Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Wild red raspberry

Scientific name:

Rubus idaeus.

Life form:

Shrub.

Flowering time:

16 - 23 days.

Flowering period

in British Columbia for this plant is: JuneJuly.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
30 kilograms per ha

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Major in some areas


General distribution:

American red raspberry occurs throughout most of the temperate regions of the world. In North America it grows from Alaska through Canada to Newfoundland, southward to North Carolina and Tennessee in the East, and to Arizona, California, and northern Mexico in the West. The native American red raspberry is Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus.

R. i. subsp. idaeus grows across northern Europe to northwestern Asia. It is cultivated in Hawaii and throughout much of North America and has naturalized in many locations.

Map of distribution and habitat in Canada

This plant is present in at least 54 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

American red raspberry is a deciduous, erect or arching, thicket-forming shrub which grows from 1.6 to 9.8 feet (0.5-3 m) in height. The total height and extent of growth is largely attributable to climatic factors. Woody stems are bristly or prickly with shreddy, exfoliating yellow-brown bark. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound in leaflets of three to five. Leaves are green and glabrous to hairy above but white or gray, hairy to glabrate and greenish beneath. Small showy perfect white flowers are borne in clusters of one to four in a compound cyme. Fruit of the American red raspberry is made up of many to several, red or pinkish-purple drupelets. Aggregates of drupelets are commonly referred to as a "berry."

Seasonal development:

American red raspberry is typically biennial, with each shoot passing through well-defined phenological stages during its 2-year lifespan.

Flowerbud initiation is influenced by temperature, genetics (cultivar), and geographic location.  Flowering is also related to the age and vigor of the plant and the date at which vegetative growth terminates. Flowerbud initiation is triggered by low temperatures and short days and generally begins in late summer or autumn. Flowerbud initiation can be induced by exposure to temperatures of 55 degrees F (12.8 degrees C) at 9 hour days or 50 degrees F (10.0 degrees C) at 16 hour days. Although flower bud initiation occurs overwinter in most red raspberries, initiation in primocane-fruiting cultivars begins in summer. Bud break typically occurs in early spring.  Evidence suggests that higher spring temperatures may promote earlier and more rapid flowering.

Fruit maturation begins soon after flowering.  Timing of flower bud initiation largely determines fruiting season, although fruiting dates also vary according to cultivar and geographic location.


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

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 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)

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)

Salix amygdaloides (aka: Peachleaf willow, Peach leaf willow)

Salix boothii (aka: Booth's willow)

Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)

Salix lemmonii (aka: Lemmon's willow, Lemmon willow)

Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)

Salix pulchra (aka: Tealeaf willow, Flatleaf willow, Flat-leaved willow, Paneleaf willow, Thin red willow)

Ajuga reptans (aka: Bugle, Blue bugle, Bugleherb, Bugleweed, Carpetweed, Carpet bugleweed, Common bugle, St. Lawrence plant)

Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)

Rubus laciniatus (aka: Cutleaf blackberry, Evergreen blackberry, Slashed blackberry)

Salix alaxensis (aka: Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow)

Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)

Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)

Salix richardsonii (aka: Richardson's willow, Woolly willow)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)

Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)

Calendula officinalis (aka: Marigold, Calendula, Pot marigold, English marigold)

Prunus virginiana (aka: Chokecherry, Western chokecherry, Common chokecherry, Black chokecherry)

Prunus serotina (aka: Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry)

Salix myrtillifolia (aka: Blueberry willow, Low blueberry willow, Tall blueberry willow)

Vaccinium corymbosum (aka: Highbush blueberry, High-bush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry, Tall blueberry, Rabbiteye blueberry, Blue huckleberry, Tall huckleberry, Swamp huckleberry, High blueberry, Swamp blueberry)

Salix glauca (aka: Grayleaf willow, Gray willow, Gray-leaved willow)

Salix brachycarpa (aka: Shortfruit willow, Barren-ground willow, Small-fruit sand dune willow, Small-fruit willow)

Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)

Rubus parviflorus (aka: Thimbleberry, Western thimbleberry)

Rubus armeniacus (aka: Himalayan blackberry, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)

Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)

Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)

Chamaenerion angustifolium (aka: Fireweed, Great willowherb, Rosebay willowherb, Saint Anthony's Laurel, French-willow)

Agastache foeniculum (aka: Giant hyssop, Blue giant hyssop, Anise hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, Lavender giant hyssop)

Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)

Rubus chamaemorus (aka: Cloudberry, Bake apple, Baked apple berry, Bakeapple, Nordic berry, Knotberry, Aqpik, Low-bush salmonberry, Averin, Evron)

Cirsium arvense (aka: Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle, Field thistle, California thistle, Lettuce from hell thistle, Corn thistle, Cursed thistle, Green thistle, Hard thistle, Perennial thistle, Prickly thistle, Small-flowered thistle, Way thistle, Stinger-needles)