Texas Honey Plants Part 7

Composite family. Compositae.

"Rich dry soil from the Mississippi and Gulf States through Texas to Mexico." (Coulter). In rich soils, lowlands and woodlands; honey yield very abundant, depending upon seasons; fine quality of honey.

October.*

SNEEZE WEED. BITTER WEED. Helenium tenuifolium Nutt.

Composite family. Compositae.

"River bottoms, etc., extending from the Gulf and Mississippi States to Western Texas." (Coulter). College: abundant on open woodland prairies and plains of Eastern Texas. Honey yield good in favorable seasons; pollen; honey golden yellow, heavy body but very bitter, as if 50 per cent quinine and some pepper was added. June to October.*

MARIGOLD. Gaillardia pulch.e.l.la Foug.

Composite family. Compositae.

"Extending from plains of Arkansas and Louisiana through Texas to those of Arizona and Mexico." (Coulter). Hunter: waysides and prairies. Honey yield of good quality, dark amber colored. A main yielder of surplus. May, June.*

BLUE THISTLE. Cnicus altissimus Willd.

Composite family. Compositae.

"Borders of woods and open ground. Common in the Atlantic States and extending into Texas." (Coulter). Hunter: scattered over open prairies; honey yield unimportant; some pollen. July, August.* "Bees working heavily on it in June, 1907 along Guadalupe River, New Braunfels, Texas, where some of the pastures were literally covered with it." (E. Scholl).

AMERICAN KNAPWEED. Centaurea Americana Nutt.

Composite family. Compositae.

"Extending from the plains of Arkansas and Louisiana through Texas to Arizona and adjacent Mexico." (Coulter). Hunter: open prairies and pastures. Not important. July, August.*

DANDELION. Taraxac.u.m officinale Weber.

Composite family. Compositae.

"Common everywhere; an introduction from Europe." (Coulter). See A. B. C. of Bee Culture. February.*

MARIGOLD. Tagetes patalus L.

Composite family. Compositae.

Cultivated in flower gardens; honey yield not important; bees only occasionally visiting it. July.*

NARROW-LEAFED IRON WOOD. b.u.melia angustifolia Nutt.

Appodilla family. Sapotaceae.

"Valley of the lower Rio Grande." (Coulter). Specimen sent from the Nueces River. (Cotulla). June.*

MEXICAN PERSIMMON. Diospyros Texana Scheele.

Ebony family. Ebenaceae.

"Woods along streams, Matagorda Bay to the Concho River and southward." (Coulter). "Mexicans call it "Chapote," also known as "black persimmon." Often found on rocky mesas but thrives best in canyons and on the edges of ravines." (Harvard). Hunter: in woodlands: honey yield abundant, not harmed by showers on account of bell-shaped flowers. April.*

PERSIMMON (COMMON). Diospyros Virginiana L.

Ebony family. Ebenaceae.

"A common tree of the Atlantic States. Extending Into Texas to the valley of the Colorado." (Coulter). Throughout East Texas; honey yield good, not long and trees not abundant. Bell-shaped blossoms are protected in rain. April.*

CALIFORNIA PRIVET. Ligustrum vulgare L.

Olive family. Oleaceae.

"Thickets and on roadsides, Ontario to Pennsylvania and North Carolina." (Small). Ornamental shrub cultivated for hedges, etc., honey yield good; flowering trees scarce, trimmed and kept down in hedges. April, May.* "A good flow at College Station in 1906." (E.

Scholl).

SILVER BERRY. Elaeagnus argentia, Pursh.

Oleaster family. Elaeagnaceae.

College Station; cultivated ornamental on campus. Honey yield abundant in narrowly funnel-shaped blossoms hanging downward. Nectar runs to mouth of flower. Protected from rains. Corolla 8mm. deep. Long-tongue bees would be of advantage. October, November.*

SWEET OLIVE. Elaeagnus angustifolia L.

Oleaster family. Elaeagnaceae.

College Station: cultivated ornamental shrub on campus; honey yield good; bees work on blossom. April.*

SILK WEED. Asclepias sp.

Milk weed family. Asclepiadeae.

Beeville; on plains and prairies. Honey yield good but pollen attaches to bee's feet and cripples them. March.*

DENSE-FLOWERED PHACELIA. Phacelia congesta Hook.

Water-leaf family. Hydrophyllaceae.

"Throughout Texas." (Coulter). Rich places and moist woods; honey yield sparing. April, June.*

Phacelia glabra Nutt.

Water-leaf family. Hydrophyllaceae.

"Low prairies Arkansas and East Texas." (Coulter). On prairies Eastern Texas. March, April.*

BORAGE. Borage officinalis L.

Borage family. Boragineae.