# Planting trees and shrubs



## Grappling Coach (May 16, 2016)

We live on a small 9.5 acre hobby farm with about a 5 acre pasture. Instead of dedicating the pasture to clover, we are planting trees and shrubs in areas that are otherwise not much use. We are planting 3 Tillia Americana trees, 20 hazelnut trees, and 25 button bushes. We also planted some blackhaw, false indigo, and spice bush. All of these were said to be good for bees. We got everything except the tillia (basswood trees) from the Missouri Conservation department really cheap. It will take a few years for them to be beneficial, but we have to start somewhere. Besides, as the Greeks said, a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. And I am not that old.


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## Vectorjet (Feb 20, 2015)

I don't know how well they grow in your area, but I really like the basswood trees. They are pretty reliable bloomers every year, bloom late, which gives the hives plenty of time to grow, the flowers hang down so rain doesn't dilute the nectar and produce a nice tasting honey. For me they are a big portion of my honey crop.


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I listened to an arborist give a lecture and he advised planting 3 species of Tillia, 1 American Linden 2 European Linden and 3 Silver leaf Linden as they do not all flower at the same time and you will spread their flow over a longer time. He also recommended chestnuts 
Johno.


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## Grappling Coach (May 16, 2016)

We also planted 2 weeping pussywillow trees


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Basswood may take a couple of decades to flower. I think the European ones come into bloom earlier, and certainly with either one if you plant nursery specimen, ball and burlap trees you can expect flowers more quickly. 

I have always planted trees every year, and I am in my late 60s. Some of the tress I planted back when I was in my 40s are huge now. It's a very satisfying thing to do.

If you want bee-forage, though, shrubs will be faster. And they can provide chow now, while the trees grow, so doing both at the same time is a smart idea.

Nancy


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

Good luck on the willows. I got 4 about 50ft from my 2 hives , guess the bees haven't found them after 3 seasons


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## Grappling Coach (May 16, 2016)

They were all over these as soon as we brought them home


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## Hickory Point Hollow (Mar 23, 2017)

redbuds are another the MDC has that are nice to add around edges of understory


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

A couple of years ago I bought black locust trees from Raintree Nursery for $2.50 each. I believe they are about $3.00 now. The trees were 3-4 feet tall bareroot specimens. In two years they were just about 15 feet tall and I am hoping they will flower this year. This certainly qualifies as inexpensive and they do grow very quickly. Black Locust is considered invasive in some states so beware before buying.


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## spunky (Nov 14, 2006)

I planted 4 black locust and 4 nannyberry bushes this yr , curious to see these bushes grow. Anyone down south welcome to pray some rain our way we are in a mini drought here. I am allready tired of hauling water


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## BBees (Jan 24, 2015)

Red Twig dogwood is a good flowering bush for bees.This bush was blooming a few days ago.You can propagate them by seed,rooting cuttings,and by bending down a limb and covering it with dirt.


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

Willows flower very early around late Feb and March at it is usually cold most of the time for forage. The time that a mild day in when pussy willow are flowering, I have seen honeybees on them.


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

dudelt said:


> A couple of years ago I bought black locust trees from Raintree Nursery for $2.50 each. I believe they are about $3.00 now. The trees were 3-4 feet tall bareroot specimens. In two years they were just about 15 feet tall and I am hoping they will flower this year. This certainly qualifies as inexpensive and they do grow very quickly. Black Locust is considered invasive in some states so beware before buying.


I planted black locusts, because they are supposed to be good with honeybees. In the years that I have seen my black locusts flower, I have only seen one or two honeybees do a lick and go. Very disappointed. Otherwise the trees are very popular with the bumblebees and NJ's native bees.


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## dudelt (Mar 18, 2013)

Mine did flower this year but I did not see a single honeybee in them. The bumble bees went to town on them however.


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## roberto487 (Sep 22, 2012)

Grappling Coach said:


> We live on a small 9.5 acre hobby farm with about a 5 acre pasture. Instead of dedicating the pasture to clover, we are planting trees and shrubs in areas that are otherwise not much use. We are planting 3 Tillia Americana trees, 20 hazelnut trees, and 25 button bushes. We also planted some blackhaw, false indigo, and spice bush. All of these were said to be good for bees. We got everything except the tillia (basswood trees) from the Missouri Conservation department really cheap. It will take a few years for them to be beneficial, but we have to start somewhere. Besides, as the Greeks said, a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. And I am not that old.


When you read good for bees, they mostly refer to bees in general and does necessarily means the honeybees will forage it.


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## dadux (Feb 23, 2012)

Spunky, have you considered drip irrigation on a timer?



spunky said:


> I planted 4 black locust and 4 nannyberry bushes this yr , curious to see these bushes grow. Anyone down south welcome to pray some rain our way we are in a mini drought here. I am allready tired of hauling water


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## dadux (Feb 23, 2012)

Spunky ave you considered drip irrigation on a timer?


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

dadux said:


> Spunky ave you considered drip irrigation on a timer?


All you need to do - a trivial, low-tech milk jug watering.
Set even 2-3 of them at once if needs be.
Make fewer/more holes to adjusts.

Just like so:
https://montanahomesteader.com/diy-self-watering-milk-jug/


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## malonebeefarm (Feb 6, 2019)

The sourwood tree has one more special treat for anyone who loves honey. The summer flowers attract bees which produce a light to medium colored honey that's popular in the south.

The sourwood, also known as Oxydendrum arboretum, is a medium-sized deciduous tree that is native to the Eastern and Southeastern United States. It can be found from the coast of Virginia to North Carolina, over into Southern Ohio and Indiana and down to the coast of Mississippi and Louisiana. It has a slow growth rate and reaches a height of 25-30 feet and can take 12-15 years to reach a height of just 15 feet. This tree has a rounded top and branches that droop, making it appear graceful. Robbinsville, NC is home to the most massive known Sourwood tree with a height of 118 feet and a trunk that is 2 feet wide.


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## mlanden (Jun 19, 2016)

See some of my old posts re: good plants for the bees. Among these: red maple, Asian persimmon (maybe American, too?), sweet-breath-of-spring bushes (can get thick, with tons of sweet blooms that come out in December [!] and can last several months; my bees're crazy about 'em).


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