Honey bush: a list of the best trees and shrubs for bees, their descriptions
Bees collect nectar, pollen and sticky matter from various plants. The resulting ingredients are processed by hardworking insects into honey, bee bread and propolis. Plants from which bees make useful products are called honey plants. They can have different productivity and differ in value. The timing of their flowering and other features also differ.
Shrubs and trees
To honey plants include bushes or small trees. Many valuable crops grow in central Russia. Their main feature is that they are all considered perennials.
Barberry
This perennial shrub is characterized by excellent decorative properties. All varieties of culture serve as a source of valuable raw materials for bees. More than 100 kilograms of honey can be obtained from 1 hectare.
Hawthorn
All varieties of hawthorn are excellent honey plants. However, the culture is not very widespread. Therefore, it does not provide a good commercial honey collection. Among all types of hawthorn, bees prefer single-stone, Turkestan, Pontic to a greater extent.
Hazel
This plant is more famous for its fruits. In addition, it is one of the earliest honey plants. The bush almost does not produce raw materials directly for honey, but it brings a lot of valuable perga.
Willow
This crop is considered one of the most common honey plants. Most varieties grow as shrubs. There are also trees. The culture is considered a spring plant, which is characterized by early flowering. From 1 hectare it is possible to get from 10 to 150 kilograms of honey.
Blueberries
This shrub is a spring-summer honey plant. He provides supportive bribes. Productivity from 1 hectare - 50-80 kilograms. Blueberry honey has a transparent texture and a pleasant taste. It also has a special aroma and a reddish tint. The product is valued for its medicinal properties and is suitable for diet.
Cowberry
This shrub is an evergreen.It provides the bees with a supporting nectar. From 1 hectare of plantings it will be possible to get up to 50 kilograms of honey. Flowering lasts 2 weeks. It starts at the end of May. Cowberry honey is a natural remedy.
Yellow Acacia (Tree Caragana)
This shrub is the main honey plant of early bribe. From 1 hectare it is possible to get up to 300 kilograms of the product. Acacia honey is characterized by a transparent consistency and a light shade. It also has a pleasant aroma.
The product does not crystallize for a long time and remains liquid all year round. In addition, the composition is well absorbed and is characterized by serious antiseptic characteristics. The composition does not provoke allergies and improves digestion.
Chestnut
This tree is a spring honey plant. The chestnut provides bees with pollen, nectar and a sticky liquid. A characteristic feature of the culture is the change in the shade of the specks on the flowers from yellow to reddish. After such changes, the bees do not fly to the plant.
Chestnut blossoms for 2 weeks - in May and June. The number of flowers is affected by air temperature. From 1 hectare it is possible to get 25 kilograms of the product. Chestnut honey is characterized by a liquid structure and a transparent consistency.
Vatochnik
This shrub brings from 1 hectare to 700 kilograms of honey. Each bee family is able to bring 5 kilograms of nectar per day. Flowering culture begins at the end of June. Honey made from milkweed is characterized by a special aroma and good taste. It is characterized by a light shade.
Linden
This valuable honey plant is characterized by record performance. From 1 hectare of plantings it is possible to get up to 1 ton of honey. However, there is an important disadvantage - the tree is highly sensitive to climatic factors.Open nectaries can be affected by strong winds, drought and heavy rainfall.
Bird cherry
This culture is a spring honey plant. However, it is characterized by low productivity. It is quite possible to get up to 20 kilograms of honey from 1 hectare.
At the same time, bird cherry honey has healing properties. It helps to strengthen the circulatory system, restore bowel function and relieve inflammation. Thanks to the high content of vitamins, the product helps to strengthen the immune system.
Herbs and flowers
There are many herbs that are distinguished by pronounced melliferous properties and high productivity.
Heather
This flower is an autumn honey plant. From 1 hectare it is possible to get up to 100 kilograms of honey.Heather honey has a red or brown color, a bitter taste and a strong aroma. The increased content of proteins prevents crystallization. After pumping, the substance acquires a jelly texture.
Buckwheat
This crop is considered one of the main honey plants. Under favorable conditions, up to 80 kilograms of honey can be obtained from 1 hectare of plantings. Bees collect raw materials throughout August. The flowers of the plant bring a lot of nectar and greenish-yellow pollen. Buckwheat honey is characterized by a dark shade and a special taste. The product contains a lot of iron and antiseptic components.
Donnik
Yellow and white sweet clover are considered productive honey plants. The plant has a long flowering from July to the end of autumn. Sweet clover brings up to 600 kilograms of honey from 1 hectare. The product is light in color and tastes great.
Goldenrod
This culture belongs to the autumn honey plants. It provides the bees with a supply of honey and pollen for the winter. The goldenrod is characterized by moderate productivity - from 1 hectare of plantings it is possible to obtain up to 120 kilograms of honey. The product may have a dark yellow or brownish tint and a bitter taste.
