The tendril-bearing smartweed, or ladies’ ear drops (=Brunnichia
cirrhosa=) is a perennial climbing vine, common to the southeastern
States. It ranges from southern Illinois and Arkansas to South Carolina
and Florida. An Arkansas beekeeper reports that the plant is abundant
in his locality and covered with bees.
H. B. Parks reports it grows on the low lands of Southeast Texas, where
it blooms from March till August and yields some surplus.
BUFFALO CURRANT (Ribes aureum).
The yellow flowers of the buffalo currant are very fragrant and
apparently contain much nectar. The writer has often noticed the bees
working on the blossoms, but since the corolla tubes are half an inch
or more in length he supposed they were getting only pollen. A close
examination showed that the bees were unmistakably getting nectar from
this source and that the tubes had been slit entirely down one side by
some unknown agency. Whether this is a common occurrence the author
cannot say.
[Illustration: Fig. 33. Blossoms of the button-bush.]
BUTTER WEED or GROUNDSEL (Senecio).
The groundsels are herbs with alternate leaves and mostly yellow
flowers, common to the northeastern States. The bees are reported as
working upon them freely, but they are probably of minor importance.
BUTTON-BUSH (Cephalanthus occidentalis).
The button-bush, also called button willow, is a bushy shrub growing
in marshy places, stagnant shallow water, and along streams, from New
England to Texas and west to California. This shrub, or in places a
small tree, has a very wide range and is found in most of the States
where honey production is important. Bulletin No. 102 of the Texas
Agricultural College, reports it as common throughout Texas, and
the bulletin relating to honey plants of California (217 Experiment
Station), records it as a good honey plant in California. It is listed
in the catalog of plants of nearly every State and of Canada, which the
author has consulted. It is also said to occur in Asia, and possibly
Africa.
Our readers who live in the vicinity of wet lands are likely to find
specimens near at hand. In a few sections it is sufficiently abundant
to be an important addition to the midsummer flora. It is reported
as more particularly valuable in the overflowed lands along the
Mississippi River. The bees seek it eagerly when in bloom, and in
places where it is plentiful it is regarded as of considerable value as
a honey plant.
The honey is light in color and mild in flavor, according to published
reports. Fig. 33 shows a near view of the flowers, which are crowded
together in dense heads, giving them the appearance of cotton balls.
The shrub is very bushy, with an abundant foliage. It is reported as
reaching a height of 40 feet in California. In Alabama it is recorded
as a shrub of from 6 to 15 feet in height, which is more like its
appearance in Iowa, according to the author’s observation. Here it is
rather a small bush, not much higher than a man’s head, and as far
across, with many branches from the ground.
The blooming period is July and August, according to locality, a season
when additions to the honey-producing flora are most welcome.
BUTTON-WEED (Diodia teres).
The button-weed occurs on sandy lands from New England to Florida and
west to Kansas and Texas. Scholl lists it as yielding honey well during
drought in Texas, but not as a source of surplus.
BUTTON WILLOW, see Button Bush.
C
CABBAGE (Brassica oleracea).
Cabbage belongs to a group of valuable honey plants, including mustard,
turnip, etc. In the seed belt of California, where grown for seed on a
large scale, cabbage is valuable. The late J. S. Harbison said of it:
“Cabbage blossoms afford a considerable amount of honey of a fine
quality and flavor.”--Beekeeper’s Directory.
CACTUS, see Prickly Pear.
CALICO BUSH, see Laurel.
CALIFORNIA HOLLY, see Christmas Berry.
CALIFORNIA--Honey Sources of.
Honey plants yielding a surplus during an average season:
Yucca (=Hesperoyucca whipplei=).
Willow (=Salix sp.=).
Wild buckwheat (=Eriogonum fasciculatum=).
=Berberis pinnata.=
Black mustard (=Brassica nigra=).
English mustard (=Brassica sp.=).
Rocky Mountain honey plant (=Cleome integrifolia=).
Jackass clover (=Wislizenia refracta=).
