in 1904 or 1905. There had been a good flow from white clover, followed by a dearth for a time, and the unfinished sections were filled out with bitterweed honey. The sections looked very nice and a northern beekeeper who had recently settled near the town of Salem, innocently sold his honey to the townspeople. The next time he came to town there were numerous persons looking for him, and he found it necessary to take back most of the honey he had marketed on his previous visit. The honey from this source is so bitter that a very little of it will spoil a fine crop of the best white honey. A few cells are sufficient to make a whole section absolutely unpalatable.