|
Common name
|
Scientific name
|
Colour of honey
|
Importance as honey source
|
Importance as pollen source
|
Honey flavour
|
Honey density
|
Members comments
|
|
Wattles
|
Acacia sp.
|
|
nil
|
minor
|
|
|
Bees can collect pollen, but it is considered to have poor protein content.
|
|
Coconut palm
|
Cocos nucifera
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pumpkins
|
Cucurbita maxima
|
medium amber
|
nil to minor
|
major
|
|
light
|
Bees obtain good supplies of pollen (highest protein levels available to bees) from most pumpkins.
|
|
Other cucurbits
|
Cucurbita sp.
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the exception of pumpkins, cucurbits seem of little benefit to bees, but cucumbers can be useful.
|
|
Lemon-scented gum
|
Lophostemon citriodora
|
|
minor
|
medium
|
|
|
Close cousin to southern Spotted gum. It has a long bud growing period and can flower any month of the year.
|
|
Narrow-leaf ironbark
|
Eucalyptus creba
|
extra white to light amber
|
minor to major
|
Medium to major
|
choice
|
heavy
|
Heavy but erratic producer, about one year in five.
|
|
Narrow-leaf (grey) ironbark
|
Eucalyptus drepanophylla
|
extra light amber
|
medium
|
medium
|
good
|
moderate
|
Erratic producer in the Townsville district.
|
|
Silver-leaf (broad-leaf) ironbark
|
Eucalyptus melanophloia
|
white to light amber
|
major
|
minor
|
good
|
heavy
|
|
|
Gum-topped box
|
Eucalyptus moluccana
|
white to medium amber
|
major
|
medium
|
pleasant, unusual flavour
|
moderate
|
Honey ferments and froths unless well ripened. Candies rapidly. Produces heavily about one in three years.
|
|
Normanton box
|
Eucalyptus normantonensis
|
Light amber
|
medium
|
minor
|
|
|
Most responsive to ground moisture. Bees can build to swarming strength when pollen is collected from another source.
|
|
Inland bloodwood
|
Eucalyptus terminalis
|
|
minor
|
|
|
|
Needs checking. Extensive west of Charters Towers. Most pleasant of the bloodwoods. Has an unusually long flowering period.
|
|
Grevillea
|
Grevillea sp.; hybrids esp. “Robyn Gordon”
|
amber
|
minor
|
nil
|
|
|
Grevilleas are often planted to attract nectar eating birds but of no major benefit to bees.
|
|
Soapy tea-tree
|
Melaleuca dealbata
|
medium amber
|
minor
|
minor
|
poor
|
light
|
Support species only.
|
|
Paper-bark tea-tree
|
Melaleuca quinquenervia
|
extra light amber to dark amber
|
major
|
major
|
poor
|
light
|
High yielding tree in southern Queensland but production is unreliable north of Rockhampton. Candies readily.
|
|
Pigweed
|
Portulaca bicolor
|
|
major
|
|
|
|
Occurs mainly in headland areas cultivated for irrigated crops.
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