>>    Can anyone on the list recommend tall, fast-growing trees with
>> insect-pollinated flowers that provide good bee forage and sufficient shade,
>> while being tough enough to survive the travails of city and suburban life?
>
>Try Eucalypts: Hundreds of species, many of them extremele robust, many
>ornamental, can handle the heat, many types produce an abundance of nectar
and or
>heavy (insect pollination) pollen, small hard fruit, evergreen, a little leaf
>litter debris. Our main honeyflow in the Western Cape is from Eucalyptus
>caldocalyx - the (Cape) Sugar Gum. Let's hear it from the Ozzies?

Eucalyptus Cladocalyx (Sugar Gum) is native to Kangaroo Island and the
Flinders Ranges in South Australia.  Kangaroo Island retains large remnant
vegetation areas of Kangaroo Island and the Island beekeepers certainly
appreciate the reliable annual honey flow (some years copious, other years a
light flow - but rarely failing completely).  However Sugar Gum has some
undesirable features for city street trees. Although described in Clemson's
"Honey and Pollen Flora" as a small to medium tree, in its natural state it
is a majestic tree too high for city comfort (35+ metres) and furthermore
has the unnerving habit of dropping large boughs in high wind conditions.
There have been deaths from branches dropping onto motor vehicles during
storms from trees along highways, and warnings issued about camping under
Sugar Gums.  Incidentally the tree is so named from the sweet flavour of the
young leaves, browsed by livestock to their detriment as the glucosides
release prussic acid,when consumed in a mixed diet so farmers need to be
aware of possible toxicity.  As part of a block of native vegetation for
conservation purposes, the habit of branch dropping is beneficial providing
nesting sites for birds and possums.

For a street tree I would recommend Eucalyptus Ficifolia (Red Flowering Gum)
which is native to Western Australia.  This has been planted in Victor
Harbor, South Australia, thriving well in planting holes in paving next to
bitumen roads.  The trees are covered with large flowers in mid summer for
up to 2 months with colours varying from vivid orange to fire-engine red.
The blossom produces nectar and pollen and is popular with bees, ants,
lorikeets and other nectar feeding birds.

For planting as a screen rather than shade purposes, I suggest Flowering
Bottlebrush (Callistemon species) or Melaleuca.

There is however the consideration that tree species have evolved to suit
their environment, and in each area there are species in need of
conservation.  The first choice should always be a native species, thus
avoding the problem of introduced species becoming "weeds" and maintaining
genetic diversity.

Betty McAdam
HOG BAY APIARY
Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island
J.H. & E. McAdam<[log in to unmask]
http://kigateway.kin.on.net/hogbay/hogbay1.htm

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