Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Scientific name:

Prunus andersonii

Life form:

Shrub.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in California for this plant is: MarchMay.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
No data

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor


General distribution:

Desert peach is restricted to eastern California and western and central Nevada. In California, its range extends from Modoc and Lassen counties in the north, along the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada to Kern and Inyo counties in the south. In the Great Basin Desert of western and central Nevada, desert peach occurs as far east as Eureka and Nye counties.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 2 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Desert peach is a clonal, deciduous, many-branched shrub. Aboveground stems are connected by an extensive network of rhizomes, and lignotubers occur at the base of most shrubs. Desert peach clones can be several acres in size. Shrubs are typically 3 to 7 feet (2-3 m) tall, but heights of 10 feet (3 m) are possible. Desert peach branching is often wide and loose, and there are many short, stiff, spiny lateral branches. Aboveground stems are short-lived. From a large clone in the Medell Flats area of western Nevada, the maximum number of stem growth rings was 8.

Leaves are simple, often bundled, and arranged alternately. Tips are pointed, and margins have minute teeth. Leaf-blades measure 0.4 to 1 inch (1-3 cm) long, 3 to 7 mm wide, and can be summer deciduous. Solitary flowers are most common, but clusters of up to 5 are reported. Flower diameters measure 0.5 to 0.9 inches (1.2-2.2 cm). Desert peach produces mostly round drupes that measure a little over 0.4 inches (1 cm) and typically have dry and/or thin pulp. Kay and others report that fruit fleshiness depends on moisture availability. In years of above-average moisture, fruits are fleshy and split to expose the stone seed, but if moisture is average or below, fruits are described as "mummified" and the fruit flesh dries on the stone. Desert peach seeds are heart-shaped stones with a thick, hard coat that opens along a suture. Seeds are typically 1 cm long and wide.

Seasonal development:

Desert peach flowers appear slightly earlier or at the same time as the leaves. Flowers appear sometime from March to July throughout the desert peach range, though the timing of flower development can differ by as much as a month among individual clones growing in the same area.


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

Prunus fremontii (aka: Desert apricot)

Acer saccharinum (aka: Silver maple, Soft maple)

Cercis orbiculata (aka: California redbud, Western redbud, Arizona redbud, Judas tree, Cercis occidentalis)

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

Rubus spectabilis (aka: Salmonberry)

Salix gooddingii (aka: Goodding's willow, Dudley willow, Valley willow, Western black willow)

Prunus armeniaca (aka: Armenian plum, Ansu apricot, Siberian apricot, Tibetan apricot, Apricot tree)

Prunus andersonii (aka: Desert peach, Desert peachbush, Anderson peachbush, Wild almond)

Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)

Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)

Celtis laevigata (aka: Hackberry, Sugarberry, Lowland hackberry, Sugar hackberry, Arizona sugarberry, Netleaf hackberry, Small's hackberry, Southern hackberry, Texas sugarberry)

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

Aesculus californica (aka: California buckeye, Buckeye, Horsechestnut)

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

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)