It seems that the peak of this year’s maple flow has passed, although many bigleaf and vine maple trees are still in bloom in shadier locations. Unlike last year, the weather was very cooperative during the flow (see below for 2020 maple flow recap).
•Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
•4/13 - 4/19/20
•New blooms
•Bitter cherry or Oregon cherry (
Prunus emarginata): a native cherry shrub/tree with flat-topped clusters of 5 - 12, white or pinkish, 5-petaled flowers. The bark is reddish brown with horizontal lines.
[Bitter cherry & honey bee]
http://science.halleyhosting.com/nature/gorge/5petal/rose/prunus/bitter.htm
•Pacific willow (
Salix lasiandra, aka
Salix lucida var. lasiandra): A large native shrub or a small to medium sized tree, often found in wet places, with lance-shaped, shiny leaves. Yellow male catkins are loaded with pollen.
[Pacific willow & honey bee, May 2019]
•Orchard apple (
Malus pumila): a small tree with 5-petaled, white flowers tinged with pink. Apple blossoms may be confused with cherry and pear blossoms (how to tell apples from cherries and pears,
http://drmgoeswild.com/malus-pyrus-prunus/).
[Orchard apple & honey bee, April 2019]
•Other plants
•Bugle (
Ajuga reptans):
https://photos.app.goo.gl/t3Gm3THXyfQ75BWW8
•Columbine (
Aquilegia):
https://artandkitchen.wordpress.com/2013/06/27/honey-bee-and-columbine-flower-pollen-2/
•Mexican orange (
Choisya ternata and
Choisya x dewitteana 'Aztec Pearl'):
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/....jpg/v1/fill/w_1920,h_1080/Mexicanorange2.jpg
•Mountain bluet, perennial cornflower (
Centaurea montana):
https://photos.app.goo.gl/UH79XUHkVvYf4U8Y7
•Northern highbush blueberry (
Vaccinium corymbosum):
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/invest_in_pollination_for_success_with_highbush_blueberries
•Pacific dogwood (
Cornus nuttallii, with 6 bracts) and flowering dogwood (
C.florida, with 4 bracts):
https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteNPS/photos/a.156902234358067/1670537009661241/?type=3&theater
•Privet honeysuckle, box-leaved honeysuckle (
Lonicera pileata):
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bienenwabe/41651188875
•Red elderberry (
Sambucus racemosa):
http://www.florabeilles.org/terme/sambucus-racemosa-0
•Sea thrift (
Armeria maritima):
http://www.florabeilles.org/serie/armeria-maritima_apis-mellifera-0
•Strawberry (
Fragaria x ananassa):
https://www.lockhaven.com/news/outd...llination-is-a-complex-and-a-tricky-business/
********************************
2020 maple flow recap
The relevant maple species in my neighborhood are the two natives, the bigleaf maple (
Acer macrophyllum) and the vine maple (
A.circinatum), the former being much more abundant. Norway maples
(A.platanoides cultivars and hybrids) may have contributed to the flow as well. Some cherry species also came to full bloom around this time.
Apparent full blooms came around;
Norway maples (early blooming varieties), 4/4
Bigleaf maples, 4/10
Escaped plants that look like sour/sweet cherries, 4/15
Vine maples, 4/15
Broodminder hive scale was set under one of my hives. The colony was not super-strong, led by a third-year Carniolan queen. The hive was placed in a half-shade location. The single most productive day of this colony was 4/9/20 (3.26 lb gain/day), the most productive 3-day period was 4/8 - 4/10 (2.34 lb/day), and the 7-day period was 4/9 - 4/15 (1.5 lb/day).
As of 4/17, the nectar was not capped, much of which was still stored in the outer frames of the brood chamber. We will wait for a month or so to do the first honey extraction, after apple and hawthorn blooms (and before black locusts, tulip poplars, and blackberries).