Honey and Pollen Plants for Canada`s Beekeepers
An Annotated Floral Calendar: www.beeflowerseasoncan.ca
(A mobile version of the website is also available – click here )
The electronic floral calendar offers information on over 270 honey and pollen plants found across Canada, including the type of resource it provides for bees (nectar, pollen, resins) and photos to aid in identification. The list of plants is easily searched by the scientific and common names or by blooming season (Spring, Summer, Fall).
Why Make a Floral Calendar? Beekeepers are naturally interested in the flowers that provide sustenance for their bees. Some flowers provide mostly nectar which the bees make into honey, others produce only pollen which is the protein source for bee nutrition, and most produce both. Beekeepers find it useful to know what flowers are in bloom and when in their area of operation. Books on the floral resources used by honeybees have always been part of beekeeping lore, and the new website makes this information readily available to anyone with internet access.
The new site builds on the floral calendar previously created for Ontario beekeepers that was developed with funding from Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and launched in late 2013. The expanded national version was created with in-kind support from NSERC-CANPOLIN and Seeds of Diversity, which is the official home of Pollination Canada.