# Which are the Best Honey Plants ?



## summersetretrievers (Mar 4, 2006)

I would think wild flowers, I think you can buy seed's in bulk in some places.
We have a field next to us that is all wild flowers (wild not planted) and the bee's are always working whatever is blooming and we get great tasting honey. 
Cindy


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I decided to plant a small plot of White Dutch Clover for my bees. I didn't want anything that grew too tall....and I think the honey from white dutch clover is excellent...


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## bspaugh (Mar 7, 2007)

Alfalfa requires better drained soils and higher pH than clover needs. Also, it is takes more to cut it and keep it in good shape, just because of the bulk and woody stems. I think I also read that alfalfa honey crystallizes very quickly.


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## James Henderson (Jun 20, 2005)

*Chinese tallow tree*

Chinese tallow tree (Triadica sebifera) for us in the deep south. Clashes with the plant ecologist part of me for the day job. Excellent honey plant for the beekeeper part of me for the sideliner job.

Chinese tallow tree reporduces rapidly, especially in open, mosit/wet soils (especially wetlands). Cedar waxwings eat the berries on the tree in my neighbors yard and crap them in my yard. Before I began to play with bees I pulled up the seedlings. Now transplant them to my property line and fertilize and water them. Excellent tasting honey!! One of the big flows for us in south Louisiana that we all look forward to.

Buckwheat is a good plant too. Disk them into the soil after they go to seed for another crop. Seeds are large enough to hand harvest to save seed for crop next year.

If you can find some, climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens) will draw in all pollinators. Plant it on any fence lines you have. The more you water it, the more it grows.


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## Jesse (May 15, 2006)

You have to be careful not to plant the sweet clover too thick, it will crowd out the dutch - and probably the alsike.

The one nice thing about the sweet clover is that it is drought tolerant. I have planted a couple acres of the yellow variety this year.

Buckwheat is a good option, but some don't care for the honey and it is an annual. It too, would crowd out anything planted alongside it.

You could do half the field with your clovers and the other with a wildflower mix if you want better all-season forage. 

clover and alfalfa are my two big contributors early season - asters and golden rod in the late season. I don't think mass planting of asters would be cost effective - and I don't think golden rod is available commercially.

whatever you decide, your bees will love it.

Jesse


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## Lively Bee's (Dec 9, 2004)

Out of the 78 acs we have planted 12 ac's this year for honey production and hay here is the break down.

I planted 8 acs in a three clover mix I did a lot of research and found 3 clovers that have 3 different bloom dates a early mid and late. We turned and disc the field then planted the areas in White, Crimson, Sweet yellow.

We are also going to cut the fields for hay.

I worked with the state hortaculturalist to pick out the seed to match my soil ph it cost me $20 and 2hrs and was well worth my time to go and take with him.

Now here is a side note yellow clover if not allowed to dry well before placed in hay rolls or bales will sour. This will couse diarrhea in cattle and can kill small calfs. Also Heating or spoilage of sweetclover hay or silage converts coumarin to dicoumarol, a toxic substance which reduces blood clotting time.

We have also planted a 2 ac plot of alfalfa that we will plow under come fall for soil biomass. The only problems with alfalfa is if you have a large deer herd they will mow the alfalfa down and it will never bloom. Alfalfa also will weevils If you spary while in bloom you can kill out your hives I jut let it go what makes blooms fine what dont o'well.

We planted the last 2 ac's in wild flowers. This is in strip planting along both sides of our 1/4 mile diveway along the fence rows and around the barn. 

This all goes along with the normal plants that we have and any sourwood that will bloom out. 

I hope this helps out its starting to get a little late to get a good clover stand started for 2007 but your on the right track.


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## Oldbee (Sep 25, 2006)

For information about flowers and other "native" plants for your area that may be good for honey bees; try: www.plantnative.org , for addresses, phone numbers, catalogues and links.


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## DANIEL QUINCE (Jan 15, 2006)

*Tree*

If you are also considering trees, I've got a "word" file that will give you honey production per hectar. I can e-mail-it.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Be sure to talk to your local beeks and clubs. The answer to your question depends more on your location, soil, moisture etc. than it does on our collective experience . Things to think about would be: is there a dearth in your area that you could plant something to fill in (find a plant's bloomtime that would fill the hole)? How much work are you willing to do with the plants; would you till and replant annuals each year and do soil amendments, or would you prefer low-maintenance perennials?

That said, mints are tough and good nectarmakers. Get a variety... you can mix the tiny seeds into sand or something to act as a "carrier" for planting more easily. Even better, mix some thyme, basil, anise hyssop, horehound and oregano into the mix, and put a few Catalpa, honey or black locust, basswood/linden or other regionally appropriate trees in per acre. Add some butterfly bush or other medium-height plants if you like. 

Not that I've spent much time fantasizing about what I'd do if I had 12 acres to play with


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## BeeAware (Mar 24, 2007)

Anise Hyssop is a good honey plant as well as mountain mint, vitex negundo (shrub), Tulip Poplar tree, Basswood and sourwood trees are excellent.


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