BEE-L:
    I was looking at the Noxious Plant Manual I found on one of the websites
given by Matthew Westall.  I noticed that many of the plants listed are
honey or pollen plants:
 
"Trees:  Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin Durazz) 12 Princess tree (Paulownia
tomentosa (Thunb.) Sieb. & Zucc. Stevd.) 16 Tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus
altissima (Mill.) Swingle) 22
Shrubs Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb.) 28 Bush honeysuckles
(Lonicera spp.) 32 Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) 38 Multiflora
rose (Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murr.) 42 Privet (Ligustrum spp.)48
Herbaceous Plants Eurasian water-milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) 52
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande) 56 Japanese
grass (Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus) 60 Japanese knotweed
(Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. & Zucc.) 64 Japanese spiraea (Spiraea japonica
L. f.) 68 Musk thistle (Carduus nutans L.) 72 Purple loosestrife (Lythrum
salicaria L.) 76
Vines Climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei (Turcz.) Hand. -Mazz.) 82
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) 88 Japanese wisteria
(Wisteria floribunda (Willd.) DC.) 94 Kudzu (Pueraria montana (Lour.) Merr.)
98 Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculata Thunb.) 104"
 
    Then I started thinking about how many of the honey plants my bees
depend on are not native to my area: dandelion, apples, tartarian
honeysuckle, glossy buckthorn, black locust, clover, linden, alfalfa, and
japanese knotweed.  We have considerable Autumn olive, multiflora rose:
excellent pollen only, and some loosestrife.
    For native species, there are the trees that aid spring buildup, such as
willows and maples.  Later are the berries, sumacs, milkweed, basswood,
goldenrod, and aster.
    It is a fact that an invasive plant can become mono-cultural, hence
efficient for the bees to harvest.  How about sweet clover, our fruit crops
such as oranges, and the pepper and melaleuca of Florida that are so liked
by bees?
    Many native species have been marginalized by invaders for centuries and
will continue to be as global trade increases.
    Why cry about it?  Super up!
Charles Andros
My address:
Linden Apiaries/Boulder Wall Gardens
1 McLean Road
Walpole, NH
03608-0165
603-756-9056
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