Rose of Sharon

**Jaseemtp** · 03-27-2011, 04:19 PM

Is this plant worked by honey bees? I was given some cuttings a few years ago and the plants are pretty tough and bloom throughout the spring,summer, and fall, up to the first hard frost. I did not keep bees last year so I did not pay attention if they were worked.

Jason

**tsmullins** · 03-27-2011, 05:09 PM

My friends Rose of Sharons are covered in bees while blooming. If the Rose of Sharon is a preferred plant or not, I do not know. But they do use it in our area. My friend has quite a few of Rose of Sharons, and the large number of plants may explain why many bees are attracted.

HTH,
Shane

**bhfury** · 03-27-2011, 09:04 PM

Here is one my bees last years working out Rose of Sharon. So my answer is Yes..

**NeilV** · 03-27-2011, 09:14 PM

Bumblebees really like them too. I've seen bumblebees get totally covered up with pollen working those flowers.

**Jaseemtp** · 03-27-2011, 11:03 PM

thats good to hear that they do work them. I have several plants and planned on making cuttings of them and spreading them around the property / neighborhood.

**jmgi** · 03-28-2011, 05:10 AM

I don''t know how much nectar they get, but they do get alot of pollen from them, and they have a long bloom period, I just planted my first one last year can't wait till it gets really big like my neighbors (10 ft. tall). John

**KQ6AR** · 03-28-2011, 05:50 PM

Funny our honey bees pritty much ignore it. Or work it very little. The bumble bees seem to like it though.

**NorthernIllinoisPlumber** · 03-28-2011, 07:05 PM

I watched a lot of bees on ours last year. Hopefully this year my bees will like it!

**Dave Meldrum** · 03-28-2011, 08:22 PM

My neighbor has about 12 different bushes and I noticed the Honey bee only like the doubles and ignore the single blossoms. Perhaps it is something about having to walk way down in the single flowers whereas the doubles seem to easier for the bees to get the nectar.

**clintonbemrose** · 03-28-2011, 08:46 PM

Rose of Sharon is a plant requiring a longer tounged bee to get any nector out of it so honey bees use it as a last resort for nector but love it for its pollon
Clint

**the doc** · 03-29-2011, 06:05 PM

this is a great bush - nice flowers, produces a ton of pollen most the year!

**USCBeeMan** · 04-05-2011, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by KQ6AR

Funny our honey bees pritty much ignore it. Or work it very little. The bumble bees seem to like it though.

Same thing here!! I have a lot of Althea and I have rarely seen a honey bee on it but the bumble bees cover it.

A caveat, some say that bee don't work crape myrtle but here at my house they work it to death. I cut the flowers back as soon as they start to seed so that I get a second blooming.

Perhaps the differences are due to the fact that at the time the honey bees have something better to work in each area. At least that makes sense for me.