From:                   Bill Outlaw <[log in to unmask]>


> These latter, of course, provide excellent honey.  The
> question is, Do bees visit confederate jasmine?  . . .and, if so, will the
> honey taint my "mostly tupelo?"

   If you are referring to the plant we call Carolina Jasmine, or
Jessamine, (Gelsemium sempervirens), the direct answer to your
question would be NO. The plant blooms much earlier than you
indicate, so that its products will be used during the brood build
up. It would be unlikely to ever get added to the later nectars in
any significant quantity.

   Unfortunately there is another factor of which you are apparently
not aware; that is that all parts of the plant are toxic, including
the nectar and pollen. Children have mistaken the flower for
honeysuckle and sucked on the flower for nectar, thus making
necessary a trip to the hospital.

   Bees apparently do not prefer this plant for forage, and most
years they leave it alone, but some years when pickings tend to be
slim, they do visit, and dead brood is always seen in hives that do
so. This year, I only saw one hive with dead brood that I attributed
to Carolina Jasmine. Other years I've seen quite a bit more.

   It's a pretty flower, but not one that I'd plant for bees. It
freely grows wild, however, and is the state flower of South
Carolina.

Dave Green  SC  USA
The Pollination Home Page:  http://pollinator.com

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