=Mentzeli speciosa= is a conspicuous plant along roadsides and waste
places in Colorado. Its large white blossoms are closed during the heat
of the day, but beekeepers report that the bees work upon it freely in
early morning and late evening. It is probably not important.
In Oregon the stickleaf (=Mentzelia albicaulis=) grows freely on dry,
stony land. It has a spreading habit and its pale orange colored
flowers are very attractive to the bees.
MESQUITE (Prosopis glandulosa).
The mesquite, or mezquit, is the most important plant of the arid
regions from central Texas to New Mexico and eastern California. At a
distance it has much the appearance of an aged peach tree. A northern
man riding through the mesquite region on the train, for the first
time, remarked that he had never seen such extensive peach orchards in
his life. The tree is much branched and spreading in habit and is the
source of fuel for the inhabitants of the region. Live stock also are
fond of the leaves and pods and the Indians of the Southwest eat the
seeds, first grinding them into meal and baking them.
The same or a closely related species is common in Hawaii, where it
is known as algaroba. There it is one of the most important sources
of honey. (See Hawaii). This species is sometimes called honey-pod or
honey-locust, although the true honey-locust is a very different tree.
[Illustration: Mesquite is one of the most important sources of honey
in the Southwest.]
In the desert regions of California it is an important source of large
quantities of honey, as it is in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. In
southwest Texas mesquite is the principal source. The honey is light
amber and of good quality. Beekeepers report that it is lighter in
color some years than others, even though nothing is blooming at the
same season, so the difference cannot be laid to a mixture of honey
from different sources. The quality of mesquite honey is good. It is
reported to yield more regularly on sandy land than on heavy soil.
There are two blooming periods, the first in spring, usually in April,
and the second in July. If there has been plenty of moisture previously
the mesquite blooms profusely, due to the fact that it roots very
deeply and can reach any moisture that is available in the soil.
MEXICAN CLOVER (Richardia scabra).
The name clover is a misnomer, for this plant does not belong to the
clovers but to an entirely different group. It is a luxuriant annual
weed growing to a height of two feet or more. The bees are reported as
working upon it quite late in the season.
The plant was introduced from the tropics and has become naturalized in
Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.
MICHIGAN--Honey Sources of.
While Michigan is within the clover belt, there are a greater variety
of sources of surplus honey than in most nearby States. In spring,
willows, maples, fruit bloom and dandelion have the usual importance.
Both white and alsike clover yield surplus in Michigan. To these may
be added wild raspberry, fireweed or willow herb and milkweeds, all of
which are important sources of surplus honey in the northern part of
the State. Basswood was formerly important and still produces surplus
in some sections, though many of the basswood forests have been cut.
Buckwheat is also a source of surplus in some parts of Michigan,
though according to E. D. Townsend surplus from buckwheat is only to
be expected on “a rather poor quality of sandy soil.” Townsend says,
further, that alsike is worth all other sources put together in the
southern two-thirds of the lower peninsula, and that aster yields
surplus in Sanilac County.--Gleanings, page 1184, 1908.
MIGNONETTE (Reseda odorata). COMMON MIGNONETTE.
The mignonette of our gardens is a native of Egypt which came to
America by way of Europe. It is frequently mentioned as a honey plant,
especially in older literature. Some extravagant claims have been
made for it, but perhaps it has never been given a fair test on a
sufficiently large scale to demonstrate fully its value. The following
extract from an article which appeared in the American Bee Journal,
Page 47, 1878, is of interest in this connection:
“After being started under diligent cultivation it was astonishing
to see the rapid progress which they made. The plants soon covered
the ground, where soil was good, and were out in blossom in a short
time, and from that time forward the bees were working on them by the
thousand from morning till late afternoon. I have seen them thick on
it by 8 o’clock. It yields pollen as well as honey. * * *
“I have found that on account of the spikes of the blossom being so
much longer, the bees must work on the larger varieties. I have some
sorts which stand two feet high, the spikes being from eight to ten
inches long. * * *
“A correspondent from California stated that he thought an acre of
mignonette would be adequate for a hundred colonies. * * *
“When you give them this in addition to what they would otherwise
have, it will certainly secure an immense addition to the honey
produced. There is no plant within the range of our knowledge as
valuable for bee forage as mignonette. It will bloom year after year
if not disturbed by frost and gives a longer period of bloom than any
other plant. It gives more blossoms in a given space and more forage
than any plant we have ever seen. Honey from this plant has the most
delicious fragrance of any we have ever tasted.”--William Thompson.
It was later tested at the Michigan Agricultural College, but Professor
Cook failed to bear out the above claims. He reported as follows:
“I expected great things of this plant, as the bee papers were very
high in their praise of its qualities. June 23 it began to blossom,
and it was not till the 27th that the bees began their work upon it.
They did not seem to take to it very readily, for on every occasion
that I made observations, I found very few bees present. With us it
proved a failure. Others have corroborated this statement. * * * It
is rather a delicate plant for this climate.”--Page 83, A. B. J.,
1878.
