can someone ID this please

[taff..]

the bees were going mad on this, this afternoon. Thats honey bees and bumble

 

[ian]

Hi


Pussy Willow, and yes they love it..............


Regards Ian

 

[MuswellMetro]

the bees were going mad on this, this afternoon. Thats honey bees and bumble

? Pussy willow

Salix Caprea

 

[taff..]

easy peasey, thank you

 

[MuswellMetro]

easy peasey, thank you

you can buy cuttings of it on ebay

 

[Annrbel]

You're so lucky, ours isn't out yet. If you want it in your garden, chop off a young whippy branch and shove it into the earth. Water well and watch it grow. Or grab some of the seeds, ours are self seeded from trees over 500 metres away. Saplings do take a few years to flower though so if you need sooner you'll have to buy a more mature specimen. Beautiful sound isn't it.

 

[darrenperrett]

You`re willow`s a couple of weeks ahead of mine by the look of it Taff. Bud`s are just starting to open here. Loads of hazel out but the bees don`t seem interested, they seem to prefer my gorse still.

Darren.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi taff,
Yes its of the willow family but as for pussy willow I'm not convinced could bee kilmarnick willow as mine is out similar to your photo. Taff are there any leaves showing if so please describe them and I 'll find out what willow it is.
Thanks.

Regards;

 

[taff..]

interesting thoughts about planing cuttings, I think I have just the place to put a few willow trees

Hi taff,
Yes its of the willow family but as for pussy willow I'm not convinced could bee kilmarnick willow as mine is out similar to your photo. Taff are there any leaves showing if so please describe them and I 'll find out what willow it is.
Thanks.

Regards;

as per the photo really, there's no leaves showing yet

 

[Hombre]

Taff,
I understand that the time for taking and planting willow rods or whips, depending on their length, is end of November when they lose their leaves until the end of March when typically the buds start to burst.

I have put in a few willow rods to create a wind break and my expectation is that they will have made significant progress by the end of July. So much so that I'm led to believing that if I don't coppice annually then I'm likely to be snowed with their combined growth.

Veg would like that.

 

[Annrbel]

Pretty sure ours our Salix Caprea that found their way in to the garden, max time for growing 5 years and only one quite big - obviously the oldest, and first year with good supply of buds. There are lots of willows, for weaving, burning or just letting ratty and friends doze in their shade, I think drawing charcoal can be made from them too. Be interested to know if willow provides nectar as well as pollen, last year we had to super early and the resultant Spring honey (I whipped off a frame to try) was golden and liquid. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Bcrazy]

Hi taff
I think not certain but I believe its only pollen that the bees get from willow, and the pollen is a Good to above average protein source for them.

Regards;

 

[taff..]

all excellent info, than you all

Hi taff
I think not certain but I believe its only pollen that the bees get from willow, and the pollen is a Good to above average protein source for them.

Regards;

thats enough motivation for me to try and plant some a little closer to the hives, a good early protein source

 

[RoofTops]

There are some good pictures and description here: http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag...roscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artsep07/bj-willow.html

 

[mbc]

Hi taff
I think not certain but I believe its only pollen that the bees get from willow, and the pollen is a Good to above average protein source for them.

Regards;

Willow is good for pollen and necter but there are many different varieties, maybe some only give pollen?
Its certainly possible to half fill supers with willow honey though as I've done it ( 99% certain but I've been wrong in the past!)

 

[johna]

We've planted 250 Salix Viminalis for biomass fuel.they WILL grow at the rate of 6 ft per year but up here in Scotland at an altitude of 470 ft above sea level ours grow at about 3ft per year.It took 4 years before they produced catkins but the bees are all over them when they're out and produce huge amounts of pollen.If you take pieces of branch and put into a bucket of water they will produce roots so you can then plant out at any time of the year-obviously water well in the summer until they're established.In the autumn just shove a twig into the ground.Must be THE early spring pollen source.