Willow (Salix) catkins

Bee Flowers – February

February 1st is the Feast Day of St Brigid (AD450-525) female patron saint of Ireland.

For us Celts it is also the first day of Spring but you Saxon Dogs will have to wait till March 20th!

For the bees though – read on:

There are a few hardy plants that flower in early spring but only the willow (Salix spp) can produce enough nectar for a small surplus and  only in a very warm spring.

Honey bee approaching willow catkin

Of course the Native bee will forage at lower temperatures and is better able to take advantage of what little fresh nectar and pollen is available.

Until today – I’ve never seen a bee on a dandelion and didn’t really believe they found them interesting but here’s the evidence they do and the pollen loads are yellow:

Yellow Daffodil Pollen
Yellow daffodil pollen

The table below shows some possible bee flowers for February. Green lines are Irish natives. Click it for a better view:

Some bee flowers for February
Some bee flowers for February

Click here for March Bee Flowers

Click here for April Bee Flowers

Click here for May Bee Flowers

Click here for June Bee Flowers

Click here for July Bee Flowers

Click here for August Bee Flowers

Click here for September Bee Flowers

Click here for October Bee Flowers

Click here for November Bee Flowers

Click here for more about Gorse

Click here for a general seasonal guide to important bee flowers

Click here for photos of pollen load colours

Copyright © Beespoke.info, 2017.  All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *