Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Smoothleaf red raspberry

Scientific name:

Rubus idaeus.

Life form:

Shrub.

Flowering time:

16 - 23 days.

Flowering period

in Ohio for this plant is: MayJuly.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
30 kilograms per ha

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Major in some areas


General distribution:

American red raspberry occurs throughout most of the temperate regions of the world. In North America it grows from Alaska through Canada to Newfoundland, southward to North Carolina and Tennessee in the East, and to Arizona, California, and northern Mexico in the West. The native American red raspberry is Rubus idaeus subsp. strigosus.

R. i. subsp. idaeus grows across northern Europe to northwestern Asia. It is cultivated in Hawaii and throughout much of North America and has naturalized in many locations.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 54 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

American red raspberry is a deciduous, erect or arching, thicket-forming shrub which grows from 1.6 to 9.8 feet (0.5-3 m) in height. The total height and extent of growth is largely attributable to climatic factors. Woody stems are bristly or prickly with shreddy, exfoliating yellow-brown bark. Leaves are alternate and pinnately compound in leaflets of three to five. Leaves are green and glabrous to hairy above but white or gray, hairy to glabrate and greenish beneath. Small showy perfect white flowers are borne in clusters of one to four in a compound cyme. Fruit of the American red raspberry is made up of many to several, red or pinkish-purple drupelets. Aggregates of drupelets are commonly referred to as a "berry."

Seasonal development:

American red raspberry is typically biennial, with each shoot passing through well-defined phenological stages during its 2-year lifespan.

Flowerbud initiation is influenced by temperature, genetics (cultivar), and geographic location.  Flowering is also related to the age and vigor of the plant and the date at which vegetative growth terminates. Flowerbud initiation is triggered by low temperatures and short days and generally begins in late summer or autumn. Flowerbud initiation can be induced by exposure to temperatures of 55 degrees F (12.8 degrees C) at 9 hour days or 50 degrees F (10.0 degrees C) at 16 hour days. Although flower bud initiation occurs overwinter in most red raspberries, initiation in primocane-fruiting cultivars begins in summer. Bud break typically occurs in early spring.  Evidence suggests that higher spring temperatures may promote earlier and more rapid flowering.

Fruit maturation begins soon after flowering.  Timing of flower bud initiation largely determines fruiting season, although fruiting dates also vary according to cultivar and geographic location.


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

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

Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)

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

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)

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

Vaccinium corymbosum (aka: Highbush blueberry, High-bush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry, Tall blueberry, Rabbiteye blueberry, Blue huckleberry, Tall huckleberry, Swamp huckleberry, High blueberry, Swamp blueberry)

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)

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

Tilia americana (aka: American basswood, Basswood, Linden)

Amorpha fruticosa (aka: Desert false indigo, False indigo-bush, Bastard indigobush, Indigo Bush)

Asclepias syriaca (aka: Сommon milkweed, Butterfly flower, Silkweed, Silky swallow-wort, Virginia silkweed)

Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)

Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)

Rubus armeniacus (aka: Himalayan blackberry, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)

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)

Cucumis sativus (aka: Cucumber, Cetriolo, Gherkin)

Cucumis melo (aka: Cantaloupe, Rockmelon, Sweet melon, Spanspek, Honeydew melon, Honeymelon, Crenshaw, Casaba)

Citrullus lanatus (aka: Watermelon)

Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)

Diervilla lonicera (aka: Northern bush honeysuckle, Bush-honeysuckle, Dwarf bush-honeysuckle, Herbe bleue)

Aralia spinosa (aka: Devil's walkingstick, Prickly ash, Hercules club, Angelica tree, Prickly elder, Pick tree, Toothache tree, Shotbush)

Cephalanthus occidentalis (aka: Common buttonbush, Buttonball, Buttonbush, Button willow, Riverbush, Honey-bells)

Calluna vulgaris (aka: Heather, Scotch heather, Common heather, Ling, Simply heather)

Tetradium (aka: Bee bee tree, Euodia, Evodia, Korean evodia, Bebe tree, Bee tree)