Wattles
Acacia
Summary 9
Pollen Good, 23.8%
Nectar Good >160lbs possible
Non granulating honeys p. 54 E. Crane 1980
The honey is white with good flavor. Catsclaw blooms in April or May and again in the summer. Can yeild up to 160 lbs are obtained in TX. It is also an important honey plant in NM, AZ, and southern CA. (Lovell, H. B. (1966). Honey Plants Manual)
Flowering time 7-4, There are 40 some species of thorn trees in S. Africa. They are characterised by their bipinnate or double-compoun leaves, and by their recorved prickles or straight spines, i.e. 'thorns'. The many small florets close together in two types of inflorscence; globbose heads or 'power puffs', otherwise cylindrical spikes or 'catkins'. Trees with puffball flowers yeild dark honeys that are strongly flavoured, whereas the spike-bearing species produce very light coloured honeys with a mild aroma. Although information on nutritional value of thorn tree pollen is scant, practical experience has shown that brood production is stimulated and sustained. The intensities and times of flowering are primarily goverened by rainfall: how much and when. For species that bloom in spring and that may have rested for periods of up to six months without rain, the precipitation of the previous summer and autumn is crucial. During that time energy stoes are accumulated in the roots and stems, to be used the following spring for the production of flowers, nectar and pollen, in some species even before leaves appear. For species that bloom durning summer, flowering time is more variable, depending on recent summer rain. Strong showers and high temperatures govern flowers initiation and flowering intensity in most of these species. When thorn trees have to rear a large set of pods, they will produce far fewer flowers in the next flowering event or none at all. The African species of Acacia have recently been reclassified under the genera Senegalia with recurved thorns, and Vachellia with straight thorns. The Australian wattles retain their genus name Acacia. (Johannsmeier, M. F. (2016). Beeplants of South Africa: Sources of Nectar, Pollen, Honeydew and Propolis for Honeybees)
Sources and Credits
- (c) marcusrg - If you fav, please, be kind and comment, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/canoafurada/132465198/
- (c) Stephen Thorpe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Stephen Thorpe
- (c) H. Zell, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acacia_saligna_003.JPG
- (c) Paul, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/howzey/25692285374/
- (c) Glenn Seplak, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/gauchocat/403914748/
- (c) Scot Nelson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/scotnelson/8274381450/
- (c) Roger Culos, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acacia_podalyriifolia_MHNT.BOT.2009.13.19.jpg
- anonymous, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acacia_greggii2.jpg
- (c) Megan W., some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
