Pollen source - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The term pollen source is often used in the context of beekeeping

Beekeeping

Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...

and refers to flowering plants as a source of pollen

Pollen

Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...

for bees or other insects. Bees collect pollen as a protein source to raise their brood. For the plant, the pollinizer, this can be an important mechanism for sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two organisms. There are two main processes during sexual reproduction; they are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes; and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the...

, as the pollinator

Pollinator

A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...

distributes its pollen. Few flowering plants self-pollinate

Self-pollination

Self-pollination is a form of pollination that can occur when a flower has both stamen and a carpel in which the cultivar or species is self fertile and the stamens and the sticky stigma of the carpel contact each other in order to accomplish pollination...

; some can provide their own pollen (self fertile), but require a pollinator to move the pollen; others are dependent on cross pollination from a genetically different source of viable pollen, through the activity of pollinators. One of the possible pollinators to assist in cross-pollination are honeybees. The article below is mainly about the pollen source from a beekeeping perspective.

The pollen source in a given area depends on the type of vegetation

Vegetation

Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...

present and the length of their bloom period. What type of vegetation will grow in an area depends on soil texture, soil pH, soil drainage, daily maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation, extreme minimum winter temperature, and growing degree day

Growing degree day

Growing degree days , also called growing degree units , are a heuristic tool in phenology. GDD are a measure of heat accumulation used by horticulturists, gardeners, and farmers to predict plant and pest development rates such as the date that a flower will bloom or a crop reach...

s. The plants listed below are plants that would grow in USDA

United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...

Hardiness zone 5. A good predictor for when a plant will bloom and produce pollen

Pollen

is a calculation of the growing degree days.

The color of pollen below indicates the color as it appears when the pollen arrives at the beehive. Bees mix dry pollen with nectar and/or honey

Honey

Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...

to compact the pollen in the pollen basket

Pollen basket

The pollen basket or corbicula is part of the tibia on the hind legs of the four related lineages of apid bees that used to comprise the family Apidae: the honey bees, bumblebees, stingless bees, and orchid bees...

. Dry pollen, is a food source for bees, which contains 16 - 30% protein, 1 - 10% fat, 1 - 7% starch, many vitamins, but little sugar. The protein source needed for rearing one worker bee from larval to adult stage requires approximately 120 to 145 mg of pollen. An average bee colony will collect about 20 to 57 kg (44 to 125 pounds) of pollen a year.

