What's flowering as forage in your area

[Swarm]

Fleabane here (Sussex) - loads of orange pollen.

Lots of Fleabane near my apiary but I've never seen bees on it, I'm not convinced. Orange pollen coming in at a different site this weekend. Bees here were very busy on Balsam but there is also a fairly large stand of Knotweed, covered in blossom at the moment.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Gosh I haven't heard of that!!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphoricarpos

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The mountain behind us finally looking a bit pink in the evening sun

 

[RJC]

Gosh I haven't heard of that!!!

Not snowberry; I think it is a type of cotoneaster

 

[user 819]

Looks like a Snowberry from the tubular flowers, my first thought from the woody structure was a viburnum but the flowers didn't look right.

 

[Nannysbees]

Not snowberry; I think it is a type of cotoneaster

I have cotoneaster, so I don't think it's that

 

[Malcolm B.]

While we lived in N E Essex the bees had oilseed ****, borage, Lucerne, apple and may other flowers and crops to choose from.

A quick look at crops around our present domain is, certainly this year, potatoes!!

So my question is - are potato flowers of any use to bees?

Many thanks

Malcolm B.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I don’t think so Malcom I’ve never observed them on them.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Heather looking the best I’ve seen it and bees working it at 9am again.
I saw vetch on the verges being visited this afternoon.

 

[Malcolm B.]

I don’t think so Malcom I’ve never observed them on them.

That's a shame we are almost surrounded by potatoes this year.
Thank you for the info.

 

[Curly green finger's]

That's a shame we are almost surrounded by potatoes this year.
Thank you for the info.

Out of interest I just looked it up , bumblebees mainly do the pollination .

 

[Malcolm B.]

Out of interest I just looked it up , bumblebees mainly do the pollination .

That's interesting.
No wonder our garden is inundated with bumble bees of all sizes.
We have a field of potatoes right next to us and another one opposite, as well as others in the area.
Thank you.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Not snowberry; I think it is a type of cotoneaster

I have cotoneaster, so I don't think it's that

Not cotoneaster - too late & wrong flower shape - and is symphoricarpos, aka snowberry.

http://www.seasonalwildflowers.com/snowberry.html

 

[alancooper]

I have cotoneaster, so I don't think it's that

It is not Cotoneaster or Symphoricarpus (Snowberry). Any chance of a close up image of the flowers?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Snowberry

Not sure about the size of the flowers in the image as my Coralberry is almost identical in appearance but the coralberry flowers are smaller, about 4 or 5 mm. My bees are now dividing their time between the Evodia and the Coralberry and both are humming with excitement.

 

[WalnutTreeBees]

I think it's a hybrid - symphoricarpos x chenaultii

http://www.makaques.com/gallery.php?sp=2339

 

[Erichalfbee]

Time will tell with the colour of the berries
@Nannysbees you’ll have to tell us.

 

[Nannysbees]

Not sure about the size of the flowers in the image as my Coralberry is almost identical in appearance but the coralberry flowers are smaller, about 4 or 5 mm. My bees are now dividing their time between the Evodia and the Coralberry and both are humming with excitement.

Does it spread?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Does it spread?

Yes if you let it ( the coralberry that is).

 

[ericbeaumont]

Hard times in North London when bees forage on overripe figs; neighbour called for pruning advice and the tree had plenty of bees and barely a wasp.