Christmas berry (=Heteromeles arbutifolia=).
Pear (=Pyrus communis=).
Apple (=Pyrus malus=).
Wild alfalfa (=Lotus glaber=).
Bur clover (=Medicago denticulata=).
Alfalfa (=Medicago sativa=).
White sweet clover (=Melilotus alba=).
Yellow sweet clover (=Melilotus officinalis=).
Lima bean (=Phaseolus lunatus=).
Alfilerilla (=Erodium cicutarium=).
White stem filaree (=Erodium moschatum=).
Orange (=Citrus aurantium=).
Tree of heaven (=Ailanthus glandulosa=).
Poison oak (=Rhus diversiloba=).
(Laurel) Sumac (=Rhus laurina=).
Pepper tree (=Schinus molle=).
California buckeye (=Aesculus californica=).
Coffee berry (=Rhamnus californica=).
Cascara sagrada (=Rhamnus purshiana=).
Wild hollyhock (=Sidalcea malvaeflora=).
Prickly pear (=Opuntia lindheimeri occidentalis=).
Lemon scented gum (=Eucalyptus citriodora=).
White stringy-bark (=Eucalyptus eugenioides=).
Blue Gum (=Eucalyptus globulus=).
Red gum (=Eucalyptus rostrata=).
Manna gum (=Eucalyptus viminalis=).
Blue thistle (=Cryngium articulatum=).
Manzanita (=Arctostaphylos=).
Yerba santa (=Eriodictyon trichocalix=).
Caterpillar phacelia (=Phacelia hispida=).
Valley vervenia (=Phacelia tenacetifolia=).
Carpet grass (=Lippia nodiflora=).
Horehound (=Marrubium vulgare=).
Peppermint (=Mentha spicata=).
White sage (=Salvia apiana=).
Thistle sage (=Salvia carduacea=).
Annual sage (=Salvia columbariae=).
Purple sage (=Salvia leucophylla=).
Black sage (=Salvia mellifera=).
Creeping sage (=Salvia sonomensis=).
Blue curls (=Trichostema lanceolatum=).
Button willow (=Cephalanthus occidentalis=).
Napa thistle (=Centaurea melitensis=).
Spike weed (=Centromadia pungens=).
Bull thistle (=Cirsium lanceolatum=).
Common sunflower (=Helianthus annuus=).
Coast tarweed (=Hemizonia corymbosa=).
Tarweed (=Hemizonia fasciculata=).
Yellow tarweed (=Hemizonia virgata=).
“Yellow Tops” (=Hemizonia=).
Goldenrod (=Solidago occidentalis=).
Rabbit brush (white) (=Chrysothamnus nauseosus hypolluca=).
Cultivated plants that would rank with the above had they a wider
distribution:
Common century plant (=Agave americana=).
White clover (=Trifolium repens=).
American linden (=Tilia americana=).
Tamarisk (=Tamaris=, =Eucalyptus calophylla=).
Yate tree (=Eucalyptus cornuta=).
Sugar gum (=Eucalyptus corynocalyx=).
Cider gum (=Eucalyptus Gunnii=, =Eucalyptus Lehmannii=).
White ironbark (=Eucalyptus leucoxylon=).
Spotted gum (=Eucalyptus maculata=).
Honey scented gum (=Eucalyptus ficifolia=).
Red boxtree (=Eucalyptus polyanthemos=).
Red mahogany gum (=Eucalyptus resinifera=).
Swamp mahogany gum (=Eucalyptus robusta=).
Broad leaved ironbark (=Eucalyptus siderophloia=).
Victoria ironbark (=Eucalyptus sideroxylon=).
Apple scented gum (=Eucalyptus Stuartiana=).
Forest gray gum (=Eucalyptus tereticornia=).
Honey plants occasionally yielding a surplus:
Asparagus (=Asparagus officinalis=).
Live oak (=Quercus agrifolia=).
Blue oak (=Quercus douglassii=).
Valley oak (=Quercus lobata=).
