planting for bees and wildlife in oklahoma

[archa haymaker]

This has been posted for other areas but I'm looking for help in N.W.Oklahoma. We are just getting started in beekeeping. We have turned our 80 acres into a wildlife habitat. All the crop land has been converted to native grasses. In the process of building a 12 acre pond. Plan on planting milo and jap millet around the pond for ducks and upland birds. We have 3 one acre each deer food plots with a mixture of clover and legumes. We have a few fruit trees and alot of native locust and mulberry trees some native sunflowers silverleaf niteshade and a little of native wildflowers like blackeyed susan. I would be gratefull for any help . Thanks Archie

[djdup]

Sounds like you pretty much have it covered. What you describe paints a very nice picture in my head. I'm sure a few bee hives will do well there like it is.

[Rader Sidetrack]

I'm working on planting bee friendly trees/bushes that flower at times other than spring. Here's a page that offers seeds and information on some of those.

http://www.seedman.com/bee.htm

I prefer bushes and trees because I don't want to replant, and it seems that low growing plants will get overrun with non-productive competitors.

I have Buddleja saligna, Evodia danielli, Vitex negundo either in the ground or going in in the spring.

I also am going to plant some Caryopteris incana, but it is a perennial so we'll see how well it competes. Hopefully it will reseed itself and thrive, but I won't be replanting it.

[robo mantis]

Anise hyssop is covered in bees. Monarda (bee balm), Culvers root, Black cohosh, American Burnett, asters, goldenrod and wild senna. Those are all great bee plants. The wild senna makes seeds for wild birds such as turkeys and pheasants. Senna is a all around great plant, most pollinated by bumble bees though. Oh, and pussywillows salix sp.