Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Viper's bugloss

Scientific name:

Echium vulgare.

Other common name(s):

Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle.

Life form:

Forb, Herb.

Flowering time:

41 days.

Flowering period

in Texas for this plant is: JuneAugust.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
300–1,000 pounds honey/acre
 
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Major

General distribution:

Echium vulgare — known as viper's bugloss and blueweed — is a species of flowering plant in the borage family Boraginaceae. It is native to most of Europe, and western and central Asia and it occurs as an introduced species in North America.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 52 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

It is a biennial or monocarpic perennial plant growing to 30–80 cm tall, with rough, hairy, oblanceolate leaves. The flowers start pink and turn vivid blue and are 15–20 mm in a branched spike, with all the stamens protruding. The pollen is blue but the filaments of the stamens remain red, contrasting against the blue flowers.

Seasonal development:

It flowers between June and August.


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

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

Acer saccharinum (aka: Silver maple, Soft maple)

Cercis canadensis (aka: Eastern redbud, Redbud, Cersis Reniformis)

Malus angustifolia (aka: American crab apple, Buncombe crab apple, Crabtree, Narrowleaf crab, Narrowleaf crab apple, Southern crab, Southern crab apple)

Aronia arbutifolia (aka: Red chokeberry)

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

Salix gooddingii (aka: Goodding's willow, Dudley willow, Valley willow, Western black willow)

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

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

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

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

Celtis laevigata (aka: Hackberry, Sugarberry, Lowland hackberry, Sugar hackberry, Arizona sugarberry, Netleaf hackberry, Small's hackberry, Southern hackberry, Texas sugarberry)

Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)

Ungnadia speciosa (aka: Mexican buckeye, Texas buckeye, Canyon buckeye, Spanish buckeye, New Mexican buckeye, New Mexico buckeye, False buckeye, Monillo, Monilla)