What's flowering as forage in your area

[Erichalfbee]

Just starting

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

bramble starting to open a few miles down the road.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Here too. I'm told that bramble is now possibly the main forage, replacing what clover once was. Also, I heard that there are so many varieties that it has a long flowering period across the land. However, I'm not sure if the bees in any one locality would benefit from this. Is it possible that in one area there could be several varieties providing forage for several weeks?

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

The yellow rattle will soon be over and replaced by hawksbeard. Because of its small flowers and large sepals (that might not be right), I never get the feeling that yellow rattle has blossomed fully. The owner here cuts the grass a couple of times per season but some areas are almost completely flowers.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

The hawksbeard is starting and the beetles (swollen-thigh beetles?) are on the flowers as soon as they open. This bee seemed to have drunk herself into a stupor but eventually made a rather groggy exit.

 

[Antipodes]

Here too. I'm told that bramble is now possibly the main forage, replacing what clover once was. Also, I heard that there are so many varieties that it has a long flowering period across the land. However, I'm not sure if the bees in any one locality would benefit from this. Is it possible that in one area there could be several varieties providing forage for several weeks?

View attachment 40164

They look a lot healthier than the ones here, now all mainly infected to some extend with rust as a control. 15 different taxa here, but all closely related.

https://archive.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__da...of-leaf-rust-fungus-to-control-blackberry.pdf

 

[Erichalfbee]

They look a lot healthier than the ones here, now all mainly infected to some extend with rust as a control

Yes, I had heard that bramble is considered an invasive plant to get rid of where you are.
It's my main summer crop here. A few years back the hillside across the valley here was harvested for timber. The following three years there was a stupendous growth of Rosebay (Fireweed). The hill was purple and I couldn't keep with the supers. The newly planted tress are now beginning to overwhelm the rosebay so the bonanza has dwindled

 

[Erichalfbee]

The yellow rattle will soon be over

That's check of a lot of rattle...it's doing its job well in the orchard

 

[Nannysbees]

bramble starting to open a few miles down the road.

With us as well!!!

 

[Swampie]

Here too. I'm told that bramble is now possibly the main forage, replacing what clover once was. Also, I heard that there are so many varieties that it has a long flowering period across the land. However, I'm not sure if the bees in any one locality would benefit from this. Is it possible that in one area there could be several varieties providing forage for several weeks?

View attachment 40164

I have this on my little farmlet. My earliest patch is flowering now. My latest patch (which I am expanding a bit) will only start in five or six weeks from now. Although I suspect that a hot spell will compress this succession into a shorter period.

 

[rolande]

Here too. I'm told that bramble is now possibly the main forage, replacing what clover once was. Also, I heard that there are so many varieties that it has a long flowering period across the land. However, I'm not sure if the bees in any one locality would benefit from this. Is it possible that in one area there could be several varieties providing forage for several weeks?

View attachment 40164

I could never quite justify purchasing this book:

https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/brambles-of-the-british-isles-4/

I think it's probably quite likely that most areas have many variants flowering over the course of the summer, there's certainly often a great deal of variation in fruit size and quality from one plant to the next.

 

[Swarm]

I could never quite justify purchasing this book:

https://www.summerfieldbooks.com/product/brambles-of-the-british-isles-4/

I think it's probably quite likely that most areas have many variants flowering over the course of the summer, there's certainly often a great deal of variation in fruit size and quality from one plant to the next.

Definitely.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Some bits of bramble with me too.
Thank goodness!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Grey blackberry pollen going into the hives today and dandelion don’t know what the bright white pollen was though and black pollen. (Garden hives)

 

[Erichalfbee]

black pollen

Poppy

 

[alancooper]

The yellow rattle will soon be over and replaced by hawksbeard. Because of its small flowers and large sepals (that might not be right), I never get the feeling that yellow rattle has blossomed fully. The owner here cuts the grass a couple of times per season but some areas are almost completely flowers.

View attachment 40165

I have not seen honey bees using Yellow rattle. bumbles yes but not HB. Does anyone disagree with this?

 

[enrico]

I have not seen honey bees using Yellow rattle. bumbles yes but not HB. Does anyone disagree with this?

nope

 

[Dibbler]

My bees are all over the 5 False Acacia trees. 3 storeys high in the front. Also bramble, poppies, dandelions, allium a real mixture of colours.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Poppy

View attachment 40179

Yeah there are perennial poppys around in flower

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have not seen honey bees using Yellow rattle. bumbles yes but not HB. Does anyone disagree with this?

Nope too
Looking forward to these in a few weeks. We have about twenty self seeded in the garden.