Ivan tea (fireweed)
This herbaceous perennial plant is a summer honey plant. Its productivity is 600 kilograms per 1 hectare. The culture begins to bloom in June or July. This lasts approximately 40 days. From this plant, transparent greenish honey is obtained. It is characterized by a delicate aroma.
Clover
This culture is one of the best honey plants. Clover productivity is up to 200 kilograms per hectare. At the same time, the culture blooms in June-July.
Honey, which is obtained from clover, has a bright amber color, pronounced aroma and viscous texture.
Coriander
This herbaceous annual is a wonderful summer honey plant that usually blooms in June. From 1 hectare it is possible to get up to 200 kilograms of honey. The finished product has a transparent consistency. It may have an amber hue. Since coriander contains many essential oils, it has a spicy and pungent taste.
Dandelion
This plant produces about 4.5 kilograms of honey per hectare. Dandelion blooms usually occur in May-June. This type of honey has a thick texture and golden yellow color.
The product is characterized by rapid crystallization and pronounced aroma. It has an unusually sharp taste.
Sow thistle
This herbaceous perennial plant belongs to weeds. It blooms in summer and autumn. From 1 hectare it is possible to get about 400 kilograms of the product. Thistle honey has a white or light yellow color and a pleasant taste. It is valued for its beneficial properties.
Sunflower
This annual yields up to 50 kilograms of honey from 1 hectare. Flowering lasts about 1 month. It usually falls in July or August. Liquid honey has a pleasant taste. It quickly crystallizes and acquires a light amber hue. Sometimes it has greenish notes. After crystallization, the product has a slight aroma and a pleasant taste with a slight astringency.
Rapeseed
This herbaceous annual plant is an early spring honey plant in case of winter sowing.At the same time, 60-90 kilograms of honey can be obtained from 1 hectare of rapeseed. It has a white or yellowish color, an unusually sweet taste and a special aroma. The product is very thick and crystallizes quickly.
Common bruise
This herb belongs to summer honey plants. It brings up to 800 kilograms of product from 1 hectare. Honey from this plant is considered first-class. It has a thick texture and sets slowly.
Phacelia
This plant has excellent honey properties. From 1 hectare of plantings, it is possible to obtain up to 500 kilograms of honey. The product is characterized by a sweet taste with tart notes. However, it can have different shades - light yellow, bluish or green.
Chistyak
This culture is classified as an early spring honey plant. She attracts bees. From 1 hectare it is possible to obtain up to 15 kilograms of matter.
Specially planted honey plants
There are many honey crops that are planted on purpose. They are distinguished by excellent properties and high productivity.
Hyssop
The flowering of this Asian culture begins in July and lasts until the end of autumn. To grow a plant on the site, it is permissible to use the seed method or dividing the bush. It is recommended to plant it in light soil.
Catnip
Culture begins to bloom in the first half of July, and ends in frost. Bees love this plant. It is best grown in seedlings.
Lofant
This flower has been growing in one place for 10 years. It is propagated by seedlings or seeds.
Oriental goat's rue
This perennial is considered very unpretentious. Its flowering begins in May. You can propagate the culture by seed.
Globular Mordovnik
This crop is highly productive. From 1 hectare it is possible to get up to 1 ton of honey. The plant is usually planted with phacelia.
Melissa
Culture has a wonderful aroma that attracts bees. Flowering begins in July or August and lasts for several months.
Cucumber Grass
This plant grows well in any soil, but wet black soil is considered the best option. Flowering lasts from July to autumn.
Angelica
This crop is recommended to grow in nutrient soil. It needs regular watering. This significantly increases the productivity of the plant.
Sainfoin
The flowers of this plant form clusters and have a purple hue. It is recommended to propagate sainfoin by seeds. This is best done in nutrient soil.
Safflower
Culture is best planted after cereals. It requires nutrient soil. It is better to plant bushes by seed. In this case, landing should be done in early spring.
Honey plants are diverse. These include various herbs, bushes and trees. The quality and benefits of honey depend on the honey plant.
Recommended
Which honey is the most useful: a list of species and their characteristics, which variety is better
Many people wonder what kind of honey is considered the most useful. Today, there are many varieties of bee products that contain many valuable substances.
What to plant under an apple tree in the garden: neighborhood with trees and shrubs
Before deciding what is best to plant under an apple tree, you need to study the growth characteristics of the crown and the root system of the tree. Some plants negatively affect its development, others enrich the soil with microelements and repel pests.
Dwarf apple trees: a list of varieties with a description, planting and care, advantages and disadvantages
The variety of dwarf apple trees has a number of features and advantages in comparison with conventional varieties. Low-growing trees are suitable for planting in summer cottages and on an industrial scale.