Trees and shrubs - Spring

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability	Source for honeybees
Maple Maple Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...	Acer spp.	Feb - Apr	light yellow	feral	fair
Manitoba Maple (Box elder)	Acer negundo	Feb - Apr	light olive	feral	good
Norway maple Norway Maple Acer platanoides is a species of maple native to eastern and central Europe and southwest Asia, from France east to Russia, north to southern Scandinavia and southeast to northern Iran....	Acer platanoides	Apr - May	yellow green, olive	feral	fair
Red Maple Red Maple Acer rubrum , is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It ranges from the Lake of the Woods on the border between Ontario and Minnesota, east to Newfoundland, south to near Miami, Florida, and southwest to east Texas...	Acer rubrum	Mar - Apr	grey brown	feral
Grey Alder Alder Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...	Alnus incana	Feb - Apr	brownish yellow	feral
American Chestnut American Chestnut The American Chestnut is a large, deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range...	Castanea dentata	May - Jun		mostly ornamental
Sweet Chestnut Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa is a species of the flowering plant family Fagaceae, the tree and its edible seeds are referred to by several common names such Sweet Chestnut or Marron. Originally native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor, it is now widely dispersed throughout Europe and parts of Asia, such as...	Castanea sativa	May		feral	good
Common Hackberry	Celtis occidentalis	Apr - May		feral
Flowering Quince Quince The quince , or Cydonia oblonga, is the sole member of the genus Cydonia and native to warm-temperate southwest Asia in the Caucasus region...	Chaenomeles japonica, Chaenomeles lagenaria, Chaenomeles speciosa 'Nivalis, Chaenomeles x superba	Apr - May		feral	good
American Hazel Hazel The hazels are a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate northern hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae, though some botanists split the hazels into a separate family Corylaceae.They have simple, rounded leaves with double-serrate margins...	Corylus americana	Mar - Apr	light green	feral and ornamental	fair/good
Hawthorn Crataegus Crataegus , commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Europe, Asia and North America. The name hawthorn was originally applied to the species native to northern Europe,...	Crataegus spp.	Apr - May	yellow brown	feral	fair
White Ash White Ash For another species referred to as white ash, see Eucalyptus fraxinoides.Fraxinus americana is a species of Fraxinus native to eastern North America found in mesophytic hardwood forests from Nova Scotia west to Minnesota, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern...	Fraxinus americana	Apr - May
Honey Locust Honey locust The Honey locust, Gleditsia triacanthos, is a deciduous tree native to central North America. It is mostly found in the moist soil of river valleys ranging from southeastern South Dakota to New Orleans and central Texas, and as far east as eastern Massachusetts.-Description:Honey locusts, Gleditsia...	Gleditsia triancanthos	May - Jun		feral
American holly American Holly Ilex opaca, the American Holly, is a species of holly, native to the eastern United States, from coastal Massachusetts south to central Florida, and west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas.-Description:...	Ilex opaca	Apr - Jun		feral
Walnut Walnut Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...	Juglans spp.	Apr - May		cultivated	fair
Tulip-tree Liriodendron Liriodendron is a genus of two species of characteristically large deciduous trees in the magnolia family .These trees are widely known by the common name tulip tree or tuliptree for their large flowers superficially resembling tulips, but are closely related to magnolias rather than lilies, the...	Lirodendron tulipifera	May - Jun	cream	feral and ornamental	good
Crab Apple	Malus spp.	Mar - Jun	light olive	ornamental
Apple Apple The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...	Malus domestica, Malus sylvestris	Apr - May	yellow white	cultivated and ornamental	very good
American Sycamore Platanus Platanus is a small genus of trees native to the Northern Hemisphere. They are the sole living members of the family Platanaceae....	Platanus occidentalis	Apr - May	light olive	feral
Plum Prunus Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...	Prunus spp.	Apr - May	light grey, grey	ornamental and cultivated
Almond Almond The almond , is a species of tree native to the Middle East and South Asia. Almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree...	Prunus amygdalus	Feb	light brown to brown pollen - not considered a good pollen source but bees are the primary pollinator	cultivated mostly in California	fair
Wild Cherry Prunus Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...	Prunus avium	Apr - May	yellow brown, light brown	feral	very good
Cherry Plum Cherry plum Prunus cerasifera is a species of plum known by the common names cherry plum and myrobalan plum. It is native to Europe and Asia....	Prunus cerasifera		light brown to brown	feral	fair
Sour Cherry Cherry The cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus, and is a fleshy stone fruit. The cherry fruits of commerce are usually obtained from a limited number of species, including especially cultivars of the wild cherry, Prunus avium....	Prunus cerasus	Apr - May	dark yellow	ornamental and cultivated	very good
Peach Peach The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...	Prunus persica	Apr - May	reddish yellow	ornamental and cultivated	good
Black Cherry Prunus Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...	Prunus serotina	Apr - May		feral	minor
Blackthorn Blackthorn Prunus spinosa is a species of Prunus native to Europe, western Asia, and locally in northwest Africa. It is also locally naturalised in New Zealand and eastern North America....	Prunus spinosa			feral	good
Pear Pear The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....	Pyrus communis	Apr - May	red yellow	ornamental and cultivated	good
Oak Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...	Quercus spp.	May		feral
Oak Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...	Quercus robur, Quercus pedunculata	May	light olive	feral	minor
Black Locust Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia, commonly known as the Black Locust, is a tree in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States, but has been widely planted and naturalized elsewhere in temperate North America, Europe, Southern Africa and Asia and is...	Robinia pseudoacacia	May - Jun		feral
Blackberry Blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...	Rubus spp.	May - Jun	light grey	feral and cultivated
Raspberry Raspberry The raspberry or hindberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus Rubus, most of which are in the subgenus Idaeobatus; the name also applies to these plants themselves...	Rubus idaeus	May - Jun	white grey	feral and cultivated	good
Willow Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...	Salix spp.	Feb - Apr	lemon	feral	good
White Willow White Willow Salix alba is a species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia. The name derives from the white tone to the undersides of the leaves....	Salix alba			feral	good
Goat Willow Goat Willow Salix caprea , is a common species of willow native to Europe and western and central Asia....	Salix caprea	Mar - Apr		feral	very good
Violet Willow Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...	Salix daphnoides	Mar - Apr		feral	very good
Pussy Willow Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...	Salix discolor	Mar - Apr		feral and ornamental
Basket Willow Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...	Salix purpurea	Mar - Apr		feral	very good
Silky leaf osier, Smith's Willow Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...	Salix x smithiana	Apr - May			very good
American mountain ash Sorbus americana The tree species Sorbus americana is commonly known as the American Mountain-ash. It is a relatively small deciduous perennial tree, native to eastern northern North America....	Sorbus americana	May-Jun		feral
American Elm Elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...	Ulmus americana	Feb - Apr	light grey	feral
Winged Elm	Ulmus alata	Feb - Mar	pale yellow	feral	good
Europea field elm Elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...	Ulmus americana			feral	good

