Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Scientific name:

Salix alaxensis

Common name(s):

Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow.

Life form:

Tree-shrub.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in Quebec for this plant is: MayJuly.

NECTAR PRODUCTION: 
No data
 
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor

General distribution:

Feltleaf willow is native to northern North America and eastern Siberia. In North America, it occurs from Alaska south to British Columbia to about 53 °N latitude, east to Québec, and north to Nunavut.

Map of distribution and habitat in Canada

This plant is present in at least 8 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Feltleaf willow is a tree or shrub 2 to 33 feet (0.5-10 m) tall. It typically grows in clumps of 5 to 20 stems. Branches are typically erect, but in exposed High Arctic and alpine sites feltleaf willow may have a prostrate or semiprostrate form. Trunks maybe 4 to 7 inches (10-18 cm) in diameter. Heavy browsing commonly hedges feltleaf willows.

Leaves are deciduous, alternate, and simple. They are 2.0 to 4.3 inches (5-11 cm) long and 0.4 to 1.6 inches (1-4 cm) wide.

The inflorescence is a catkin. Male catkins are 1.2 to 2.0 inches (3-5 cm) long, and female catkins are 2.0 to 5.9 (5-15 cm) long. The fruit is a capsule, which splits open to release the seeds. A tuft of hairs plumes each seed.

Willow roots are typically shallow. Feltleaf willow sometimes forms adventitious roots.

Feltleaf willow stands are open to closed. Closed feltleaf willow stands (canopy closure >75%) are characteristic of floodplains and outwash deposits, while open feltleaf willow stands (canopy closure 25%-74%) occupy a variety of sites from sand dunes to riverbanks.

Seasonal development:

Feltleaf willow catkins appear and pollination occurs in spring before leaves emerge. In Alaska, flowering and seed dispersal occur from May to July. In general, seeds are dispersed later as latitude and elevation increase. Seed dispersal often coincides with receding spring floodwaters, when newly exposed mineral soil seedbeds are moist. Feltleaf willow is often one of the first willows to disperse seeds in interior Alaska. The rate of seed dispersal in willows depends on weather. Under warm, dry, windy conditions, all seeds may be dispersed within a few days. Under wet, cool conditions, dispersal may be spread out over a month. 


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

Salix arbusculoides (aka: Littletree willow)

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

Salix alaxensis (aka: Feltleaf willow, Alaska willow)

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)

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)

Salix brachycarpa (aka: Shortfruit willow, Barren-ground willow, Small-fruit sand dune willow, Small-fruit willow)

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)

Salsola kali (aka: Russian thistle, Tumbleweed, Prickly saltwort)

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)

Cucumis sativus (aka: Cucumber, Cetriolo, Gherkin)

Agastache foeniculum (aka: Giant hyssop, Blue giant hyssop, Anise hyssop, Fragrant giant hyssop, Lavender giant hyssop)

Chamaenerion angustifolium (aka: Fireweed, Great willowherb, Rosebay willowherb, Saint Anthony's Laurel, French-willow)

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)

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

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

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

Rubus chamaemorus (aka: Cloudberry, Bake apple, Baked apple berry, Bakeapple, Nordic berry, Knotberry, Aqpik, Low-bush salmonberry, Averin, Evron)

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

Hyssopus officinalis (aka: Hyssop)

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