Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

California blackberry

Scientific name:

Rubus ursinus.

Life form:

Shrub.

Flowering time:

16 - 23 days.

Flowering period

in Montana 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 USA

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 Montana
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)

Salix exigua (aka: Narrowleaf willow, Coyote willow)

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

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

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

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

Prunus emarginata (aka: Bitter cherry)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf 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)

Rhamnus cathartica (aka: Common buckthorn, European buckthorn, Dahurian buckthorn)

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

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

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

Salix lutea (aka: Yellow willow)

Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

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

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

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

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

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)

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