My understanding has always been that sweet clover was always considered a
noxious weed...by everyone except beekeepers.

However, it is not a good competitor and improved dry farming techniques and
more irrigation have largely eliminated its former range in the northern
plains states.

Now the northern plains states (and many other states as well) have a new
noxious weed, knapweed or 'yellow star thistle' (although the flower is
purple).  Both knapweed and yellow star thistle (the two are related)
produce a fine honey.  The dry lands of Idaho are especially noted for
thousands upon thousands of acres of yellow star thistle.

30 years ago knapweed was largely unknown around here (upstate NY), but now
the fields are purple with it for a three week period in July/August.  It is
a terribly invasive weed that grazers will not touch. While it is an annual,
every plant produces thousands of fine seeds for the next year.  Cultivation
easily controls it, but our farms continue to be abandoned and it quickly
moves in.  Presumably the shade produced by the natural succession back to
hardwoods would also control it...but who will control the deer that graze
the hardwood seedlings?

Lloyd
Lloyd Spear, Owner of Ross Rounds, manufacturer of comb honey equipment
for beekeepers and Sundance pollen traps.
http://www.rossrounds.com
[log in to unmask]



 ***********************************************************************
 ***********************************************************************
 *****  BEE-L Archives contain almost two decades of beekeepers advising
beekeepers     *****
 *****  Although there are no format Frequently asked questions, any topic
of discussion   *****
 *****  can be reviewed by searching the archives.  The archives is the FAQ!
Subscribers *****
 *****  are encouraged to become proficient in using the archives which can
be searched at: ***
 *****  http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l
*****
 ***********************************************************************
 ***********************************************************************