Build up on Eucalyptus

[odfrank]

If you took that picture in February, for globulus weren't they in bloom for a few months already prior to the photo?

The globulous starts around Halloween and goes until June. The blooms are scattered on the trees and neighborhoods, not all blooming at the same time.

The tree in the photo is a `compacta' and different parts of it bloom over several months. The globulus flow in an area is not like many other trees, where all the same variety of tree bloom during the same weeks. With Globulus where I live, different branches, individual trees, and different neighborhoods will bloom spread over different weeks October, to June.

[HVH]

From what I have read, there are hundreds of species and I will just have to go and visit the site. The neighbors say the trees bloom in the spring. A beekeeper says he got 14 barrels of honey out of this grove from June to December. These trees were brought in for lumber and could be globulus. I will just have to identify the species and corroborate with a few visits to determine bloom. There were many plantings all over California with a lot of study done at UC Berkeley.

[bfriendly]

Most of the Eucs (inland CA) especially the thick "forest" type plantings seem to bloom April May June at earliest, I have seen exceptions (red / pink flowers - anyone know the species, generic name or group?). Blue Gum Eucalyptus blooms earlier...(Jan) I think...

Manzanita can be good, depending on weather.

[KoalaJohn]

Hi from the home of the Eucalyptus! We have over 700 species here in Australia, they flower at different times, some produce huge amounts of pollen and hardly any nectar and vice versa. From a bee's point of view, some are 5 star all you can eat restaurants, others are fly infested rubbish bins.

The point I am trying to make is that the only way to answer the question is to identify the species. If you can send me some details and photos, I may be able to help (though bear in mind there are 700 possibilities!).

The other thing to bear in mind is that in Australia at least, the same species of Eucalyptus can flower at different times of the year, depending on weather. Some only flower every second year, some miss the odd year. Down here, drought is common and this has a big effect on flowering times too. So the best way to find out is to locate and talk with a local with many years of experience.

If it is Globulus, down here we call it either the Southern Blue Gum, or Tasmanian Blue Gum. Honey is a light amber colour, of fair density and good flavour. Pollen is good for building up hives after Winter. Flowering varies but is generally from Mid Winter to early Summer.

I have to say, I went to California for the first time last year, and was not expecting to so many gum trees there, it was a huge surprise. Many of the ones I saw were well over a hundred years old, which is relatively unusual to see in Australia. Reason is that over here, since white settlement we have viewed them as a timber resource and have logged them heavily. They do regrow strongly, but the percentage of very old trees is quite low. In my view at least, you have some very special trees over there.

Regards, John.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

Koala John,
I may contact you. I tried growing them last year with no avail. This year I may try some more but have no idea where to start.
mike