Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Chives

Scientific name:

Allium schoenoprasum.

Other common name(s):

Chives.

Life form:

Forb.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in Colorado for this plant is: MaySeptember.

NECTAR PRODUCTION: 
Minor
 
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor

General distribution:

Chives, scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, are cultivated both for their culinary uses and their ornamental value. These small bulbous perennials feature attractive, pale lavender, globular flowers and thin, grass-like, dark green leaves which typically grow in clumps up to 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). With a strong onion or garlic scent, they are generally pest and disease-free!

A perennial plant, it is widespread in nature across much of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in grocery stores or grown in home gardens. In culinary use, the green stalks (scapes) and the unopened, immature flower buds are diced and used as an ingredient for omelets, fish, potatoes, soups, and many other dishes. The edible flowers can be used in salads. Chives have insect-repelling properties that can be used in gardens to control pests.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 40 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Chives are a bulb-forming herbaceous perennial plant, growing to 30–50 cm tall. The bulbs are slender, conical, 2–3 cm long and 1 cm broad, and grow in dense clusters from the roots. The scapes (or stems) are hollow and tubular, up to 50 cm long and 2–3 mm across, with a soft texture, although, prior to the emergence of a flower, they may appear stiffer than usual. The grass-like leaves, which are shorter than the scapes, are also hollow and tubular, or terete, (round in cross-section) which distinguishes it at a glance from garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). The flowers are pale purple, and star-shaped with six petals, 1–2 cm wide, and produced in a dense inflorescence of 10-30 together; before opening, the inflorescence is surrounded by a papery bract. The seeds are produced in a small, three-valved capsule, maturing in summer. 

Seasonal development:

Blooming in late spring - late summer, both flowers, and leaves are edible. The flowers are perfect in salads while leaves are widely used as a culinary herb.
The flowers are attractive to pollinators and are frequently visited by bumblebees and other types of bees.


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