88 AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 



will be seen that the flowers are very different. At times the bees work 

 on this plant very freely. It is especially abundant in some localities 

 along the Missouri River in Kansas and Missouri. 



DOGWOOD (Cornus). 



The dogwoods or flowering cornels are a large group of shrubs with 

 showy flowers. Some species are common over all of Eastern America, 

 from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick south and west to Texas. The 

 group is not important to the beekeeper, although occasionally some 

 honey is reported from them. W. C. Brass reports that in central Arkan- 

 sas smooth dogwood (Cornus femine), locally called spicewood or buck- 

 brush, is very abundant, and the bees work upon it industriously during 

 May. He reports, however, that it is uncertain in its value, the bees not 



Fig. 51. Dogbane. 



working upon it every year. H. B. Parks reports that the bees work upon 

 the red dogwood (Cornus paniculata) in Missouri, but the author never 

 knew them to work on this species in Iowa. 



Scholl lists Cornus asperifolia as yielding nectar freely in Texas, 

 though the species is not plentiful. 



