What's flowering as forage in your area

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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?

Bramble starting.jpg
 
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.

Yellow rattle will be over soon.jpg
 
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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.

Bee in hawksbeard.jpg
 
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
 
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
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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?
 

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