Planting forage & nectar flow for my area

Himalayan balsam? not sure

I looked that one up on the link Kirsten provided. Busy Lizzie is there but not Impatiens grandiflora.
So you could plant that. Wonderful for the bees :slight_smile:

Blackberry are a real problem here as they are very invasive & difficult to get rid of, often along creek beds, as with many species that are in inappropriate places its usually where its difficult to access. You’re right it’s not on that list but is on another which I accessed through our council website (tried to put link to that on as well but not having any success). It looks very pretty though, does it have a scent?

No scent but lovely wild fruit later in the year which makes good wine/jam/blackberry gin/blackberry and apple pie :smile:
It’s pretty hard to get rid of here if it’s in your garden and it does spread but not as efficiently as I suspect it does in your climate.
It’s in the hedgerows here so of minimal nuisance and as I said, the bees love it and give us beautiful light honey.

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The berries smell beautiful when cooking!

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My old Dad always loved blackberry jam. When we were kids he took us blackberrying when they were in season from about mid January to March sometime. He was as tight as a kingfisher’s cloaca and would go very easy on the sugar. Once he didn’t put in enough sugar and his batch of jam went “off”. He was not happy.

My wife Julie was brought up on a farm near Goulburn where there were literally millions of blackberries. Her Mum was a champion jam maker and would win trophies at all the shows. She had a device called a “Mouli” and it would efficiently separate the blackberry pulp from the seeds. Blackberry jam is good but seedless blackberry jam is in another world.

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Blackberry and honey jelly is in that world too :smile:

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I agisted my horse for a year on a 3 acre property which had a large area covered in 2m high blackberry ‘bushes’ (they ran over 5m in length), when they were fruiting I would often find him in the middle of one of these, his belly & legs were scratched & cut, & I would spend hours removing tiny little thorns. He couldn’t resist them, I once turned him out & watched as he trotted over & jumped into the middle of one where he’d made a small clearing over time.

I can just see that :slight_smile:

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In the US, the honey bees themselves aren’t even native lol.

That’s one theory.

Here’s another. Also if you look up this edition of ABJ you’ll find several other articles on the topic:

American Bee Journal June 1923 (Vol 63 No 6)

starting on page 299

IS THE HONEYBEE NATIVE OF AMERICA?

A Discourse Intended to Commemorate the Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

By Jeremy Belknap.

Delivered at the request of the Historical Society of Massachusetts on the 23rd of October, 1792

Dissertation No. 3, on the question whether the honeybee is a native of America.

Mr. Jefferson, in his notes on Virginia, has said that “The honeybee is not a native of our continent. The Indians concur with us in the tradition that it was brought from Europe, but when and by whom we know not. The bees have generally extended themselves into the country, a little in advance of the white settlers. The Indians called them the white man’s fly; and consider their approach as indicating the approach of the settlement of the whites.” He allows that “in Brazil there is a species of honeybee without a sting, but that is very different from the one we have, which perfectly resembles that of Europe.” The facts adduced by the respectable author are true; but they will not warrant his conclusion that “the honeybee, meaning the one resembling that of Europe, is not a native of our continent.”

There is one circumstance in the history of Columbus which proves that bees were known in the islands of the West Indies, at the time of his discovery. When on his first return to Europe he was in danger of perishing at sea, he wrote an account of his discovery on parchment, which he inclosed in a cake of wax, and put into a tight cask, committing the whole to the sea, in hope of it’s being driven on shore or taken up. This was procured in the island of Hispaniola, which he had visited, and it was one of the first fruits of his discovery.

The indefatigable Purchas gives us an account of the revenues of the Empire of Mexico, before the arrival of the Spaniards, as described in its annals; which were pictures drawn on cotton cloth. Among other articles he exhibits the figures of covered pots with two handles, which are said to be pots of “bees’ honey.” Of these pots, two hundred are depicted in one tribute-roll, and one hundred in several others.

This account is confirmed by the late history of Mexico, written by the Abbe Clavigero, a native of Vera Cruz who from a residence of thirty-six years in Mexico, and a minute inquiry into the natural history and antiquities of his country must be supposed to be well informed, and competent to give a just account. He tells us that a part of every useful production of nature or art was paid in tribute to the kings of Mexico, and among other articles of revenue he reckons “600 cups of honey” paid annually by the inhabitants of the southern part of the empire. He also says, “that though they extracted a great quantity of wax from the honeycomb, they either did not know how or were not at pains to make lights of it.”

