516 
HONEY PLANTS 
Manzanita ( Arctostaphylos manzanita). —Valu¬ 
able in California for both nectar and pollen. Hon¬ 
ey white to amber-colored, with a fine flavor sug¬ 
gestive of the berry. A surplus of more than 20 
pounds may be obtained. Blooms in December, and 
honey is used by bees for spring breeding. A 
branching bush, about 12 feet tall, covering large 
areas of the Coast Range slopes. White to pink 
urn-shaped flowers. Manzanita is Spanish for “lit¬ 
tle apples,” so called from the form of the berries, 
Bearberry. 
Maples (Acer). —The different species are of 
much value, yielding both nectar and pollen for 
early brood-rearing. The sugar maple ( Acer sac- 
charum Marsh) produces a profusion of flowers. 
Marigold ( GaiUardia pulchella) One of the 
main honey-producing plants of Texas. Honey rich 
golden, and of good quality. See Marigold. 
Marjoram (Origanum vulgare). — Introduced 
from Europe; in gardens, and sparingly escaped. 
A favorite of honeybees, but not common enough to 
be of much value. 
Melilot.—See Sweet Clover. 
Melons (Cucumis Melo). —Melons of all kinds 
are valuable to apiarists. 
Mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa). —Southwest in 
semiarid regions. Main source of honey in Texas. 
In the Hawaiian Islands the mesquite is not only 
the chief, but almost the only source of floral 
honey. The honey is water-white, about as thick 
as that of white clover, and has an agreeable altho 
peculiar flavor. See Mesquite. 
Milkweed (Asclepias). —In northern Michigan S. 
syriaca is very common, and may yield a surplus 
of 50 pounds per colony. Honey nearly water- 
white, thick, fruity in flavor with a slight tang. 
Milkweed is also valuable in California. The pollen- 
masses become attached by dry membranous clips 
to the claws and tongues of honeybees; if they are 
unable to extract them, they finally perish—dead 
bees are sometimes found on the flowers. See 
Milkweed. 
Milk-vetch (Astragalus) .-—The various species 
are visited by honeybees, and the more common are 
valuable in favorable sections. 
Mint (Mentha spicata) .-—In Sacramento County, 
Calif., yields in the fall a large amount of amber- 
colored honey. Peppermint. 
Mountain Laurel (Ealmia latifolia). —Bee-flow¬ 
ers. Common in sandy soil from Ohio to Florida 
and Louisiana. Reported to yield a poisonous hon¬ 
ey but this is doubtful. See Poisonous Honey. 
Mustard (Brassica). —Honey light, of mild fla¬ 
vor ; not as heavy as alfalfa; candies quickly; a 
large surplus in Lompoc Valley, Calif. See Mus¬ 
tard. 
Napa Thistle (Centaurea melitensis) .—Tocalote. 
Common in grain fields in California. The yellow 
flowers open in May and yield a light amber honey 
of good quality. 
Onion (Allium Cepa). —Surplus yields of honey 
are obtained from fields of onions cultivated for 
seed; the peculiar onion odor and flavor disappear 
as the honey ripens. 
Orange (Citrus Aurantium). —Yields a surplus 
in Florida and California. Honey nearly transpar¬ 
ent, of delicious flavor, with the aroma of the blos¬ 
som ; candies after a few months. See Orange. 
Palo Verde (Cercidium torreyanum) .■ —-A small 
tree with green bark growing in the deserts of Cali¬ 
fornia, Arizona, and Sonora. The yellow flowers 
open in May. They yield less nectar than mesquite 
bloom, and the honey is inferior in quality. The 
leaves appear in March and April, but soon drop 
off. (Syn. Parkinsonia torreyana). 
Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). —A surplus is gath¬ 
ered from the big parsnip fields along the Sacra¬ 
mento River, California. 
Partridge Pea (Cassia Chamaechrista) .■ —-Nectar- 
less flowers pollinated by bumblebees. The nectar 
is secreted by sessile glands on the upper side of 
the leaf-stalk. Nectar is secreted abundantly, but it 
is mostly water. In dry soil, New Engalnd to 
Florida and Texas. The honey is light amber, ex¬ 
ceptionally thin, and has only a fair flavor. 
Peach (Pruns persica). — Sometimes a small 
surplus. 
Peanut (Arachis hypogea) .-—-Extensively culti¬ 
vated in the southern States, Virginia, Tennessee, 
the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida. A surplus is 
obtained, in Florida. The honey is very light amber 
colored, thick, and has a mild characteristic flavor, 
which differs from that of peanut butter. There 
are three months of bloom. It is not a reliable 
source of honey. 
Pear (Pyrus communis). —In some localities 
yields nectar so freely that it drips upon the ground, 
in others of little value. Less important than the 
apple. In California a surplus is usually obtained 
if the weather is warm during the bloom. 
Pennyroyal, Florida (Satureja rigida). —A shrub¬ 
by, perennial plant growing on pine lands and 
sandy barrens in southern Florida. It is of little 
value to the beekeeper north of Lake Apopka. 
Blooms in January and yields a white honey with a 
minty odor and flavor.' Bees build up rapidly dur¬ 
ing the honey flow, and 50 pounds per colony has 
been secured. Important in Lee County. (Syn. 
Pycnothymus rigidvs.) 
Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia). —White alder. On 
the coastal plain of Georgia and in northern Flor¬ 
ida it yields a surplus; honey white and of supe¬ 
rior quality; blooms from June to October. Maine 
to Florida near the coast. 
Pepperidge.—See Tupelo. 
Pepper-tree (Schinus molle). —-California and 
Florida; honey amber-colored, and of pronounced 
flavor. See Pepper Tree. 
Pepper vine.—See Snowvine. 
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana). —Connecticut 
to Florida and Texas; a large tree; blooms in 
spring; valuable. 
Phacelia.—At Ventura, Calif., a water-white 
honey is obtained from Phacelia hispida; it has a 
fine flavor, but candies soon after extracting. In 
central California P. tanacetifolia yields a mild 
light-amber honey. See Phacelia. 
Pigeon cherry (Prunus pennsylvanica). —Consid¬ 
erable nectar is obtained from the flowers. 
Pink Vine ( Antigonon leptopus). —Mexican vine. 
Cultivated in the South for ornament. Yields nectar 
abundantly. 
Plums and Prunes (Prunus). —All kinds of 
plums yield nectar. 
Poison Ivy (Rhus Toxicodendron) .-—Poison Oak. 
Bushy, or a vine climbing by rootlets. Poisonous to 
the touch. Yields a light-colored honey which is 
reported to be mild and good. This honey should 
be thoroughly ripened before using. 
Prairie Clover (Petalostemum candidum). — Be¬ 
longs to the pea or pulse family; reported as valu¬ 
able. 
Prickly Ash (Xanthoxylum americanum). —A 
small tree blooming in spring, and much visited by 
bees for nectar. Canada to Virginia. 
Pumpkin (C ucurbita Pepo). —Cultivated; honey 
amber-colored ; candies quickly. 
Purple-flowered Mint (Mesophaerum spicatum). 
—Very valuable in Alachua, Polk, DeSoto, Pinellas, 
Hillsboro and several other counties in Florida. The 
honey is medium amber, mild, and does not. crys¬ 
tallize. Blooms from March, when the plant is only 
