Important Honey Bee Plants in California
Eric Mussen, Extension Apiculturist
* = Major Source n = nectar p = pollen
Eric Mussen, Extension Apiculturist
* = Major Source n = nectar p = pollen
Ground Plants * Alfalfa - n Arrowweed - p Asparagus - p * Black sage - n/p * Bluecurls - n/p Borage - p * Buckwheats - n/p Cantaloupe - n Carpet grass (Lippia) - n Cascara - n Cedar (honeydew) - n Chamise (greasewood) - p Chickweed - p Clarkia - p Cleome - p * Composites - n/p Corn - p * Cotton - n Creeping sage - n/p Dandelion - p Fiddle neck - n/p Filaree - n/p Flax - p Forest clover - n/p Garden flowers - p Golden fleece - n/p Goldenrod - p Shrubs Bottle brush - n/p California laurel - p Coffeeberry - n Creosote bush - p Desert peach - p Elderberry - p Lavender - n/p *Manzanita - n *Mesquite - n/p Palavered - p Trees Alder - p Black locust - n Box elder - p Chinquapin - p Cottonwood - p *Deciduous fruit trees - p Elm - p *Eucalyptus | Grasses - p Hypochoeris spp. - p Jackass clover - n/p Klamath weed - p Locoweed (not poisonous) - n Lupines - p Milk thistle - p *Mustard - n/p *Penstemon - n * Phacelia - n * Poppies - p * Red maids - p * Sage - n * Spikeweed - n/p * Tarweed - n/p * Turkey mullein - p Vetch - p Western hyssop - n White clover - p *White sage - p White sweet clover - p Wild alfalfa - n/p *Wild lilac - n/p Wild Radish - p * Yellow star thistle - n/p *Poison oak - n/p *Purple sage - n/p *Rabbit brush - n/p Rosemary - p * Sage brush - p Sumac - n/p Toyon - n/p Wild lilac (Ceanothus) - n/p Willow - n/p Western redbud - p *Madrone - n *Oak - p *Olive - p * Orange - n * Pine - p * Redwood - p * Walnut - p |