Mistletoe (=Phoradendron=).
Common mustard (=Brassica campestris=).
Wild radish (=Raphanus sativus=, =Escallonia montevidensis=).
Wild currant (=Ribes sanguineum=).
Greasewood (=Adenostoma fasciculatum=).
Castor oil plant (=Ricinus communis=).
Islay or holly leaved cherry (=Cerasus illicifolia=).
Bitter almond (=Prunus amygdalus=).
Apricot (=Prunus amygdalus=).
Apricot (=Prunus armeniaca=).
Cherry (=Prunus cerasus=).
Plum and prune (=Prunus domestica=).
Peach (=Prunus persica=).
Raspberry (=Rubus strigosus=).
Cultivated blackberry (=Rubus villosus=).
Himalayan berry (=Rubus villosus var.=).
Common wild blackberry (=Rubus vitifolius=).
Black wattle (=Acacia decurrens mollis=).
Golden wattle (=Acacia pycnantha=).
Rattleweed (=Astragalus=).
Yellow sweet clover (=Melilotus indica=).
Locust (=Robinia pseudo-acacia=).
Sour clover (=Trifolium fucatum=).
Alsike (=Trifolium hybridum=).
Gorse (=Ulex europaeus=).
Mandarin (=Citrus nobilis=, =Croton californicus=).
Turkey mullein (=Eremocarpus setigerus=, =Ceanothus cuneatus=).
Wild lilac (=Ceanothus=, =Rhamnus corcea=).
Grape (=Vitis vinifera=).
Cotton (=Gossypium herbaceum=, =Godetia bottae=).
California waterweed (=Jussiaea californica=).
Sweet fennel (=Foeniculum vulgare=).
Madrona (=Arbutus menziesii=).
Oregon ash (=Fraxinus oregona=).
Olive (=Olea europaea=).
Morning glory (=Convolvulus arvensis=, =Gilia chamissonis=).
Hill vervenia (=Phacelia distans=, =Phacelia ramosissima=).
Heliotrope (=Heliotropium=).
Lawn plant (=Lippia repens=).
Wild verbena (=Verbena prostrata=).
Yerba Buena (=Micromeria chamissonis=).
Hedge nettle (=Stachys bullata=).
California figwort (=Scrophularia californica=).
Simpson’s honey plant (=Scrophularia vernalis=).
Watermelon (=Citrullus vulgaris=).
Cantaloupe (=Cucumis mello=).
Cucumber (=Cucumis sativus=).
Winter squash (=Cucurbita moschata=).
Pumpkin (=Cucurbita pepo=).
Globe artichoke (=Cynara Scolymus=).
Jerusalem artichoke (=Helianthus tuberosus=).
Mayweed (=Anthemis cotula=).
Beggar ticks (=Bidens frondosa=).
Spanish needle (=Bidens pilosa=, =Coreopsis gigantea=).
Cultivated plants that would rank with the above had they a wider
distribution:
Mignonette (=Reseda odorata=).
White tree clover (=Cystisus proliferus=, =Melilotus bicolor=).
Poinsettia (=Euphorbia pulcherrima=).
Honey plants not known to yield a surplus:
Corn (=Zea mays=).
Tanbark oak (=Quercus densiflora=).
Virgin’s bower (=Clematis ligusticifolia=, =Clematis=).
California laurel (=Umbellularia californica=).
California poppy (=Eschscholtzia californica=).
Cream cups (=Platystemon californicus=).
Canyon gooseberry (=Ribes menziesii=).
(Western) chokecherry (=Cerasus demissa=).
Rose (=Rosa californica=).
Wild sweet pea (=Lathyrus splendens=).
Lupin (=Lupinus affinis=).
Nonesuch (=Medicago lupulina=).
Red clover (=Trifolium pratense=).
Spring vetch (=Vicia sativa=).
Maple (=Acer negundo=).
Virginia creeper (=Ampelopsis quinquefolia=).
California wild grape (=Vitis californica=).
