Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

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Common name:

Buttonball

Scientific name:

Cephalanthus occidentalis.

Life form:

Shrub, Tree.

Flowering time:

30 days.

Flowering period

in Virginia for this plant is: JulyAugust.

NECTAR PRODUCTION:
No data

SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor in most areas


General distribution:

Common buttonbush's distribution extends from southern Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario south through southern Florida and west through the eastern half of the Great Plains States. Scattered populations exist in New Mexico, Arizona, and the Central Valley of California.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 43 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

C. occidentalis is a deciduous shrub or small tree that averages 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height but can reach 6 m (20 ft). The leaves are opposite or in whorls of three, elliptic to ovate, 7–18 cm (2.8–7.1 in) long and 4–10 cm (1.6–3.9 in) broad, with a smooth edge and a short petiole. The flowers are arranged in a dense spherical inflorescence 2–3.5 cm (0.79–1.38 in) in diameter on a short peduncle. Each flower has a fused white to pale yellow four-lobed corolla forming a long slender tube connecting to the sepals. The stigma protrudes slightly from the corolla. The fruit is a spherical cluster of achenes (nutlets).

Seasonal development:

Common buttonbush flowers between June and September and produces fruit between September and October.


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

Acer saccharinum (aka: Silver maple, Soft maple)

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

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)

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

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

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

Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)

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

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)

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

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

Malus coronaria (aka: Sweet crab apple, Garland crab, Alabama crab, Allegheny crab, American crab, Baltimore crab apple, Buncombe crab, Dawson crab, Dunbar crab, Fragrant crab, Garland tree, Lanceleaf crab apple, Missouri crab, Sweet-scented crab, Sweet wild crab, Wild crab, Wild sweet crab, Wild Crab Apple)

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

Liriodendron tulipifera (aka: Tuliptree, Blue-poplar, Tulip-poplar, Yellow-poplar, Yellow wood)

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

Ilex opaca (aka: American holly, Dune holly, Hummock holly, Scrub holly)

Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)

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)