Chitalpa as bee forage tree?

Hi all

have been searching for great nectar trees to plant and Chitalpa has come up high on the list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%97_Chitalpa

has anyone seen firsthand bees work this tree either for pollen or nectar.

thanks

It might have lots of flowers and nectar but not be the correct plant for your site as it flowers when lots of other plants the bees love are flowering too . Have you mapped out what other plants are available through out the year to see where any gaps in flowering plants are ?

David

Hi
yes i have a calendar and this tree flowers for a long time just when we need it.

Hi, I can't vouch for anything first-hand as I've only now discovered the chitalpa (coming from another source).

There is however this -

"If bees worked on transmissions they’d hang posters of Catalpa flowers around the shop... Catalpa’s offspring Chitalpa seems less favored by bees, as does the other parent Chilopsis (Desert Willow)"

http://abqbeeks.org/forum/topics/top-bee-plants-for-abq

I planted one last fall. It made it through one very brief cold front (10f) for a night, and a few days 25ish. Its currently leafing out. So I have yet to have blooms.

Hi

ok if Catalpa is 10/10 and chitalpa is only 5/10 i would be satisfied with that as Chitalpa is reported to flower over 3 to 4 months just when we have our dearth.

i just got my plant the other week it is just about fall here so yours will probably flower b4 mine