It is listed by Richter in Bulletin 217, “Honey Plants of California,”
with the statement that it is “very much visited by bees whenever in
bloom.”
MILK VETCH (Astragalus).
The milk vetch is a close relative of the loco (see Loco), and like the
loco is visited by the bees. Some species are of some value for honey,
especially in the plains region west of the Missouri River.
MILKWEED (Asclepias).
The milkweeds are a large family of plants common to the temperate and
tropical regions of many parts of the world. North America alone has
55 recognized species. These plants are also known as butterfly weeds
and milkweeds. The blossoms are borne in large ball-shaped clusters
as shown in Figure 92. The seeds are attached to silken parachutes,
on which they are carried by the wind. It is these silky attachments
that give rise to the name “silkweed.” Remarkable yields of honey
are sometimes secured from milkweeds. An average yield of 100 pounds
per colony from this source is occasionally reported through the bee
magazines.
Much has been written about the entangling of bees in the pollen masses
of milkweed. It frequently happens that bees thus entangled are unable
to free themselves and die as a result. Some species of milkweed is
included in nearly every list of honey plants which the author has
consulted. Apparently it may be regarded as of some value almost
everywhere. The honey is said to be light in color and of good quality.
[Illustration: Fig. 92. Blossoms of the milkweed.]
It is of special importance in northern Michigan, where it grows in
great abundance, as shown by Figure 93. In some locations beekeepers
report an average per colony production of 50 pounds, year after year,
from milkweed.
[Illustration: Fig. 93. In Northern Michigan milkweeds grow abundantly
over large areas and are the source of much surplus honey.]
MILKWEED VINE, see Bluevine.
MINNESOTA--Honey Sources of.
In early spring the willows and maples, followed by dandelions are
important for spring brood rearing. Fruit bloom is also valuable in
spring. White clover and alsike are the most important sources of
surplus. Probably there is no place in the world where these clovers
yield nectar more abundantly than in Minnesota. Sweet clover is also
important in some sections of the State. Willow herb or fireweed,
basswood, goldenrod and asters may be mentioned.
MINT (Mentha).
Richter lists the spearmint, or peppermint, (=Mentha spicata=), as
yielding a great abundance of amber colored honey in Sacramento County,
California and southward. Spearmint was introduced from Europe and has
escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in many places, both
east and west.
He also lists the tule mint (=Mentha canadensis=) as yielding honey
from July to October. The mints belong to an important group of honey
plants and where sufficiently common are valuable. They should not
be confused with hedge nettle, which is locally called mint in many
places. (See Hedge Nettle).
MISSISSIPPI--Honey Sources of.
Along the eastern border of the State there is a large area where sweet
clover is widely disseminated. In this section large yields of surplus
honey from this source are reported. An average yield of 140 pounds per
colony of surplus from 700 colonies in one yard near Prairie Point has
been reported to the author by a prominent Mississippi apiarist.
Willow, maple, fruit bloom and elm are reported as important for early
pollen and nectar. White clover yields some honey in the northern part
of the State. Persimmon is given as an important source of dark honey.
Bitterweed yields freely, but the quality is so poor as to be of little
value. Tupelo and cotton are valuable in some sections of the State.
There is some fall honey from asters and goldenrod.
The coast region offers a vast area of gallberry and there is much titi
along the streams. There are some very good unoccupied locations in
Mississippi which offer great possibilities for honey production.
MISSOURI CURRANT, see Buffalo Currant.
MISSOURI--Honey Sources of.
White clover is the one principal source of honey in Missouri. Sweet
clover yields surplus in some localities. In the low lands along the
Mississippi River, heartsease, Spanish needle and boneset are also
important. In many places south of the Missouri River, bitterweed
yields some nectar, which is often mixed with the better honey and
spoils the quality. Bluevine (=Gonolobus laevis=) yields surplus in a
few localities. In the vicinity of Brunswick as much as 100 pounds of
surplus per colony has been reported.
Only a small portion of Missouri is well suited to commercial
beekeeping, owing to uncertainty of the honey flows. With the extension
of the growth of sweet clover as a farm crop conditions are improving.
MISTLETOE (Phoradendron flavescens).
The mistletoe is too well known to need description. It occurs as
a parasite on trees from southern New Jersey and Missouri south to
Florida and Texas. It is a yellowish-green shrub, much branched,
which grows on the branches of the trees to which it attaches itself.
It flowers early, usually in February and March, and is frequently
mentioned as a honey plant in the Southern States. Scholl lists it
as the first source of nectar and pollen in Texas, blooming there in
January and February. Many Texas beekeepers regard it as valuable for
spring stimulation.
MONARDA, see Horsemint.
MONTANA--Honey Sources of.
The principal sources of nectar in Montana are alfalfa and white sweet
clover in Yellowstone, Sun River, Missouri, Gallatin and Flat-Head
Valleys; yellow sweet clover in Bitterroot Valley, White clover in
Bitterroot and Gallatin Valleys, and fireweed in northwestern timbered
region. Minor plants are willow, dandelion, Grindelia (gum-weed),
etc.--H. A. Scullen.
