List of Honey Bee Forage Species within Region 3 for the State of CA
Ordered by Begin Bloom MonthRETURN to map USDA code | Family | Latin Name | Common Name | Plant Type | Begin Bloom Month | End Bloom Month | Sig | BRASS2 | Brassicaceae | Brassica | mustard | C | 1 | 9 | N | ARCTO3 | Ericaceae | Arctostaphylos | Manzanita, bearberry | S | 1 | 5 | Y | ALNUS | Betulaceae | Alnus Mill. | Alder | TDB | 1 | 4 | N | SALIX | Salicaceae | Salix | Willow, osier | TDB | 1 | 6 | N | PRUNU | Rosaceae | Prunus | Plum (cultivated) | C | 2 | 2 | N | RASA2 | Brassicaceae | Raphanus sativus | Radish | C | 2 | 6 | N | ERODI | Geraniaceae | Erodium | Filaree, heron's bill, storkbill, pin-clover, alfileria, clocks | F | 2 | 6 | N | ESCAC | Papaveraceae | Eschscholzia californica | California poppy | F | 2 | 9 | N | SCCAC | Scrophulariaceae | Scrophularia californica | Figwort, California honey plant | F | 2 | 7 | N | RHUS | Anacardiaceae | Rhus | Sumac, sugar bush, lemonade berry | S | 2 | 5 | N | PRDU | Rosaceae | Prunus dulcis | Almond | TDB, C | 2 | 3 | N | AMSIN | Boraginaceae | Amsinckia | Amsinckia, leather breeches, fire weed, fiddle-neck, tarweed | F | 3 | 6 | N | LIDOD | Limanthaceae | Limnanthes douglasii | Meadow foam | F | 3 | 5 | N | LOTUS | Fabaceae | Lotus | Deer-vetch, wild alfalfa | F | 3 | 9 | N | TRERE2 | Scrophulariaceae | Orthocarpus erianthus | Johnny-tuck, butter and eggs | F | 3 | 5 | N | SALVI | Lamiaceae | Salvia | Sage, romona | F, C | 3 | 7 | Y | CEANO | Rhamnaceae | Ceanothus | NewJersey tea, redroot, wild-lilac, buck-brush | S | 3 | 6 | N | RHAMN | Rhamnaceae | Rhamnus | Buckthorn | S | 3 | 7 | N | RUBUS | Rosaceae | Rubus | Blackberry | S, C | 3 | 7 | N | CERCI2 | Fabaceae | Cercis | Redbud, judas tree | TDB | 3 | 4 | N | PRAV | Rosaceae | Prunus | Cherry (cultivated) | TDB,C | 3 | 3 | N | ARME | Ericaceae | Arbutus menziesii | Arbutus, maddrona, madrone, madrono | TEB | 3 | 5 | N | CITRU2 | Rutaceae | Citrus | Citrus | TEB, C | 3 | 5 | Y | ALCE | Liliaceae | Allium cepa | Onion | C | 4 | 5 | N | ERIOG | Polygonaceae | Eriogonum | Wild buckwheat, umbrella plant | F | 4 | 11 | N | ODHA | Liliaceae | Odontostomum hartwegii | Hartweg's odonstoman | F | 4 | 5 | N | VICIA | Fabaceae | Vicia | Vetch, tare | F | 4 | 7 | N | ADSP | Rosaceae | Adenostoma fasciculatum | Chamise, greasewood | S | 4 | 6 | N | AMELA | Rosaceae | Amelanchier | Service-berry, juneberry, shadbush | S | 4 | 6 | N | FRPU7 | Rhamnaceae | Rhamnus purshiana | Sagrada, bearberry, cascara | S | 4 | 6 | N | GASH | Ericaceae | Gaultheria shallon | Salal, shallon | S | 4 | 7 | N | STOF4 | Styracaceae | Styrax officinalis | Snowdrop bush, styrax, storax | S | 4 | 5 | N | TOXIC | Anacardiaceae | Toxicodendron | Poison ivy, oak | S | 4 | 5 | N | RUCO4 | Rosaceae | Rubus | Raspberry | S,C | 4 | 7 | N | CILAL | Cucurbitaceae | Citrullus lanatus | watermelon | C | 5 | 8 | N | CUCUR | Cucurbitaceae | Cucurbita L. | Pumpkin, squash, gourd | C | 5 | 8 | N | CUME | Cucurbitaceae | Cucumis melo | Cantaloupe, muskmelon, casaba, | C | 5 | 8 | N | MESA | Fabaceae | Medicago sativa | Alfalfa, lucerne | C | 5 | 9 | Y | ASCLE | Asclepiadaceae | Asclepias | Milkweed, butterfly flower | F | 5 | 8 | N | CENTA | Asteraceae | Centaurea | Star thistle, knapweed | F | 5 | 10 | Y | ERAN2 | Hydrophyllaceae | Eriodictyon angustifolium | Yerba santa, mountain-balm | F | 5 | 7 | N | LAPL | Asteraceae | Layia platyglossa | Tidy tips | F | 5 | 6 | N | MELIL | Fabaceae | Melilotus | Sweet clover (white/yellow) | F | 5 | 9 | N | AECA | Hippocastanaceae | Aesculus californica | California buckeye, horse chestnut | TDB | 5 | 6 | N | HEAR5 | Rosaceae | Heteromeles arbutifolia | Christmas berry | F | 6 | 7 | N | HELIA3 | Asteraceae | Helianthus | Sunflower | F | 6 | 10 | N | MENTH | Lamiaceae | Mentha | Mint | F, C | 6 | 10 | N | CEOC2 | Rubiaceae | Cephalanthus occidentalis | Buttonbrush | S | 6 | 8 | N | GOSSY | Malvaceae | Gossypium | Cotton | C | 7 | 9 | N | CATI | Asteraceae | Carthamus tinctorius | Safflower, false saffron | F | 7 | 8 | N | TRICH9 | Lamiaceae | Trichostema | Blue curls | F | 7 | 10 | N | EUCAL | Myrtaceae | Eucalyptus | Eucalypt, gum tree, ironbark, stringybark | TEB | 12 | 7 | N |
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Plant Type codes: | Sig column |
T - tree
TDB - tree, deciduous broadleaf
TEN - tree, evergreen needleleaf
TEB - tree, evergreen broadleaf
S - shrub
SEB - shrub, evergreen broadleaf
SDB - shrub, deciduous broadleaf
V - vine
VDB - vine, deciduous broadleaf
G - grass
F - forb (herbaceous flowering plants, non-woody)
C - crops/cultivated
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This column indicates whether or not the species is considered a very important nectar source species within the state and region selected. If it is a significant source, it is indicated here with a 'Y' and the row is highlighted.
In this context, important is defined by Ayers and Harman as those species that "reliably produce a large percent of the harvested honey" within the selected region. |
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For those wishing to see more detailed information about any species in the list, please visit the USDA PLANTS Database web site and search by any of the first three columns from the table. |
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This output was derived from content created by Ayers and Harman, and published as Chapter 11 "Bee Forage of North America and the Potential for Planting for Bees" from the book The Hive and the Honey Bee, 1992, Graham, J. ed. Dadant and Sons Inc. Hamilton, Illinois. |
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