Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

California dewberry

Scientific name:

Rubus ursinus.

Life form:

Shrub.

Flowering time:

16 - 23 days.

Flowering period

in British Columbia for this plant is: Late AprilEarly July.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
30 kilograms per ha

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Major in some areas


General distribution:

California blackberry grows from British Columbia to northern California and eastward to central Idaho. It is particularly common from the Cascades to the Pacific Coast. California blackberry extends through southern California into Mexico.  The subspecies macropetalus occurs from British Columbia and Idaho southward into northern California.

Map of distribution and habitat in Canada

This plant is present in at least 6 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Rubus ursinus is a wide, mounding shrub or vine, growing to 2–5 feet (0.61–1.52 m) high, and more than 6 feet (1.8 m) wide. The prickly branches can take root if they touch soil, thus enabling the plant to spread vegetatively and form larger clonal colonies. Leaves usually have 3 leaflets but sometimes 5 or only 1, and are deciduous. The plant is dioecious, with male and female plants on separate plants, also unusual for the genus. As with other Rubus, the canes are typically vegetative the first year and reproductive in the second. Flowers are white with narrower petals than most related species and have a fragrance. The sweet, very aromatic, edible fruits are a dark purple, dark red, or black and up to 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) in length.

Seasonal development:

Seasonal development of the California blackberry varies according to geographic and climatic factors.

Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer.


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List of honey plants that may be blooming now in British Columbia
See the entire list

Acer negundo (aka: Boxelder, Western boxelder, Arizona boxelder, California boxelder, Texas boxelder, Interior boxelder, Violet boxelder)

Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)

Acer glabrum (aka: Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey maple)

Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)

Rubus spectabilis (aka: Salmonberry)

Salix discolor (aka: Pussy willow, American pussy willow, Glaucous willow, Large pussy willow)

Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)

Prunus cerasus (aka: Sour cherry, Tart cherry, Dwarf cherry, Montmorency cherry)

Crataegus douglasii (aka: Black hawthorn, Douglas hawthorn, River hawthorn, Western thornapple)

Populus tremuloides (aka: Quaking aspen, Trembling aspen, Aspen, American aspen, Mountain aspen, Golden aspen, Trembling poplar, White poplar, Popple, Alamo Blanco)

Salix scouleriana (aka: Scouler's willow, Upland willow)

Acer circinatum (aka: Vine maple)

Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)

Malus fusca (aka: Oregon crab, Oregon crab apple, Pacific crab apple, Western crab apple)

Salix arbusculoides (aka: Littletree willow)

Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)

Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)

Acer macrophyllum (aka: Bigleaf maple, Big-leaf maple, Oregon maple)

Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)

Rubus ursinus (aka: California blackberry, California dewberry, California grapeleaf dewberry, Douglasberry, Pacific blackberry)