[Pollinator] Why aren't we growing more willows as an abundant source of pollen for bees? (Kevin Lindegaard)

[Vicki Beard]

More info on Willows

 

Bebbs  Willow (Salix bebbiana) is pretty good. I have it growing in partial shade- an edge area, under many other almost mature trees. This area is quite dry but it’s doing very well. Due to the dry conditions I think it’s not growing as fast as normal, nor is it sending up an abundance of new shoots to colonize, but it still blooms abundantly early every spring and attracts many pollinators. 

 

 

 

Vicki Beard

 

From: Pollinator [mailto:pollinator-bounces+vbeard=sentex.net at lists.sonic.net] On Behalf Of Peter Bernhardt
Sent: September 17, 2014 4:41 PM
To: Kelly Rourke
Cc: 00—Pollinator 00—Pollinator
Subject: Re: [Pollinator] Why aren't we growing more willows as an abundant source of pollen for bees? (Kevin Lindegaard)

 

Der Kelly:

 

Oooh, ooh, I can answer that one!

 

1) A number of willows sold in nurseries are non-native species and become pests as they grow with roots attacking sewer pipes or cesspools.  Fallen branches grow on as vegetative clones if they fall into water and are swept onto wet sand bars and deltas.  This includes our own naturalized, not native, weeping willow (Salix babylonica).

 

2)  Many willows fail to secrete nectar in bloom.  As you move further north in latitude insect-pollinated willow species or ecotypes are replaced by wind-pollinated species or ecotypes so no nectar.  Some apiarists regard willows as emergency pollen resources very early in late winter-spring when hives become active before most plants are in bloom.

 

3)  Do you have enough water to support your willows?  A number of species require saturated soils saturated throughout most of their active growth cycle.  This means they release more water vapor through their leaves every day increasing ambient humidity.  An oak on a stony hillside loses about 140 liters of water vapor through its leaves every day.  A puny, little fragile willow (Salix fragilis) most release 463 liters a day.

 

4)  Messy and short-lived. The faster a tree grows, the faster it dies.  Most willows are short lived (<20 years) and you must be prepared to remove dangerous dead wood and rotting-falling trunks during your life time.   

 

4)  Best reason of all.  J.R.R. Tolkien showed they were creepy, spooky and can't be trusted (see the first book of Lord of the Rings).  The best Ents are rosewoods.  

 

So there, Peter    

 

On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 3:02 PM, Kelly Rourke <kr at pollinator.org <mailto:kr at pollinator.org> > wrote:

 <http://www.crops4energy.co.uk/src-willows-abundant-source-pollen-bees/> http://www.crops4energy.co.uk/src-willows-abundant-source-pollen-bees/

Mary K. Byrne

Plant Ecologist

Pollinator Partnership

423 Washington Street, 5th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94111

e:   <mailto:mb at pollinator.org> mb at pollinator.org

w:  <http://www.pollinator.org> www.pollinator.org

p: 415.362.1137 <tel:415.362.1137> 

 











_______________________________________________
Pollinator mailing list
Pollinator at lists.sonic.net <mailto:Pollinator at lists.sonic.net> 
https://lists.sonic.net/mailman/listinfo/pollinator

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.sonic.net/pipermail/pollinator/attachments/20140919/5ed09929/attachment-0001.html>