MONUMENT PLANT (Frasera).
The monument plant is variously known as columbo, deer’s ears (a
translation of the Navaho name), and Frasera. It grows in high
altitudes from 7,000 to 10,000 feet, from South Dakota westward to
Montana and Oregon and south to New Mexico and California.
It has large, creamy blossoms, about two inches in diameter, on tall
flower stalks growing to a height of three feet. (Fig. 94.) It is
common in the Rocky Mountains and is much sought by the bees. According
to Wesley Foster it is an important source of honey in May. It is a
striking plant which once seen is not likely to be forgotten.
MORNING-GLORY (Convolvulus).
The morning-glory is a twining perennial vine of wide distribution
throughout the United States. It has a large bell-shaped corolla and is
often grown for ornament. Originally it was introduced from Europe as
an ornamental and has escaped and become naturalized in waste places,
old fields and along fences everywhere. It is probably not important
to the beekeeper anywhere, but Richter lists it as a honey plant at
Sacramento, California, and Scholl lists it as yielding some honey and
pollen in Texas.
[Illustration: Fig. 94. The monument plant (_Frasera speciosa_) is a
striking plant which, once seen, is not likely to be forgotten.]
At Victoria, Texas, according to M. B. Talley, morning glory yields
surplus honey of fine quality in September. There it is called tievine.
[Illustration: Fig. 95. Clump of motherwort in barnyard.]
MOTHERWORT (Leonurus Cardiaca).
The common motherwort is a weed introduced from Europe and Northern
Asia. It is now quite generally naturalized from Canada to Florida and
west to Louisiana. For some reason, it is seldom included in lists of
honey plants, although it is said to be an excellent source of nectar.
Reports of bees working on this plant very freely, in 1914, when most
other plants failed to yield anything, were frequent.
The motherwort grows in clumps in waste places in old barn lots, along
railroads, in factory grounds, etc. It grows from two to six feet high,
with small flower clusters in the axils of the leaves. It is a relative
of the catnip, and apparently equally attractive to the bees. This
plant was formerly used to some extent in medicine, especially for
diseases of women. It is also known as lion’s tail.
[Illustration: Fig. 96. Motherwort in bloom.]
Figure 96 shows the blossoms and leaves, and Figure 95 a clump of the
plants.
MOUNTAIN LAUREL, see Laurel.
MOUNTAIN LILAC (Ceanothus).
There are several species of mountain lilac common to California and
the Western States. They are closely related to the buckthorns. (See
Buckthorn). New Jersey tea belongs to this group. (See New Jersey tea).
Jepson lists fourteen species of =Ceanothus= common to California. They
are shrubs or small trees with small but showy flowers, borne in umbels
or panicles. The California species are mostly evergreen.
They are known by various names, as deer-brush, California lilac,
mountain lilac, etc. One species is called buckbrush.
Some species are common to the Mountain States from Wyoming and
Colorado to Arizona and west to Texas. Both honey and pollen are
secured from this source, though there are probably not many places
where surplus yields may be expected.
MOUNTAIN MINT, see Basil.
MOUNTAIN QUEEN, see Yucca.
[Illustration: Fig. 97. Mustard in bloom.]
MUSTARD (Brassica campestris).
Figure 97 shows the common yellow mustard (=Brassica campestris=),
which is common all over North America and in Europe. The black mustard
(=B. nigra=) also has a very wide distribution in Europe and America.
There are about 50 species, including the closely related cultivated
varieties of cabbage, turnips, rutabagas and mustard. All produce
some nectar, and in some localities they are an important source of
honey. In parts of California, notably the Lompoc Valley, mustard is
grown commercially for seed; much honey is stored from this source.
The honey is said to be light in color and mild in flavor. Apparently
there is much variation in the amount of nectar, according to climatic
conditions. In any locality where it is sufficiently abundant, mustard
can be expected to add something to the product of the apiary.
The late J. S. Harbison wrote, in his “Beekeepers’ Directory,”:
“Mustard affords a larger amount of valuable pasturage to the acre
than almost any other plant. It blooms throughout the month of May,
and part of June. During this time, bees increase in numbers, and
store from it large quantities of honey of a clear yellowish color,
but partaking slightly of the taste of the plant.”
N
NAPA THISTLE, see Star Thistle; also Centaurea.
NEBRASKA, Honey Sources of.
Most of Nebraska’s surplus honey is secured from clover, though alfalfa
is important in the western part of the State, especially under
irrigation. White clover, alsike and sweet clover are all important
honey plants in Nebraska. Cottonwood furnishes an important source of
pollen in spring. Willows and maples furnish both nectar and pollen,
while fruit bloom and dandelions are usually sufficient to enable the
bees to build up for the clover flow. There is a great variety of minor
sources which are not sufficiently abundant to yield much surplus.
Among these may be mentioned, milkweeds, catalpa, Rocky Mountain bee
plant, buffalo bur, vervain, Spanish needles, etc.
Heartsease yields abundant surplus some years and basswood was formerly
important in some places in eastern Nebraska.