In his enumeration of the insects of Mexico, he reckons six different kinds of bees which make honey, four of which have no stings, and one of the other two which have stings, one “agrees with the common bee of Europe, not only in size, shape and color, but also disposition and manners, and in qualities of its honey and wax.”

In the account given by Purchas, of the travels of Ferdinado de Soto, in Florida, it is observed that when he came to Chiaha, which by the description was one of the upper branches of the Mobile (now in the State of Georgia) he found among the provisions of the natives “a pot full of honey of bees.” This was A.D. 1540, when there were no Europeans settled on the continent of America, but in Mexico and Peru.

From these authorities it is evident that honeybees were known in Mexico and the islands, before the arrival of the Europeans; and that they had extended as far northward as Florida, a country so denominated from the numberless flowers, which grow there in the wild luxuriance and afford a plenty of food for this useful tribe of insects. The inference is, that bees were not imported by the Spaniards; for however fond they might be of honey as an article of food, or of wax to make tapers for common use, or for the illumination of their churches, yet as bees were known to be in the country there could be no need of importing them. The report of honey and wax being found in the islands, in Mexico, and in Florida, had reached Europe and had been published there long before any emigrations were made to the northward; therefore, if these had been considered as articles of subsistence or of commerce, the sanguine spirit of the first adventurers would have rather led them to think of finding them in America, than of transporting bees from Europe to make them.

As to the circumstance of the bees “extending themselves a little in advance of white settlers,” it cannot be considered as a conclusive argument in favor or their having been first brought from Europe. It is well known that where land is cultivated bees find a greater plenty of food than in the forest. The blossoms of fruit trees, of grasses and grain, particularly clover and buckwheat, afford them a rich and plentiful repast, and they are seen in vast numbers in our fields and orchards at the season of those blossoms. They therefore delight in the neighborhood of “the white settlers”, and are able to increase in numbers, as well as to augment their quantity of stores, by availing themselves of the labors of man. May it not be from this circumstance that the Indians have given them the name of “the white man’s fly”; and that they “consider their approach (or frequent appearance) as indicating the approach of the settlement of the whites?”

The first European settlement in Virginia was made about seventy years after the expedition of De Soto, in Florida, and the first settlement in New England was ten years posterior to that of Virginia. The large intermediate country was uncultivated for a long time afterward. The southern bees, therefore, could have no inducement to extend themselves very far into the northward for many years after the settlements were begun, and within that time bees were imported from Europe.

That honey and wax were not known to the Indians of New England is evident from this, that they had no words in their language for them. When Mr. Eliot translated the Bible into the Indian language, wherever these terms occurred he used the English words, though sometimes with Indian termination.

Joffelyn, who visited New England first in 1638, and afterward in 1663, and wrote an account of his voyage with some sketches of natural history in 1673, speaks of the honeybee in these words: “the honeybees are carried over by the English, and thrive there exceedingly.”

There is a tradition in New England that the person who first brought a hive of bees into the country was rewarded with a grant of land; but the person’s name, or the place where the land lay or by whom the grant was made, I have not been able to learn.

It appears then that the honeybee is a native of America, and that its productions were found by the first European visitors as far northward as Florida and Georgia. It is also true that bees were imported from Europe into New England, and probably into Virginia; but whether if this importation had not taken place, the bees of the southern parts would not have extended themselves northerly, or whether those which we now have are not a mixture of native and imported bees, cannot be determined. It is however certain that they have multiplied exceedingly, and that they are frequently found in New England, in a wild state, in the trunks of hollow trees, as far northward as cultivation and settlements have extended, which is nearly to the 45th degree of latitude.

I have made an inquiry of several persons from Canada, but have not learned that bees were known during their residence in that country. It is, however, not improbable that as cultivation extends, the bees may find their way to the northward of the lakes and rivers of Canada, even though none should be transported thither by the inhabitants.

Still American Bee Journal June 1923 (Vol 63 No 6)

page 301

EXCERPT FROM THE HISTORY OF MEXICO

By Abbe D. Francesco Saverio Clavigero (1731-1787)

Translated from the original Italian in 1806 by Chas Cullen, Esq.

Excerpt from Book 1, of Volume 1.

