> I am wondering what species of Euc are considered best for nectar
> production.

It depends on what sort of climate you have and what soil type.

Here in Australia on the eastern side yellow box (E. melliodora) is the
prize species with the ironbarks coming in second.  There are at least 10 of
these that I can think of.  Here in Queensland grey ironbark
(E.drepanophylla), Caley's ironbark (E. caleyi), narrow leaf (E. crebra) and
silver leaf (E. melanophloia) are the main honey species with broad leaf (E.
fibrosa subsp. fibrosa), blue top ironbark (E. fibrosa subsp. nubila), gum
top ironbark (E. decorticans), mugga ironbark (E. sideroxylon) also very
useful honey species.

River red gum (E. camaldulensis) is useful in southern States whilst back in
Queensland spotted gum (used to be E. maculata) and forest red gum (E.
tereticornis) are very useful species.  Our prize winter producer, when it
rains, is yapunyah (E. ochrophloia).  There are many others that can produce
honey in an on season.  The stringybarks, bloodwoods and boxes are examples.

There are several books out in Australia on honey flora which list how
useful the trees are.  This is useful because many eucalypts are pollen
deficient.  Ax an example, when we work yellow box as it has no pollen to
speak of, we like to have sites near hill gum (E. dealbata), also called
tumbledown gum and sand gum, nearby to supply the pollen.

You also have to consider that Queensland is tropical, sub-tropical in
climate and this would only equate with similar areas.

The other point is that just because you plant eucalypts, it doesn't
necessarily mean they will produce outside their normal range.  Also we find
that it takes many years, often up to 50-60 for tress to become useful
producers.

Trevor Weatherhead
AUSTRALIA

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