Honey production and colony development are directly related to floral sources in the immediate area of your apiary. Major honey flows depend on a few plant species which yield nectar abundantly and are readily available. Besides the two or three main annual sources, there should be a great variety of minor plants yielding both pollen and nectar throughout the season to support the colonies between the main flows.

Large acreages of flowers are needed to produce surplus honey. It is not economical to plant crops just for their nectar and pollen yields. An acre of blooming plants rarely provides surplus honey for more than one or two colonies of bees. The value of land not being used for other purposes can be increased, however, if it is planted to some nectar-yielding plant such as sweet clover rather than left to grass and weeds.

Beekeepers should become familiar with the major floral sources of their area and when these species bloom. From the standpoint of honey production, the most populous colonies produce the most honey. Thus, the essence of spring management is the development of strong colonies. Efficient management requires proper timing of colony development so that maximum populations will coincide with major nectar flows.

Pennsylvania has a great variety of nectar- and pollen-producing plants, as shown in the table following this section. The widespread distribution of such plants as dandelion, maple, sumac, blackberry, several species of clover, and goldenrod makes it possible to produce a crop of honey in almost any part of the state. Tulip poplar and Spanish needle are limited to the southeast. Buckwheat, goldenrod, and aster are produced across the northern part of the state and through most of the western section. A small amount of basswood is found in the northeast. There are some areas of black locust, but this floral source is not dependable from year to year.

One small general area in the high altitudes of Elk, McKean, Forest, Indiana, Cambria, Clearfield, and Somerset counties has large amounts of Hercules Club (Aralia spinos). This plant produces a large crop of bitter honey with a limited market but good wintering qualities.

Primary and secondany floral sources of Pennsylvania

Common name	Scienfific name	Value as nectar source	Value as pollen source
Skunk cabbage	Symplocarpus foetidus	------	minor
Elm	Ulmus spp.	-----	minor
Willow	Salix spp.	minor	major
Maple	Acer spp.	minor	major
Cottonwood	Populus spp.	------	minor
Dandelion	Taraxacum officinale	major	major
Fruit bloom (apple, peach, pear, cherry, plum)		minor	minor
Wild cherry	Prunus spp.	minor	minor
Yellow rocket	Barbarea vulgaris	minor	minor
Black locust	Robinia pseuda-acacia	major	minor
Tulip poplar	Liriodeudron tulipifera	major	minor
Brambles (Blackberry, raspberry)	Rubus spp.	minor	minor
Blueberry	Vaccinium spp.	major	minor
Huckleberry	Gaylussacia spp.	minor	minor
Cranberry	Vaccinium macrocarpon	minor	minor
Yellow sweet clover	Melilotus officinalis	major	major
White sweet clover	Melilotus alba	major	major
Blue weed	Echium vulgare	major	minor
Alfalfa	Medicago sativa	major	------
Corn	Zea mays	------	minor
Basswood	Tilia spp	major	------
Alsike clover	Trifolium hybridum	minor	minor
White Dutch clover (Ladino)	Trifolium repens	major	minor
Smooth sumac	Rhus glabra	minor	minor
Vetch	Vicia spp.	minor	-------
Birdsfoot trefoil	Lotus corniculatus	minor	minor
Canadian thistle	Cirsium arvense	minor	minor
Wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace)	Daucus carota	minor	minor
Milkweed	Asclepias spp.	minor	-------
Cucurbits (cucumber, squash, pumpkin cantaloupe, watermelon)		minor	minor
Button bush	Cephalanthus occidentalis	minor	minor
Catnip	Nepta cataria	minor	------
Chicory	Chichorium intybus	minor	minor
Star thistle (spotted knapweed)	Centaurea maculosa	minor	------
Sunflower	Helianthus spp.	minor	minor
Purple loosestrite	Lythrum salicaria	major	minor
Thyme	Thymus spp.	major	minor
Smartweed	Polygonum spp.	minor	minor
Red clover	Trifolium pratense	minor	minor
Wild bergamont (horsemint)	Monarda spp.	minor	minor
Wild marjoram	Origanum vulgare	minor	minor
Fireweed (willow herb)	Epilobium angustifolium	minor	minor
Pepperbush	Clethra alnifolia	minor	minor
Clematis	Clematis spp.	minor	minor
Lima bean	Phaseolus lunatus	minor	------
Soybean	Glycine max	minor	minor
Japanese knotweed	Polygonum spp.	minor	minor
Spanish needle	Bidens spp.	minor	minor
Staghorn sumac	Rhus spp.	minor	minor
Buckwheat	Fagopyrum esculentum	minor	------
Goldenrod	Solidago spp.	major	major
Aster	Aster spp.	major	minor

------ of negligible value