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Washington

104K views 527 replies 36 participants last post by  Kuro 
#1 ·
Feb and Mar chickweed, miner's lettuce, ground mint, and pussywillow. Some maples have begun this week.
 
#104 ·
Happy Thanksgiving. We had the first light frost about a week ago, but it has become warm again. My bees fly everyday, bringing back small amount of pollen. In my garden, cosmos, radish and calendula are still in bloom, attracting a few honey bees.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•11/24/16
•Elephant’s ears (Bergenia)
 
#107 ·
It is too cold for honey bees to take advantage of these flowers, but it is nice to see new bloom. Spring is not far away.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•1/25/17
•Mahonia: probably one of the early blooming garden hybrids. We have lots wild ones in the neighborhood (Mahonia aquifolium, oregon grape) that will bloom later.
•Winter Hazel (Corylopsis)
 
#108 ·
In the past two weeks, I have seen honey bees on hazelnut flowers on warm and dry afternoons (not often). My bees occasionally bring in small amounts of light-colored pollen.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•2/12/17
•Winter cherry (Prunus subhirtella, unknown variety): Flowers bloom early, last long, and are quite popular among honey bees.
 
#110 ·
It was sunny and warm today and honey bees were seen on snow crocus and sweet box. My bees brought in lots of lemon-yellow pollen and some off-white and dark-yellow pollen.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•2/17/17
•Common chickweed (Stellaria media): supposedly honey bee friendly, but I do not remember seeing bees on them.
•Cornelian cherry (Cornus mas)
•Sweet box (Sarcococca confusa)
•Witch hazel (Hamamelis): seemed to be in bloom for a while.
 
#112 ·
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•2/22/17
•Paper birch (Betula papyrifera): must have been in bloom for a while on higher branches. This and/or red alder might be the source of the yellowish pollen my bees have brought in in the past week.
•Red maple (Acer rubrum): starting to bloom at the very top.
 
#113 ·
It has been either too cold or rainy or snowy in the past week and my bees have not brought back pollens for a while.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
2/28/17
•Elm (Ulmus): seems to have been in bloom for a while. We do not have many in the neighborhood.
•Dutch crocus (Crocus vernus)
•Snowdrop (Galanthus)
 
#114 ·
This past winter (Dec 2016 - Feb 2017) was Seattle’s coldest since 1985, with 56 days below normal temperatures.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•3/4/17
•Flowering quince (Chaenomeles speciosa): supposedly bee-friendly but I have never seen honey bees on them.
•Pieris japonica: I have read that honey from this plant is toxic to humans (“mad honey”), like those from Rhododendron species.
•Reticulata Iris (Iris reticulata or similar species)
•Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
 
#117 ·
Temperatures are warming up and roadside weeds are growing.

•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•3/10/17
•Common daisy, lawn daisy or English daisy (Bellis perennis)
•Evergreen Clematis (Clematis armandii)
•Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
•Leopard’s bane (Doronicum): one of the earliest blooming perennials in my garden.
 
#119 ·
Lots of red maples planted along streets and trails are in full bloom.

•3/16/17
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale): More than 2 weeks behind compared with last year, but I suppose this is more like an average spring.
•Pussy willow (Salix): I think we have several different species in the neighborhood.
•Squill (Scilla)
•Winter daphne (Daphne odora)
 
#120 ·
Osoberries are flowering everywhere in woodlands. High above, numerous copper-colored catkins of red alders can be seen against the sky.

•3/19/17
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•Black cottonwood or balsam-poplar (Populus Trichocarpa): not sure if honey bees use the pollen but I have read that they collect resin from the buds to make propolis.
•Miner's Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
•Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
•Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)
 
#124 ·
Currant bushes are in full bloom with deep pink flowers but I occasionally find white ones.

•3/24/17
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•Pachysandra
•Plum (Prunus): I’m pretty sure mine is P. domestica “Mirabelle”. Popular among honey bees. I also found many similar looking flowering trees on creekbanks, which could be other varieties of P. domestica, wild plum (P. americana), or something else.
•Weeping willow (Salix babylonica)
 
#128 ·
•3/28/17
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•Ash (Fraxinus): Unrelated mountain-ash (Sorbus) will bloom later.
•Barberry (Berberis, an unknown evergreen variety)
•Evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium Ovatum)
•Pacific Rhododendron (Rhododendron macrophyllum): found several almost-tree-sized plants in a woody creekside with pink flowers just starting. The state flower of Washington. Honey made from Rhododendron nectar is toxic.
 
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