Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Western catalpa

Scientific name:

Catalpa speciosa.

Life form:

Tree.

Flowering time:

14 days.

Flowering period

in Nova Scotia for this plant is: MayJune.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
No data

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor in most areas


General distribution:

Catalpa speciosa is a species of Catalpa native to the midwestern United States. Catalpa speciosa was originally thought to be native only to a small area of the midwestern United States near the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Today, its range has widely expanded east of the Rocky Mountains outside of its restricted pre-settlement location, further obscuring the true native range.

Map of distribution and habitat in Canada

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

See The Map

Botanical description:

It is a medium-sized, deciduous tree growing to 15–30 meters tall and 12 meters wide. It has a trunk up to 1 m diameter, with brown to gray bark maturing into hard plates or ridges.

The leaves are deciduous, opposite (or whorled), large, heart-shaped, 20–30 cm long and 15–20 cm broad, pointed at the tip and softly hairy beneath. The leaves generally do not color in autumn before falling, instead, they either fall abruptly after the first hard freeze or turn a slightly yellow-brown before dropping off. The catalpa tree is the last tree to grow leaves in the spring. The winter twigs of northern catalpa are like those of few other trees, having sunken leaf scars that resemble suction cups. Their whorled arrangement (three scars per node) around the twigs is another diagnostic.

The flowers are 3–6 cm across, trumpet-shaped, white with yellow stripes and purple spots inside; they grow in panicles of 10-30.

The fruit is a long, thin legume-like pod, 20–40 cm long and 10–12 mm diameter; it often stays attached to a tree during winter (and can be mistaken for brown icicles). The pod contains numerous flat, light brown seeds with two papery wings.

Seasonal development:

The blooming period occurs from late spring to early summer, lasting about 2 weeks. Individual flowers remain in bloom for only a short time; they have a pleasant fragrance.

Afterward, fertile flowers are replaced by narrowly cylindrical seedpods that are 10-18" in length and about ½" across; they are either straight or slightly curved and droop downward from short stalks. Immature seed pods are green, while mature seedpods are dark brown. 


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

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Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)

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

Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)

Amelanchier arborea (aka: Common serviceberry, Downy serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, Shadblow, Sugarplum)

Acer saccharum (aka: Sugar maple, Rock maple, Hard maple)

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

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

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

Acer rubrum (aka: Red maple, Scarlet maple)

Ulmus americana (aka: American elm, White elm, Water elm, Soft elm, Florida elm)

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

Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)

Catalpa speciosa (aka: Northern catalpa, Hardy catalpa, Western catalpa, Cigar tree, Catawba-tree, Bois chavanon)

Acer pensylvanicum (aka: Striped maple, Moosewood, Goosefoot maple, Whistlewood)

Rubus canadensis (aka: Smooth blackberry, Thornless blackberry, Canadian blackberry, Smooth highbush blackberry)

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

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

Acer spicatum (aka: Mountain maple, Low maple, Moose maple, Water maple, Plaine batarde, Fouereux)

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

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

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

Aronia melanocarpa (aka: Black chokeberry, Rowan, Mountain Ash, Sorbus)

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

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

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

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