• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Late fall/winter honeyflow plants for zone 7

 
pollinator
Posts: 508
Location: Upstate SC
98
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
This time of year in zone 7 in SC, the bees have a very limited selection of plants to visit. The only native tree in bloom right now is the witch hazel, but it is a small shade-living tree bearing a relatively small number of flowers and there are none to be found growing on or near my property.  But I have a large (20' high x 30' across) Eucalyptus neglecta growing on my property that is covered with 100's of blooms from mid Nov through New Years that is buzzing with bees on any day that is warm enough for bees to fly.  Do you know of any other plants that are blooming now and are popular with honeybees?
 
steward
Posts: 3701
Location: woodland, washington
199
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I've heard good things about Tetradium daniellii. invasive ivies are reliable around here (on the other side of the continent).
 
pollinator
Posts: 1190
Location: Nevada, Mo 64772
123
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Henbit or maybe purple dead nettle is blooming here in Missouri, 6B. Can't remember how to tell them apart.

We've got a few dandilions.
 
pollinator
Posts: 1701
Location: southern Illinois, USA
296
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The sasanqua camellia and the fragrant tea-olive (Osmanthus) come to mind.
 
master pollinator
Posts: 1746
Location: Ashhurst New Zealand (Cfb - oceanic temperate)
533
duck trees chicken cooking wood heat woodworking homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
In my neck of the woods (southern North Island NZ, maritime temperate) our best winter-flowering bee plants are the native koromiko (Hebe stricta) and tagasaste. The koromiko flowers profusely throughout June and well into July most years, and when it's done the tagasaste is starting to bloom. Both are heavy nectar producers and popular with honeybees and bumblebees as well as native pollinators. Not sure how hardy they'd be in SC but definitely worth a shot if you can source them.
 
master pollinator
Posts: 4968
Location: Due to winter mortality, I stubbornly state, zone 7a Tennessee
2124
6
forest garden foraging books food preservation cooking fiber arts bee medical herbs
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Ken W Wilson wrote:Henbit or maybe purple dead nettle is blooming here in Missouri, 6B. Can't remember how to tell them apart.

We've got a few dandilions.



Henbit grow upright. I say that dead nettle is henbit's lazy cousin-she likes to lay down, root at the nodes. and her hat (flower top) is always askew. Pics here, not mine. http://www.survivallandusa.com/Lamium-Amplexicaule-Henbit-Dead-Nettle-Edible.html

Both are also edible. Enjoyable in a mixed salad, and when paired with spicy-hot ingredients. The best parts are the top 3 inches or so, when the flowers have just opened.
 
Surfs up space ponies, I'm making gravy without this lumpy, tiny ad:
12 DVDs bundle
https://permies.com/wiki/269050/DVDs-bundle
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic