Texas Honey Plants Part 3

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Distribution not definite. Cultivated and along fence rows; honey yield good and of fine quality; scarce and should be cultivated for honey. May to October.* "An important honey plant in North Texas." (E.

Scholl).

YELLOW SWEET CLOVER. Melilotus officinalis (L) Lam.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Colorado along roadsides, escaped. Honey yield good; claimed to be superior to and earlier than M. alba by beemen. Should be cultivated on the poor soils of Texas. April to September.*

RED CLOVER. Trifolium pratense L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

College Station: cultivated on experimental plats. Blooms in summer; not important, not much grown and deep corollas. June.*

WHITE CLOVER. Trifolium repens L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"May be found wild in Texas." (Coulter). Along roadsides and on lawns. Cultivated at College, but did not grow as conditions were too dry. Honey yield good and one of main sources in States north of Texas. June, July.*

EYSENHARDTIA. Eysenhardtia amorphoides. H B K.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"Throughout Southern and Western Texas, South of the Colorado."

(Coulter). Hunter: on light soils and woodlands and known as "Rock Brush" by beemen. Honey yield abundant. Blooming after heavy rains.

Honey fine quality. March, May.*

BLACK LOCUST. Robinia Pseudacacia L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"Native from Pennsylvania to Iowa, Georgia and Indian Territory. Also naturalized in the northeastern part of North America." (Small). College: cultivated on campus; honey yield good if no cold weather; bees work on it abundantly. March, April.*

Ca.s.sIA. Daubentonia longifolia (Cav.) DC.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Low and damp places; sandy soils; bees on it frequently but apparently of little value. July, September.*

MEXICAN GROUND-PLUM. Astragalus Mexica.n.u.s. A. DC.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"Prairies throughout Texas." (Coulter). Hunter: in open prairies honey yield abundant when season is favorable; drouth injures it. June.*

COW PEA. Vigna (sp.) Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Honey yield good; fair quality, light color. Cultivated for forage crops and for enriching soils. June, August.*

COW PEA. Vigna Sinensis (L) Endl. (Var. ?).

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Cultivated for forage crops and for enriching soils; honey yield good; fair quality, light color. June, August.*

j.a.pANESE DELCHOS. Dolichos lablab L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Cultivated in Apiary Experimental plats; no bees on it; other plants in bloom. June, August.*

GARDEN PEA. Pisum sativum L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

Hunter: cultivated widely; honey yield unimportant, some pollen; not visited much by bees. March, April.*

RED BUD. Cercis occidentalis Torr.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"Far Western and North Mexican species extending into Western Texas." (Coulter). Aids early brood rearing. March.*

RED BUD. JUDAS TREE. Cercis Canadensis L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"In rich soil Ontario to Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida and Texas."

(Small). Hunter: in woodlands. Honey yield fair, aiding in early brood rearing. March, April.*

RETAMA. Parkinsonia aculeata L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"Throughout Southern and Western Texas." (Coulter). In sandy soils and low swamps. Blooms spring and throughout summer; bees work on it more or less all summer. May, Sept.*

HONEY LOCUST. Gleditschia triacanthos L.

Pulse family. Leguminosae.

"An Atlantic species extending at least to the Valley of the Brazos river and common in cultivation." (Coulter). College Station: Along ravines and valleys; very heavy honey yield but of short duration.

April.*

MEZQUIT TREE. SCREW BEAN. Prosopis juliflora DC.