AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 95 



It is common in the woods from Maine to the Rocky Mountains and south 

 to the Gulf. It is also said to occur on the Pacific Coast. The same, or 

 a similar plant occurs in Europe and Asia. 



It is a tall growing plant from 3 to 6 feet high, with numerous small 

 branches. The stem is four angled, with rather long-pointed leaves. The 

 flowers are very numerous and quite small, as will be seen by the pic- 

 ture, Fig. 55. It blooms in the late summer and is freely visited by the 

 bees. 



FILLAREE, see Pin Clover. 



FIREWEED or WILLOW HERB (Epilobium anguslifoHum). 



Fireweed is a common plant in the woodlands of the Northern States 

 and of Canada. It is a tall herb with attractive pink blossoms on a long 

 terminal spike, as shown in Fig. 56. It springs up following forest fires 

 and covers the burned district with a dense growth. The blooming period 

 is long, lasting from July till frost, as new blossoms appear as the older 

 ones fade. It is important as a source of honey in much of eastern 

 Canada, Minnesota, parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and on the Pacific Coast, 

 where it is also valuable in Oregon, Washington and parts of Montana. 

 It is gradually crowded out by other growth. A locality may yield great 

 crops of fireweed honey for two or three years and then little surplus 

 be gathered from it for many years. The author has visited beekeepers in 

 Northern Michigan who count on an average of fifty pounds or more per 

 colony, with as high as 125 pounds, in locations where fireweed was yield- 

 ing. As fireweed disappears in that locality, raspberry and milkweed fol- 

 low, and these are also good sources, so that the location does not suffer 

 from the change. 



Honey from fireweed is very light in color and of high quality. The 

 late W. Z. Hutchinson, who wrote much concerning beekeeping in the 

 forest region of northern Michigan, styled it as the whitest and finest- 

 flavored honey with which he was acquainted. 



As the timber is removed, settlement gradually clears the land, and the 

 wild growth gives place to cultivated fields and pastures. Most of the 

 fireweed country is also good clover territory, so that the beekeepers need 

 not fear the development of the country. 



FLAT TOP, see Eriogonum. 

 FLEA WEED, see Blue Curls. 



FLORIDA— Honey Plants of. 



Wild Pennyroyal in southern half of the State. 



Titi, in pine swamps in northern portion, gives surplus only in west 

 Florida. 



Black Tupelo, in same territory as titi, bad weather makes the yield 

 'incertain. 



White tupelo in low swamps over west Florida; main source in 

 swamps along the Appalachicola and Chipola rivers in Calhoun County. 



