Minor Nectar Plants I I


 Common beggar's-tick, Bidens alba (L.) DC.
(mistakenly called Spanish needles which is B. bipin-
nata L.), is found throughout Florida. The plant is
an annual with numerous flowering heads containing
white rays and a yellow center. It flowers throughout
the year, except where exposed to frost, and is an ex-
cellent nectar producer in late summer.
 Seagrape, Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L., is a small,
spreading tree found in the shelter of coastal dunes
from Pinellas County on the central peninsular west
coast, south to the Keys, and north on the central
peninsular east coast to Volusia County. It flowers
from April to July and is a good nectar producer, but
because of insignificant numbers of plants is not a
major nectar source.
 Flat-topped goldenrod, Euthamia minor (Michx.)
Greene [Solidago microcephala (Green) Bush], is a
common yellow flower found in abandoned fields and
waste areas throughout the state. It flowers from
September to November and may produce a surplus
of honey in the central and southern part of penin-
sular Florida. A word of caution: spiked goldenrod
(Solidago spp.) often blooming at the same time and
seen in conjunction with the flat-topped variety is not
a good nectar producer in Florida, as it is in the
midwestern United States.
 Philippine chaste tree, Vitex negundo L., and
chaste tree, Vitex agnus-castus L., are native to Asia
and cultivated in Florida. They flower from June to
October, making them good plants during the sum-
mer when there is a general lack of nectar. However,
few plants exist and rarely are they found in dense
enough stands to produce surplus honey.
 Mexican clover, Richardia scabra L., Florida pusley
and also more commonly Brazilian pusley, Richardia
brasiliensis (Moq.) Gomes, are small white-flowered
plants found in cultivated and disturbed areas mainly


in the northern half of the state. They bloom from
May to September, and the nectar usually serves as
overwintering food for colonies.
 Partridge pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.)
Greene [Cassia fasciculata Michx.], is a low growing
plant found throughout the state. The flowers bloom
from June to September. Nectar is produced only
when growing in heavy red clay soil, predominantly
in the northern Florida panhandle. The plant has
extrafloral nectaries (i.e. located on the leaf stalk
rather than the flower), and the nectar yield varies
from year to year.
 Red maple, Acer rubrum L., sometimes called
swamp maple, occurs throughout Florida. This tree
blooms in January and February and is one of the
first sources of nectar and pollen each year. The
small, red flowers give way to two-winged fruits. The
plant may produce a surplus honey crop in some
years, but usually it is consumed by the bees during
colony buildup.
 Pepper vine, Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Koehne, a
woody vine found in moist areas throughout the
state, is a relative of the grape. It blooms in spring
and early summer.
 Prairie sunflower, Helianthus agrestis Pollard,
sometimes called annual wild sunflower, is found only
in peninsular Florida, usually from Hendry County
near Lake Okeechobee as far north as Volusia
County. It blooms from August to October, is associ-
ated with old fields or swamp margins and produces
more nectar in the southern part of its range. This
plant was more important as a source of nectar before
much of its habitat was drained for agricultural
purposes.
 Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum (L.) DC., occurs
in the western Florida panhandle. It blooms from
 MINOR continued on page 12


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