Pictures

Flowers and annual crop plants - Spring

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability	Source for honeybees
Ajuga (Bronze Bugle, Common Bugle)	Ajuga reptans	mid spring
Chives Chives Chives are the smallest species of the edible onions. A perennial plant, they are native to Europe, Asia and North America.. Allium schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old World....	Allium schoenoprasum	May - Sep		cultivated?
Asparagus Asparagus Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable, a flowering perennialplant species in the genus Asparagus. It was once classified in the lily family, like its Allium cousins, onions and garlic, but the Liliaceae have been split and the onion-like plants are now in the family Amaryllidaceae and...	Asparagus officinalis	May - Jun	bright orange	cultivated
Mustard Mustard plant Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...	Brassica arvenisi	Apr - May	lemon	cultivated and feral
Canola Canola Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...	Brassica napus	May - Jun	lemon	extensively cultivated	very good
Yellow Crocus	Crocus vernus Crocus vernus Crocus vernus is a species in Family Iridaceae. Its cultivars and those of Crocus flavus are used as ornamental plants. The Dutch Crocusses are larger than the other cultivated crocus species... (syn. Crocus aureus)	April	orange yellow	feral and ornamental	fair
Leopard's Bane	Doronicum cordatum	Apr - May
Winter aconite	Eranthis hyemalis	Mar - Apr	yellow	feral and ornamental	good
Snowdrop Snowdrop Galanthus is a small genus of about 20 species of bulbous herbaceous plants in the Amaryllis family, subfamily Amaryllidoideae...	Galanthus nivalis	Mar - Apr	orange, red		fair
Henbit Lamium Lamium is a genus of about 40-50 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae, of which family it is the type genus...	Lamium amplexicaule	April	orange red, red, purplish red	Apr - Jul	poor
White Sweet Clover	Melilotus alba	May - Aug	yellow to dark yellow	feral and cultivated	good
Yellow Sweet Clover	Melilotus officinalis	May - Aug	yellow to dark yellow	feral and cultivated
Sainfoin Sainfoin Onobrychis, the Sainfoins, are Eurasian perennial herbs of the legume family . Including doubtfully distinct species and provisionally accepted taxa, about 150 species are presently known...	Onobrychis viciifolia	May - Jul	yellow brown		very good
Siberian squill Siberian squill Siberian squill is a bulbous perennial, grown for its nodding blue flowers in early spring. It naturalizes rapidly from seed.-Distribution:...	Scilla sibirica	Mar - Apr	steel blue	feral and ornamental	good
White mustard Mustard plant Mustards are several plant species in the genera Brassica and Sinapis whose small mustard seeds are used as a spice and, by grinding and mixing them with water, vinegar or other liquids, are turned into the condiment known as mustard or prepared mustard...	Sinapis alba	June	lemon	feral and cultivated	good
Chick weed	Stellaria media	Apr - Jul	yellowish	feral	minor
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	Apr - May	red yellow, orange	feral	very good

