Plumbago - leadwort - can bees get nectar or pollen from it?

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Juststarting

House Bee
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Location
North Derbyshire
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4 hives, 1 nuc
I have the possibility of siting an apiary near an old lead rake, which has a high density of plumbago (leadwort) that flowers in the spring.

Is this any good for bees - will they use it and if they do how will it flavour any honey ?

anyone any experience of this plant?
 
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:confused: Not sure: spring sandwort (Minuartia verna) grows on British lead spoil areas, and is locally referred to as Leadwort. It has small white flowers and is popular with bumble bees. Plumbago is a tender plant that wouldn't normally survive the winter up there... and Ceratostigma willmottianum is "hardy plumbago", also known as Leadwort, not because of any association with the mineral but (supposedly) because of the colour. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is similar but smaller. Both Plumbago and hardy Plumbago are blue or blue-white.

As far as I know, they are *all* good nectar plants. Butterfly Conservation recommends C. willmottianum as a good late nectar plant for butterflies such as Red admirals, so I guess honeybees like them too:drool5:
 
:confused: Not sure: spring sandwort (Minuartia verna) grows on British lead spoil areas, and is locally referred to as Leadwort. It has small white flowers and is popular with bumble bees. Plumbago is a tender plant that wouldn't normally survive the winter up there... and Ceratostigma willmottianum is "hardy plumbago", also known as Leadwort, not because of any association with the mineral but (supposedly) because of the colour. Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is similar but smaller. Both Plumbago and hardy Plumbago are blue or blue-white.

Agreed, plumbago is a tender plant for a conservatory, not sure what you've got there.

As far as I know, they are *all* good nectar plants. Butterfly Conservation recommends C. willmottianum as a good late nectar plant for butterflies such as Red admirals, so I guess honeybees like them too:drool5:

Not sure about that. Butterflies and bumbles have longer proboscisises than honeybees, so can use a lot of flowers with long tubes. Ceratistigmas have long-ish tubes, so may come into this category.
 
I reckon it's Minuartia, esp. if it flowers in spring. There's a big patch of it on the Isle of Man and it used to be like an airport for bees every spring.
 
I reckon it's Minuartia, esp. if it flowers in spring. There's a big patch of it on the Isle of Man and it used to be like an airport for bees every spring.

Having read up on it, it's common in the Peak district, and grows on slag heaps- so I reckon you're right.:)
 
Thanks - floras never been my strong point - so many similar names for completely different plants - glad bees like it!
 

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