Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Tart cherry

Scientific name:

Prunus cerasus.

Life form:

Tree.

Flowering time:

6 days.

Flowering period

in Colorado for this plant is: AprilMay.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
30 kilograms per ha

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor


General distribution:

Prunus cerasus (sour cherry, tart cherry, or dwarf cherry) is a species of Prunus in the subgenus Cerasus (cherries), native to much of Europe and southwest Asia. It is closely related to the sweet cherry (Prunus avium) but has a fruit that is more acidic.

Cultivated sour cherries were selected from wild specimens of Prunus cerasus and the doubtfully distinct P. acida from around the Caspian and Black Seas, and were known to the Greeks in 300 BC. They were also extremely popular with Persians and the Romans who introduced them to Britain long before the 1st century AD. The fruit remains popular in modern-day Iran.

In England, their cultivation was popularised in the 16th century in the time of Henry VIII. They became a popular crop amongst Kentish growers, and by 1640 over two dozen named cultivars were recorded. In the Americas, Massachusetts colonists planted the first sour cherry, 'Kentish Red', when they arrived.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 36 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

The tree of sour cherry is smaller than the sweet cherry. Its height is 4-10 m. A small tree, usually round-topped or spreading, bearing root suckers; leaves are ovate, hard, stiff and rather abruptly pointed, minutely toothed; flowers white, in cluster of 2-5 on slender pedicles, 2-4 cm long, appearing with the leaves; fruits globose, 0.6-1.25 cm in diameter, light red to nearly black, acid or sweet. The bark is bitter, astringe. The fruit is sour and sweetish.

Seasonal development:

Blooms late, with white flowers clustered on 2–4" long pedicels. Flowers appear on 1-year-old wood along with spurs. Ripens in late June, just 2 months after the spring bloom.


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

Salix nigra (aka: Black willow, Swamp willow, Southwestern black willow, Gulf black willow, Scythe-leaved 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)

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)

Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)

Acer grandidentatum (aka: Bigtooth maple, Canyon maple, Western sugar maple)

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

Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)

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

Celtis occidentalis (aka: Common hackberry, Bastard elm, Nettle-tree, Northern hackberry)

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

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

Prunus americana (aka: American plum, Goose plum, River plum, Wild plum)

Salix drummondiana (aka: Drummond's willow, Beautiful willow, Blue willow)

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

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

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

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

Salix boothii (aka: Booth's willow)

Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)

Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)

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

Salix monticola (aka: Park willow, Cherry willow, Mountain willow, Serviceberry willow, White willow)

Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)

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

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

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

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

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

Gleditsia triacanthos (aka: Honey locust, Honey shucks locust, Common honeylocust, Sweet bean locust)

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

Asclepias tuberosa (aka: Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Canada root, Fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, Orange root, Orange Swallow-wort, Tuber root, Yellow milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly love)

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