Trees and shrubs - Summer

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability	Source for honeybees
Red Horse chestnut	Aesculus carnea		raisin	feral
Horse chestnut	Aesculus hippocastanum	May - Jun after 80-110 growing degree days.	anatolia	feral	good
Southern Catalpa Catalpa Catalpa, commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia....	Catalpa bignonioides	Jun - Jul		ornamental	fair
Northern Catalpa Catalpa Catalpa, commonly called catalpa or catawba, is a genus of flowering plants in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae, native to warm temperate regions of North America, the Caribbean, and East Asia....	Catalpa speciosa	Jun - Jul		ornamental
Bluebeard Caryopteris Caryopteris is a genus of 16 species of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae , native to eastern and southern Asia....	Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Heavenly Blue'	Aug - Sep			very good
Virginia creeper	Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Jul - Aug			good
Boston Ivy 'Veitchii' Ivy Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...	Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Veitchii	Jun - Jul			good
Sumac Sumac Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....	Rhus glabra	Jun - Jul
Elder Elderberry Sambucus is a genus of between 5 and 30 species of shrubs or small trees in the moschatel family, Adoxaceae. It was formerly placed in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, but was reclassified due to genetic evidence...	Sambucus canadensis	Jun - Jul	canary yellow
Basswood or American Linden	Tilia americana	Jun - Jul	yellow to light orange	feral and ornamental
Little Leaf Linden	Tilia cordata		citrine	feral
Blueberry Blueberry Blueberries are flowering plants of the genus Vaccinium with dark-blue berries and are perennial...	Vaccínium myrtíllus	Jun	red yellow, orange	cultivated	poor

Flowers and annual crop plants - Summer

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability	Source for honeybees
Allium Allium Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....	Allium spp.			feral and cultivated
Onion Onion The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...	Allium cepa		light olive	cultivated
Chives Chives Chives are the smallest species of the edible onions. A perennial plant, they are native to Europe, Asia and North America.. Allium schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old World....	Allium schoenoprasum	May - Sep		feral and cultivated
Garlic chives Chives Chives are the smallest species of the edible onions. A perennial plant, they are native to Europe, Asia and North America.. Allium schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old World....	Allium tuberosa	Aug - Sep		feral and cultivated
Leadwort syn. Indigobush	Amorpha fruticosa	Jun - Jul		ornamental?
Aster	Aster spp.	Sep-Frost	reddish yellow	feral and ornamental
Land-in-blue, Bushy Aster	Aster x dumosus	Aug - Sep	bronze yellow	feral
Borage Borage Borage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...	Borago officinalis	Jun - Frost	blueish grey	ornamental
Marigold	Calendula officinalis	Jun - Sep	orange
Heather Calluna Calluna vulgaris is the sole species in the genus Calluna in the family Ericaceae. It is a low-growing perennial shrub growing to tall, or rarely to and taller, and is found widely in Europe and Asia Minor on acidic soils in open sunny situations and in moderate shade... sp.	Calluna vulgaris	Jul - Aug	yellow white, white		good
Hemp Hemp Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...	Cannabis sativa	Aug	yellow green		good source
Blue Thistle Thistle Thistle is the common name of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the...	Carduus spp.
Star thistle	Centaurea spp.	Jul - Sep
Persian centaurea	Centaurea dealbata		hemp
Knapweed	Centaurea macrocephala	Jul - Aug			good
Knapweed	Centaurea nigra		very light olive
Chicory Chicory Common chicory, Cichorium intybus, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant usually with bright blue flowers, rarely white or pink. Various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons , or for roots , which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. It is also...	Cichorium intybus L.		white
Cotoneaster Cotoneaster Cotoneaster is a genus of woody plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to the Palaearctic region , with a strong concentration of diversity in the genus in the mountains of southwestern China and the Himalayas...	Cotoneaster spp.				good
Cucumber Cucumber The cucumber is a widely cultivated plant in the gourd family Cucurbitaceae, which includes squash, and in the same genus as the muskmelon. The plant is a creeping vine which bears cylindrical edible fruit when ripe. There are three main varieties of cucumber: "slicing", "pickling", and...	Cucumis spp.		pale yellow	cultivated
Melon Melon thumb\|200px\|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit... s	Cucumis melo	Jun-Frost	pale yellow	cultivated
Pumpkin Pumpkin A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...	Cucurbita pepo	Jun-Frost	bright yellow	cultivated
Fireweed Fireweed Epilobium angustifolium, commonly known as Fireweed , Great Willow-herb , or Rosebay Willowherb , is a perennial herbaceous plant in the willowherb family Onagraceae...	Epilobium angustifolium	Jul - Aug	blue	feral