Small flowered mallow (=Malva parviflora=).
White mallow (=Malva sylvestris=, =Helianthemum scoparium=).
Milkweed (=Asclepias mexicana=).
Milkweed (=Asclepias speciosa=).
Dodder (=Cuscuta=).
Common heliotrope (=Heliotropium curassavicum=).
=Tournefortia heliotropoides.=
Tule mint (=Mentha canadensis=).
Pennyroyal (=Monardella lanceolata=).
Loving sage (=Salvia amabilis=).
Winter savory (=Satureia montana=).
=Stachys ajugoides.=
=Stachys albens.=
=Veronica andersonii.=
Common plantain (=Plantego major=).
Wild honeysuckle (=Lonicera=).
Blue elderberry (=Sambucus glauca=).
Cornflower (=Centaurea cyanus=), =Encelia californica=, =Eriophyllum
confertiflorum=, =Heterotheca grandiflora=, =Malacothris saxatilis=.
Common sow thistle (=Sonchus oleraceus=, =Sonchus maruanthus=).
--M. C. Richter, Bulletin 217, Agricultural Experiment Station, Cal.
CALIFORNIA POPPY, see Poppy.
CAMPANILLA (Ipomoea).
The campanillas, or Christmas bells, are plants similar to our American
morning-glory, which are common to Cuba and adjacent countries. The
vines are perennial and grow to considerable size, covering wayside
fences, trees, etc. The name Christmas bells, applied to white
bellflower, comes from the fact that the height of the blooming period
is reached near the holiday season. There are two species, known as
white campanilla (=Ipomoea sidaefolia=), and the pink bellflower
(=Ipomoea triloba=). The latter blooms a month or two before the white
variety.
The honey, according to Root’s A B C, is equal to alfalfa or sage in
color and flavor, the comb built during a campanilla flow being pearly
white and the wax, when melted, as white as tallow.
CAMPHOR WEED, see Blue Curls.
CANADA THISTLE (Carduus arvensis).
The Canada thistle is a most troublesome weed, naturalized from Europe
and widely spread through Eastern America. It is a perennial plant,
growing from one to two feet high. The roots creep extensively,
thus gradually spreading the plant to surrounding areas. It is very
persistent and difficult to eradicate. It is common in fields, pastures
and along roadsides.
It is the source of a light honey of good quality. It is most
frequently reported as a source of surplus in Ontario and the Eastern
States.
CANADIAN HEMP, see Dogbane.
CARPET GRASS (Lippia).
The carpet grass of California (=Lippia repens=) is a native of Chili
which has been introduced on the Pacific Coast and widely cultivated as
a lawn plant. It is known as lawn plant, carpet grass and lippia. It is
much sought by the bees and is the source of some honey, a surplus of
two cases per colony being not unusual, according to C. D. Stuart. The
honey, he states, is light amber, heavy body, and similar in quality
to alfalfa. The plant is of trailing habit, spreading by rooting of
runners like strawberries. Fig. 34.
[Illustration: Fig. 34. Carpet grass or Lippia.]
=Lippia nodiflora=, mat grass or fog fruit, is native to California,
and, according to Richter, is the principal source of surplus honey in
the vicinity of Sacramento. Three-fourths of the surplus honey from
Sutter County he reports as from this source. There it begins to bloom
in May and lasts till frost. According to Jepson, the plant is esteemed
as a covering for levees, to resist erosion. It is especially valuable
on overflowed lands after the water recedes. The honey is said to be
light in color, mild in flavor, and to granulate readily.
CARROT (Daucus carota).
The carrot is a well-known garden vegetable which came from Europe
and is everywhere cultivated in gardens. It has escaped and become
naturalized over a wide scope of country. It yields some honey, and
where grown on a large scale for seed or for the roots, it is valuable
for the bees.
We quote Richter as follows:
“Honey white, with a characteristic flavor, and granulating within
a few months after extraction. A most excellent yielder in the
Sacramento Valley, where it is considered to surpass the onion as a
honey plant.”--Honey Plants of California.
