# Local forage sources (colors of pollen) -- any Virginians out there to help?



## Big John (Feb 4, 2009)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollen_source

http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/list.html

:scratch: don't know if any of these will help you or not.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes, that wiki page is awesome....I think I had seen that before, but had lost the site. There's a whole batch of that henbit out near where my hives are. I thought the red pollen was from red maple, nooo, it was from the henbit...makes perfect sense.

Thanks for sending those along.

The other page points to California native sources, but is very useful to identify flora to plant that bees will take to.

Again, thank you for sharing!


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## Walliebee (Nov 17, 2006)

Plants for Year-Round Bee Forage This was taken from the UGA Honey Bee Program web page.

http://www.ent.uga.edu/Bees/

This is an incomplete list of both wild and commercially-available plants that are important sources of pollen and nectar for bees in the South. It is important for bees, especially bumble bees, to have an unbroken succession of bloom all summer to build up their local populations. If you want to encourage bee populations, grow or encourage plants from this list so that bloom is more-or-less continuous on your property. 

Bloom Season
Common Name
Type
Scientific Name
Availability
Reference

Feb
Red Maple
tree
Acer rubrum
Feral
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c; H. York, Jesup, Georgia, pers. obs.

Feb-Mar
Redbud
tree
Cercis canadensis
Feral
Goltz 1987c; Cane 1993

Titi
shrub
Cyrilla racemiflora
Feral, coastal plain
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987b; H. York, pers. obs.

Mar
Native Blueberry
shrub
Vaccinium elliottii
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Cane 1993

Mar-Apr
Canola
ann.
Brassica napus
Commercial oilseed
K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Henbit
per. herb
Lamium amplexicaule
Feral
Cane 1993

Jessamine
shrub
Gelsemium sempervirens
Feral
Cane 1993

Apr
Tupelo
tree
Nyssa sylvatica
Feral, coastal plain river bottoms
Delaplane 1991

Apr-May
Apple
tree
Malus spp.
Commercial, feral
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Black Locust
tree
Robinia 
pseudoacacia
Feral, piedmont and upper south
Mitchell 1962; Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987a

Blackberry
shrub
Rubus argutus
Feral, esp. in piedmont
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987b; B. Engle, The Rock, Georgia & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Common Ajuga
per. herb
Ajuga reptans
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Crimson Clover
ann.
Trifolium incarnatum
Commercial forage
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Dutch Clover
per.
Trifolium repens
Commercial, feral
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Red Clover
per.
Trifolium pratense
Commercial forage
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Skip Laurel
shrub
Prunus laurocerasus, var. 'Schipkaensis'
Commercial ornamental
K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Tulip Poplar
tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Feral
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c

May
Gallberry
shrub
Ilex glabra
Feral, coastal plain
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987b; H. York, pers. obs.

Honeysuckle
shrub
Lonicera fragrantis-sima
Feral
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Privet
shrub
Ligustrum sinense
Feral, esp. in piedmont
B. Engle & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Rhododendron
shrub/tree
Rhododendron catawbiense
Feral, esp. in mountains, commercial ornamental
Mitchell 1962; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

May-Jun
Cabbage Palmetto
per.
Sabal palmetto
Feral, coastal plain
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c

Persimmon
shrub/tree
Diospyros virginiana
Feral
B. Engle & K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Tallow Tree
tree
Sapium sebifrum
Commercial ornamental
Goltz 1987c

Jun
Heavenly Bamboo
shrub
Nandina domestica
Commercial ornamental
G.W. Krewer, Univ. Georgia, pers. obs.

Jun-Jul
Bee Balm
per.
Monarda didyma
Commercial ornamental, feral
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987d; P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Chaste Tree
shrub/tree
Vitex agnus-castus
Commercial ornamental
G.W. Krewer & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Sourwood
tree
Oxydendrum arboreum
Feral, esp. in mountains
Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1987c

Sumac
shrub/tree
Rhus copallina
Feral, piedmont and upper south
Goltz 1987b; K.S. Delaplane, pers. obs.

Sunflower
ann. or per.
Helianthus spp.
Commercial ornamental and oilseed
Mitchell 1962; W.J. McLaurin, pers. obs.

Jun-Aug
Brazilian Verbena
ann. or per.
Verbena bonariensis
Commercial ornamental
Mitchell 1962; S. Scarborough, Baxley, Georgia, & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Butterfly Bush
shrub
Buddleia davidii
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Crapemyrtle
shrub/tree
Lagerstroemia indica, var. 'Natchez'
Commercial ornamental
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs.

Glossy Abelia
shrub
Abelia grandiflora
Commercial ornamental
Mitchell 1962; S. Scarborough & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Mountain Mint
per. herb
Pycnanthemum incanum
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Purple 
Coneflower
per. herb
Echinacea purpurea
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Summer Phlox
per. herb
Phlox paniculata
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Wood Mint
per. herb
Blephilia spp.
Feral
Mitchell 1962

Jun-Sep
Sweet 
Pepperbush
shrub
Clethra alnifolia
Feral, coastal plain
D. Wade, Alma, Georgia & G.W. Krewer, pers. obs.

Jul
Buttonbush
shrub/tree
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1987b

Jul-Sep
American Germander
per. herb
Teucrium canadense
Feral
Mitchell 1962

Cup Rosinweed
per. herb
Silphium perfoliatum
Feral
Mitchell 1962

Milkweed
per. herb
Asclepias spp.
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1986a

Partridge Pea
ann. herb
Cassia fasciculata
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Cane 1993

Redroot
per. herb
Lachnanthes caroliana
Feral, wetlands
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs.

Aug
Meadow Beauty
per. herb
Rhexia spp.
Feral
D. Wade, pers. obs.

Aug-Sep
Bush Clovers
shrub
Lespedeza bicolor and L. thunbergii
Commercial ornamental and forage
Cane 1993

Aug-Oct
Brazilian Pepper
shrub
Schinus terebinth-ifolius
Feral
Goltz 1987b

Mexican Sage
per. herb
Salvia leucantha
Commercial ornamental
C. Reed, Douglas, Georgia & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Mexican Sunflower
ann.
Tithonia rotundifolia
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Pineapple Sage
ann. or per.
Salvia elegans
Commercial ornamental
P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Thoroughwort
per. herb
Eupatorium hyssopifolium
Feral
Mitchell 1962

Aug-Nov
Asters
per. herb
Aster spp.
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Goltz 1986c; B. Engle & P.A. Thomas, pers. obs.

Colorado River Hemp
shrub
Sesbania exaltata
Commercial, feral
G.W. Krewer, pers. obs.

Sep-Oct
Goldenrod
per. herb
Solidago spp.
Feral
Mitchell 1962; Delaplane 1991; Goltz 1986b

Kenaf
ann.
Hibiscus cannabinus
Commercial fiber
B. Baldwin, Miss. State Univ., pers. obs.


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## Black Creek (May 19, 2006)

*Hornbeam in Virginia*

I'm pretty sure it's Hornbeam, but we have loads of it here along creeks and swamps. It's totally loaded with pollen right now. I havent actually seen my bees working it, but then again there is so much of it the bees could be spread out all over or just working one that's particularly close. when i shake the pollen off it looks like the same colour as i what i see the bees bringing in. It's been full of pollen for at least 2 weeks now. If they are using it, i'm guessing it's one of the largest pollen sources in my area.


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## Black Creek (May 19, 2006)

*hornbeam pollen colour*

forgot to mention.... the colour of the pollen is a yellow/olive greenish


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