512 
HONEY PLANTS 
able also for pollen. E. moschatum is also an im¬ 
portant honey plant; honey similar to that of the 
preceding species. 
Algaroba.—See Mesquite. 
Almond ( Prunus Amydalus) .—Extensively cul¬ 
tivated in the warm temperate regions of Europe 
and Asia. Succeeds well in California. The large 
pink flowers open before the leaves appear and yield 
both nectar and pollen. Apiaries are often placed in 
almond groves. 
Alsike Clover ( Trifolium hybridum) .—One of the 
most important honey plants of the United States. 
Its cultivation is restricted largely to the northeast¬ 
ern State,s but it is also widely grown in Idaho, 
Washington, and Oregon. The honey is excellent, 
similar to that of white clover. As a honey plant 
it is more reliable than white clover. It requires 
less lime in the soil than red clover. See Alsike 
Clover. 
Andromeda.—Shrubs in northern Florida, yielding 
a reddish yellow pungent honey. 
Anaqua ( Ehretia elliptica) .-—A small tree or often 
a shrub, with white flowers, growing along the Rio 
Grande River. 
Apple ( Pyrus Malus) . —Often yields a small sur¬ 
plus; honey light in color and of good quality, 
rather rank-flavored when newly gathered but becom¬ 
ing milder and aromatic. Crab apple (P. coronaria) 
is also of value. 
Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca). —Blooms very early 
in the spring, helpful for brood-rearing. Flowers 
have the odor of honey; nectar concealed in a little 
cup. Temperate regions. 
Arizona Acacia ( Acacia constricta) .—A spiny 
shrub, 3 feet tall, on dry hills, in Arizona. Valuable 
chiefly for pollen. 
Arizona Mesquite ( Prosopis velutina ).—In the hot 
dry valleys of Arizona, southern California, and So¬ 
nora. The largest of the mesquites. Blooms from 
April to middle June. Honey white, excellent, crys¬ 
tallizes quickly after extracting. 
Arrowweed ( Pluchea sericea) . —Grows along the 
ditches of southern California and southern Arizona 
and yields a fine flavored honey. 
Artichoke, Globe ( Cynara Scolymus). —Freely vis¬ 
ited by bees, but honey unknown. 
Artichoke, Jerusalem ( Helianthus tuberosa) . —A 
good honey plant, cultivated for its tubers. 
Asparagus ( Asparagus officinalis) .—Widely culti¬ 
vated. Yields an amber-colored honey, which loses 
its peculiar flavor when ripened. Wild, it is very 
abundant on the waste steppes of Russia, where it is 
eaten by cattle. 
Aster (Aster). —Common fall flowers, most abund¬ 
ant in the middle States. Honey white, strong-fla¬ 
vored when first gathered, but later acquires a pleas¬ 
ant aromatic flavor; granulates with a finer grain 
than goldenrod. See Aster. 
Bachelor’s Button ( Oentaurea cyanus.) —Blue bot¬ 
tle. Corn flower. French pink. Yields in Oregon a 
dark amber honey with a peculiar greenish reflection. 
The body is moderately heavy and the flavor rather 
strong with a bitter aftertwang. 
Banana (Musa Sapientum and Musa Ensete). — 
The flowers produce large quantities of pollen and 
nectar. Cultivated in Florida. 
Barberry (Berberis vulgaris, eastern States; B. 
pinnata, California; B. trifoliata, Texas).—Shrubs 
yielding both pollen and nectar. Sometimes a small 
surplus, honey amber-colored. 
Basil ( Pycnanthemim virginianum) .■—Mountain 
mint. Bees visit it freely. Minnesota to Georgia 
and Alabama. 
Basswood (Tilia americana and T. heterophylla). 
—Fine trees with greenish white fragrant flowers. 
Yield a large surplus, but not reliable. Honey 
white with an aromatic flavor. The European bass¬ 
wood, or linden, is equally valuable, and is widely 
planted as an avenue tree. See Basswood. 
Bearberry.—See Manzanita. 
Bee-balm (Melissa officinalis) .—In gardens, spar¬ 
ingly wild. 
Bitterweed ( Helenium tenuifolium) . —A canary- 
yellow honey of heavy body and attractive appearance, 
but as bitter as gall. It granulates quickly after ex¬ 
tracting. Virginia to Kansas and southward to Flor¬ 
ida and Texas. Plant 1 to 2 feet tall, with thread¬ 
like leaves and yellow flowers. See Sneezeweed. 
Blackberry (Rubus.) —Numerous closely allied 
species, Rubus allegheniensis being the most com¬ 
mon in the northern States. In northeastern North 
America the blackberry, either wild or cultivated, 
yields very little nectar, and is more frequently 
visited by wild bees than honeybees. In north 
Georgia wild blackberries yield in April about 25 
pounds per colony of thick amber-colored honey, 
which does not granulate readily. In California 
from Rubus baileyanus and R. vitifolius surplus 
crop of light-amber honey of fine flavor are obtained. 
Black Brush (Acacia amentacea) .—A shrub con¬ 
stituting 70 per cent of the vegetation on many thou¬ 
sand acres in southeast Texas. Of value chiefly for 
pollen. 
Black Gum.—See Tupelo. 
Black Haw (Viburnum prunifolivm). —Of value 
for early brood-rearing. 
Blackheart—So called from a dark triangular 
spot on the center of each leaf. See Heartsease. 
Black Mangrove (Avicennia nitida). —Tide-water 
marshes on the east and west coasts of southern 
Florida and on the Keys; extracted honey amber- 
colored, not very sweet, with a slight brackish or 
salty flavor due to the trees growing on sand flats, 
which are often flooded with salt water by the tide. 
It is very largely used in the manufacture of sweet 
cakes. A remarkable yielder of honey. 
Blueberry (Vacciniurn corymbosum) . —In southern 
New England blueberry honey comes from species of 
the bush type. The flow comes in May or in early 
June and lasts for about 10 days. The honey is am¬ 
ber-colored and the quality is good. 
Blue Curls (Trichostema lanceolatum) .—Yields a 
milk-white honey that granulates very quickly with 
a very fine grain, often before it is sealed. Tons 
of honey are stored from this plant in Fresno Coun¬ 
ty, Calif. Blooms in August and September when 
it gives the dry fields and hills a soft purple tinge. 
Vinegar Weed. Camphor Weed. Turpentine Weed. 
Blueweed (Echium vulgare). —Viper’s bugloss. 
Blue thistle. Formerly very abundant in the Shen¬ 
andoah Valley, Virginia, but it has rapidly de¬ 
creased as the result of extensive cultivation of the 
land. The honey is light amber, and has a good 
flavor and body. The plant is 2 feet tall, with 
bright blue flowers and blooms in August and Sep¬ 
tember. 
Bokhara.—See Sweet Clover. 
Boneset (Eupatorium) . —Thoroughwort. Common 
in Tennessee and Kentucky, where it yields a sur¬ 
plus. Valuable also in Alabama and Texas. Honey 
a dark amber, thick and heavy, with an unpleasant 
herby flavor and odor. There are many species, 
E. perfoliatum being the most common. 
Boston Ivy (Ampelopsis Veitchii) . —Climbing vine 
introduced from Japan, covering acres of wall in 
northern cities. Blooms in July; honey strong arid 
unpleasantly scented. 
Borage (Borago officinalis) .—Cultivated from 
Europe, an excellent honey plant. It has spread to 
some extent in southern Australia. 
Box Elder (Acer Negundo). —A small tree on 
which the flowers appear before the leaves. Yields 
nectar, also honeydew in the fall. 