CASCARA SAGRADA, see Buckthorn.
CASSIA, see Partridge Pea.
CASTOR BEAN (Ricinus communis).
The castor bean, or castor oil plant, is often cultivated for the
oil contents of the beans. Large areas were planted during the late
war, especially in Texas. The plant has escaped from cultivation and
become naturalized in the Southeastern States. It is generally planted
for ornament over a large scope of country. It is reported as very
attractive to the bees and of some value for honey, where sufficiently
abundant. Scholl lists it in the Texas bulletin as yielding well in
favorable seasons. Richter lists it also for California.
CASTOR OIL PLANT, see Castor Bean.
[Illustration: Fig. 35. Catalpa blossoms.]
CATALPA (Catalpa speciosa).
The catalpa tree produces a great profusion of bloom. The blossoms
are so large that a bee can readily crawl right into the heart of the
flower.
The testimony of competent observers gives an unqualified indorsement
of the catalpa as a nectar producer, though there is slight mention
of it in our literature. The fact that large areas of these trees
are being planted for timber, in many places, makes them of special
interest to the beekeeper. The catalpa, or Indian bean (=Catalpa
speciosa=) is a native of the woodlands of southern Indiana and
Tennessee, west to Arkansas. This form, known as the hardy catalpa,
is also widely planted in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska and other
States. There is another similar species closely resembling it which
occurs further south, and is common in the Gulf States.
The leaves are heart-shaped and the blossoms are large, nearly white,
and grow in large clusters, as shown in Fig. 35. The tree grows very
rapidly furnishing desirable timber for fence posts, telephone poles,
railroad ties, etc. In Kansas, large areas have been planted by the
railroad companies for the purpose of growing ties. Beekeepers situated
near such plantings should find the trees of material value.
[Illustration: Fig. 36. Catnip.]
CATNIP (Nepeta Cataria).
Catnip, or catmint, was introduced from Europe, and cultivated in herb
gardens. It is thus an escaped introduction and has become very widely
naturalized in the United States, although it is generally considered
a weed. It is usually found only in the vicinity of buildings and
gardens, and seldom spreads into the fields to any extent. Almost all
or us remember the popularity of catnip tea among the grandmothers
of an earlier generation. The plant is a perennial, growing from 2
to 3 feet high, with flowers in clusters, the more conspicuous ones
being in a terminal spike. The blooming season is rather long, and the
bees visit it very freely. Apparently, the plant yields much nectar,
although it is seldom present in sufficient quantity to test its
real value as a honey producer. If it had sufficient value for other
purposes to justify its cultivation, it would probably be an important
source of nectar.
CATSCLAW, see Acacia.
CAT’S EAR (Hypochaeris radicata).
Cat’s ear, sometimes called California dandelion, is abundant west
of the Cascade Mountains in Washington and south to California. It
is a naturalized European weed in pastures and fields, blooming in
midsummer. According to H. A. Scullen, it supplies considerable nectar
in Washington. It is amber color and in some localities darkens the
fireweed honey.
CELASTRUS Scandens, see Bittersweet.
CELERY (Apium graveolens).
The blossoms of the cultivated celery yield nectar abundantly, and
where grown for seed, it is a valuable source of honey. In the seed
belt of California it yields well, as the following will indicate:
“I saw the hives stacked five or six high and on opening them we
found them jammed full of honey; in fact, the bees should have had
room long before, but Mr. Gear had had difficulty in getting help,
and the bees had got ahead of him. The colonies were so crowded that
the space between the frames and the tops of the hives were built
full of burr combs. All this honey was from celery and parsnip.
* * * On our arrival at the field it was easy to see that there was
honey in the blossoms. In the sunlight the little drops of nectar
gleamed like myriads of little diamonds. * * * I tasted some of the
raw nectar from the celery. Sure enough, there was quite a strong
suggestion of celery flavor.”--E. R. Root, Gleanings, Nov., 1919,
page 712.