Joe-Pye weed Joe-Pye weed Eutrochium fistulosum , also called Joe-Pye weed, Trumpetweed, or Purple thoroughwort, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to eastern North America, in southeast Canada and throughout the eastern and central United States.It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.5-3 m ... , Bluestem	Eutrochium spp.; Eupatorium purpureum	Aug - Sep	bistre green
Buckwheat Buckwheat Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...	Fagopyrum esculentum	Jul - Aug	light yellow to light green	cultivated	good source
Blue vine	Gonolobus laevis syn. Cynanchum laeve
Sunflower Sunflower Sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence . The sunflower got its name from its huge, fiery blooms, whose shape and image is often used to depict the sun. The sunflower has a rough, hairy stem, broad, coarsely toothed, rough leaves and circular heads...	Helianthus annuus	Jun - Sep	golden	feral and cultivated
Jewelweed	Impatients capensis		yellowish white
Alyssum	Lobularia maritima	Jun - Sep
Lupine Lupine Lupine may be one of several things:Something that is like, or relating to, a wolf .A variant spelling for lupin, a flowering plant.Lu Pine Records, a record label in Detroit.Lupine Games, a computer game company....	Lupinus sp.	Jun - Jul	white, yellow or blue		minor
Mallow Malva alcea Malva alcea is a plant in the mallow family native to southwestern, central and eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, from Spain north to southern Sweden and east to Russia and Turkey.-Description:It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 50–125 cm tall, with stems covered...	Malva alcea	Jun - Sep
Alfalfa Alfalfa Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...	Medicago sativa	July - Aug	khaki	feral and cultivated
Clover Clover Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...	Melilotus spp. and Trifolium spp.	May - Aug		feral and cultivated
White Sweet Clover	Melilotus alba		auburn	feral and cultivated
Yellow Sweet Clover	Melilotus officinalis		auburn	feral and cultivated
Basil Basil Basil, or Sweet Basil, is a common name for the culinary herb Ocimum basilicum , of the family Lamiaceae , sometimes known as Saint Joseph's Wort in some English-speaking countries....	Ocimum basilicum			ornamental
Poppy Poppy A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....	Papaver orientale	May - Jul	blueish grey	ornamental only	good source
Poppy	Papaver somniverum	May - Jun	grey	feral and ornamental	very good source
Phacelia Phacelia Phacelia is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America....	Phacelia tanacetifolia	Jun - Sep	navy blue	feral and cultivated	good source
Smartweed	Polygonum spp.	Aug - Sep
Common Chickweed	Stellaria media	Apr - Jul			minor source
Germander	Teucrium chamaedrys	Jul - Aug
Alsike Clover Clover Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...	Trifolium hybridum		yellow brown		good source
Crimson Clover Clover Clover , or trefoil, is a genus of about 300 species of plants in the leguminous pea family Fabaceae. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution; the highest diversity is found in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, but many species also occur in South America and Africa, including at high altitudes...	Trifolium incarnatum		dark brown
White Clover White clover Trifolium repens, the white clover , is a species of clover native to Europe, North Africa, and West Asia...	Trifolium repens	Jun - Jul	caledonian brown		good source
Cat-tail Typha Typha is a genus of about eleven species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Typhaceae. The genus has a largely Northern Hemisphere distribution, but is essentially cosmopolitan, being found in a variety of wetland habitats...	Typha latifolia	Jun - Jul
Common vetch	Vicia cracca	Jul - Aug
Spring Vetch	Vicia sativa	Jul - Aug
Sweet Corn Maize Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...	Zea mays	Jun - Jul	yellowish white	cultivated

Trees and shrubs - Fall

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability	Source for honeybees
Chinese Elm, Lacebark Elm	Ulmus parvifolia	Aug - Sep		ornamental	good

Flowers and annual crop plants - Fall

Common name	Latin name	Blooming months	Pollen color	Availability
Aster	Aster spp.	Sep-Frost	reddish yellow
Borage Borage Borage, , also known as a starflower, is an annual herb originating in Syria, but naturalized throughout the Mediterranean region, as well as Asia Minor, Europe, North Africa, and South America. It grows to a height of , and is bristly or hairy all over the stems and leaves; the leaves are...	Borago officinalis	Jun - Frost
Melon Melon thumb\|200px\|Various types of melonsThis list of melons includes members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae with edible, fleshy fruit e.g. gourds or cucurbits. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit... s	Cucumis melo	Jun-Frost		cultivated
Sweet autumn clematis	Clematis ternifolia	late Sept	white	ornamental
Pumpkin Pumpkin A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...	Cucurbita pepo	Jun-Frost	bright yellow	cultivated
Ivy Ivy Ivy, plural ivies is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and across central-southern Asia east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:On level ground they...	Hedera spp.	Sep - Oct	dull yellow or black?	ornamental (not native to America)
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.	Sep - Oct	golden	feral