We took a family trip south through the rural Virginia countryside last weekend and passed yard after yard with Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, trees towering over the ranch houses. This is not a tree for the faint-of-heart. But it is one for bees and other pollinators. Southern Magnolia blossoms have the largest nectaries–pools of nectar–and […]
The Hawthorn tree, Crataegus sp. in my neighborhood is covered in flowers right now… and covered in bees–look close to see one flying! I saw all sizes, from very tiny 1/4 inch ones to bumblebees. They are high up in the branches and, unfortunately, their hum can only be heard during the brief lags in passing […]
Have you seen this as you’re driving along? Fallen petals after a rainstorm this late in April are a sign of the Black Locust trees blooming. They tend to sprout along woods edges, so their white blossoms are visible now and last nearly 3 weeks into May–and that is great for bees! This is the […]
In the metro Washington, D.C. area, cherry blossom season is just about over, and I can’t let it pass without noting them! Cherry trees are pollinated strictly by bees and are an important spring nectar source. Folks plant a whole variety of ornamental species that are beautiful. The simpler flowers are best for bees. We […]
If you live in the mid-atlantic region, Redbud, Cercis canadensis, is hitting its peak bloom. And just in time, because the red maple blooms are done and the bees are looking for their next big source of nectar and pollen to build up their colonies again. This native tree does well in partial shade, growing to 30 feet high and […]
Just a quick post to introduce you to another great plant for bees! Sorry it’s not a tree, but I couldn’t resist when I found honeybees on my neighbor’s Leatherleaf Mahonia, Mahonia japonica, in early March. This tough shrub for partial shade blooms in early spring and the blossoms will not freeze if temperatures reach […]
This is one of my favorite trees (or a large shrub) because it is native and blooms at whacky times of the year. Oh, and its flowers look like spiders! Depending on the species, witch hazel blooms either before winter or after. The native species, Hamamelis virginiana, is a late fall bloomer for bees to […]
I’m starting this set of brief posts between now and the release of my newest YA, Guardian of the Pines. Why? Because my hero, Cor, loves trees and also is a beekeeper. Red Maple trees have begun to bloom in my area, the suburbs of Washington, D.C. They aren’t a tree that folks go out […]