List of Northern American nectar sources for honey bees

The nectar resource in a given area depends on the kinds of flowering plants present and their blooming periods. Which kinds 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 grow in USDA hardiness zone 5. A good predictor for when a plant will bloom and produce nectar is a calculation of the growing degree days. Hopkins' bioclimatic law states that in North America east of the Rockies, a 130-m (400-foot) increase in elevation, a 4° change in latitude North (444.48 km), or a 10° change in longitude East (two-thirds of a time zone) will cause a biological event to occur four days later in the spring or four days earlier in the fall.[1] In botany, the term phenology refers to the timing of flower emergence, sequence of bloom, fruiting, and leaf drop in autumn.

A honey bee collecting nectar from an apricot flower.

The classification in major or minor nectar sources is very dependent on the agricultural use of the land. An agricultural crop such as canola or alfalfa may be a major or minor source depending on local plantings. Generally, the more diverse a forage area is, the better for a stationary apiary. Urban, suburban, and uncultivated areas provide more consistent warm-season nectar forage than areas that are heavily cultivated with only a few agricultural crops. The nectar sources from large cultivated fields of blooming apples, cherries, canola, melons, sunflowers, clover, etc. benefit a bee keeper who is willing to travel with his hives throughout the season.

Honeydew sources are not included in this listing.

Trees and shrubs

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Flowers, crops, herbs, and grasses

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Garden plants to feed honey bees in Canada

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Andrew Delmar Hopkins - Southern Forest Insect Work Conference". Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
  2. ^ a b Delaplane, Keith Bee Conservation in the Southeast The University of Georgia College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension; Service Bulletin 1164; April 2010 (web accessed May 2019)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Pellett, Frank Chapman (1920). American Honey Plants: Together with Those which are of Special Value to the Beekeeper as Sources of Pollen. American Bee Journal. Retrieved 23 May 2019 – via Internet Archive. American Honey Plants.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Tew, James Some Ohio Nectar and Pollen Producing Plants Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, 2000 [dead link]
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lovell, John H. Honey plants of North America; THE ROOT COMPANY, 1926
  6. ^ Zhiliang, Pan (Summer 1997). "Bee Visitation and Nectar Production of Anise Hyssop" (PDF). Department of Plants and Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts.
  7. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Cucurbita pepo L.​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Echium vulgare L.​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b "Long Distance Moving Guide | NYC Gardens Near Me & Local Movers Blog". Archived from the original on 2009-11-26.
  10. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Gonolobus laevis​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  11. ^ "A Selection of Bee Forage Plants" (PDF). Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary.
  12. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Teucrium canadense L.​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.

Further reading

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