There are at least six different kinds of bees. The first is the same as the common bee of Europe, with which it agrees, not only in size, shape and color, but also in its disposition and manners, and in the qualities of its honey and wax.

The second species which differs from the first only in having no sting, is the bee of Yucatan and Chiapa, which makes the fine, clear honey of Estabentun, of an aromatic flavor, superior to that of all other kinds of honey with which we are acquainted. The honey is taken from them six times a year, that is once in every other month; but the best is that which is got in November, being made from a white flower like Jessamine, which blooms in September, called in that country Estabentun, from which the honey has derived its name. The honey of Estabentun is in high estimation with the English and French, who touch at the ports of Yucatan; and I have known the French of Buarico to buy it sometimes for the purpose of sending it as a present to the king.

The third species resembles in its form, the winged ants, but is smaller than the common bee, and without a sting. This insect, which is peculiar to warm and temperate climates, forms nests, in size and shape resembling sugar loaves, and even sometimes greatly exceeding these in size, from trees, and particularly from the oak. The populousness of these hives is much greater than those of the common bee. The nymphs of this bee, which are eatable, are white and round, like a pearl. The honey is of a grayish color, but of a fine flavor.

The fourth species is a yellow bee, smaller than the common one, but like it, furnished with a sting. Its honey is not equal to those already mentioned.

The fifth is a small bee furnished with a sting which constructs its hives of an orbicular form. In subterranean cavities; and the honey is sour and somewhat bitter.

The Tlalpiprolli, which is the sixth species, is black and yellow of the size of the common bee, but has no sting.

Wasp
The Xicotli or Xicote, is a thick black wasp, with a yellow belly, which makes a very sweet honey, in holes made by it in walls. It is provided with a strong sting, which gives a very painful wound. The cuicalmiahautl has likewise a sting, but whether it makes honey or not, we do not know.

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Hi Kirsten ,
Sorry it has taken me longer to reply than grow the plants . I would stress the fun in gorilla planting ,but in a Quazi responsible way . To explain this I mean plant indigenous plants not on the obnoxious weed category. I will give you that some weeds produce excellent honey , but have other undesirable traits like spoiling wool or damaging crops . The research I have done into leptospermums and melaleucas indicate no such adverse indirect outcomes .
Some farmers still destroy remnant bushland . We do not even know what wonderful medicinal properties flora has that we threaten with extinction . Thank god the KIWI’S have led the way I say .While Ignorance is bliss they say (for some ) imagine if a cure for cancer could be found .
Viagra may have saved the rhinoceros from extinction in an obscure way but sheer greed combined with ignorance still exists today ! Off to plant I say , flower power ,an engine room of our salvation . Go forth and multiply -now now be nice !!!

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I agree with you, there are still so many things we don’t know or understand regarding indigenous flora & fauna, besides the impact on endemic species & climate when plants are removed. I think the site I’m speaking of will be more suited to native grasses & perhaps some Goodenia ovata or similar. I will try something like the leptospermum but don’t know if will survive human interventions? :wink: It might be getting a little too warm for anything of substantial size to take hold too, but still will give it a try.

Here is an interactive honey bee forage map of North America:
http://honeybeenet.gsfc.nasa.gov/Honeybees/Forage.htm

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Hilarious! I might just do that.

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Planting Gorillas…now that’s hilarious :wink:


Hmmm…I tried to cut and paste the picture but it doesn’t seem to have worked!
Anyway…it was a picture of a field of tallish plants with pink/purple flowers.
This is Rosebay Willowherb. It grows particularly on waste lands…you see it a lot where buildings have been pulled down or the ground has been disturbed. Also in the countryside along the hedgerows. The bees love it and it is a major source of nectar for them during July through to September and beyond.
Yay it did work after all…ha ha

Called fireweed most other places in the world. Good stuff

Yes…you are right…fireweed. We have got used to calling it willow herb and I had forgotten the common name for it…in fact I recall something I read about it being very prevalent in cities after the war…as there had been many fires and lots of waste land…also poppies have the same reputation.

This weekend we’ve started our collection of plants for around our apiary. We’ve chosen Leptospermum or tea tree as its a native, drought tolerant, dense, cheap, has pretty flowers and comes in a huge range of over 80 varieties so the collection has begun. I have two on my wish list one is golden tea tree and the other is broom tea tree. :wink: