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

[Peter Bernhardt]

Dear Vicki:

Here is something important to consider when dealing with early flowering
trees for honeybees and native bees, in general.  What is the nourishment
value of the pollen?  Perhaps Dr Jim Cane will weigh in on this one?

The reason I mention this is that, back in 1981, I worked on the
pollination of wattles (Australian acacias) for three years.  Many species
are winter-flowering trees and shrubs.  August is the Australian February,
Australia has over 600 native species, so rural people call it wattle
season.  No Australian species studied, to date, secretes floral nectar.
 They do secrete extra-floral nectar and naturalized honeybees have picked
up on this treat reserved usually for protective ants and wasps.

Anyway, our laboratory organized an Acacia colloquium and it attracted an
insect physiologist working on pollen sources for commercial honeybees.
 She said, acacias offered lots and lots of pollen (they are mass
flowerers) but the nutritional value of the cytoplasm was terribly low in
comparison to mass-flowering species that bloomed later in the spring.
 Honeybees had no choice and had to fill up on a low-grade product as
winter temperatures in Australia are very mild and hives are active and
foraging occurs far earlier than in the American midwest or northeast.

Once again, we need comment from Dr. Cane but I always presumed that the
starch granules in all pollen grains were indigestible to bees.  Only the
lipid and amino acid content is available and the best pollen for bees was
up to 33% digestible lipid and amino acid according to my advisor/boss, the
late, great Bruce Knox.  How do native and non-native willows stack up?  If
they are acacia junk-food makers what are the superior late-winter, early
flowering plant species for honeybees; coltsfoot, sand cherry, spice bush
(Lindera)?  I'd like some facts and figures instead of anecdotes.  Is a
home apiarist better off buying and planting ornamental almonds, for
example?

Meanwhile, I wonder if the attached will be of any interest to readers
(arrived this morning).

Peter

On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 8:56 AM, Vicki Beard <vbeard at sentex.net> wrote:

> 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> wrote:
>
> 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:  mb at pollinator.org
>
> w: www.pollinator.org
>
> p: 415.362.1137
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
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