Some jasmine (particularly night-blooming jasmine) has tremendous scent, to the point the my olfactory nerves shut down with stronger-scented varieties. The night-blooming is pollinated by moths, but what about the others? Do bees go for them? If so, does the nectar make good honey?
I have about 100' of fence thickly covered w/ Confederate jasmine. The bees are seldom seen on it until about the last week of bloom. Even then their interest isn't outstanding. The East Palatka hollies are blooming at the same time and those can look like a robbing fest. I don't know about other jasmine varieties, we have a few around, but none as prolific as Confederate.
I never see any bees on the jasmine that is within a few feet of my apiary. I think it is actually poisonous. .
Jim
Carolina Jasmine is poison, all parts. insects don't bother it. deer won't touch it. d2
I think all jasmine(s) are considered poisonous as is Azalea ,mountain laurel.Bee will rarely work it unless there is not another source.
Yellow jasmine is poisonous to honey bees. I see bees work Azaleas all the time.
Quote from: marktrl on May 23, 2015, 04:25:35 PM
Yellow jasmine is poisonous to honey bees. I see bees work Azaleas all the time.
When we (I) say poisonous we mean the honey for consumption not to the bees. They will work azaleas as a last ditch effort ( I try to never say never :) ). There are different types of azalea so i know some yield toxic honey I do not know about all. Living in the edge of the Piedmont I have heard numerous times that mountain laurel yields bitter tasting toxic honey. But the bees will work it as a last resort.
I did not list the sources it is fairly easy to google them however:>Carolina jasmine is not a true jasmine, but it is among the most beautiful vines of the South. Also known as Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), this slender evergreen vine adorns trees and fences in its native Southeast with bright yellow flowers. The blossoms resemble jasmine, but they are toxic and even lethal to humans; bees are another story altogether.
Bees
The plant is also toxic to honeybees, according to folklore, but scientific proof is scarce. John Skinner of the University of Tennessee says that the nectar intoxicates, paralyzes and kills honey bees, but the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and other reputable websites do not mention any ill effects to bees. Florida Master Gardener Lynn Hice suggests that bees might be harmed if limited to the nectar of Carolina jessamine but are not in danger if they have many floral options.
All rhododendron and azalea nectar contains the toxins: grayanotoxins (formerly known as andromedotoxin, acetylandromedol, and rhodotoxin), arbutin glucoside. The symptoms of excessive doses of these toxins are: stomach irritation, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, convulsions, coma, death. Poisonings frequently occur due to rhododendron and azalea honey in Turkey and occasionally occur in other places such as Korea and on the west coast of the US. In India, they use rhododendron and azalea honey to treat high blood pressure. Rhododendron honey from Italy is even sold in the US under the name Mitica Rhododendron Honey. It behaves much as digitalis (foxglove) and can be either medicinal if used properly or lethal if not treated properly.
http://modernfarmer.com/2014/09/strange-history-hallucinogenic-mad-honey/
>Indeed, in 67 B.C. Roman soldiers invaded the Black Sea region under General Pompey's command, and those loyal to the reigning King Mithridates secretly lined the Romans path with enticing chunks of mad honeycomb. The unwitting army ate these with gusto, as the story goes. Driven into an intoxicated stupor by the hallucinogenic honey, many of the flailing soldiers became easy prey, and were slain.
I wonder how much honey it would take to be lethal. Just about anything, ingested to excess, can be lethal, including water. Although I'll concede it must take a lot less contaminated honey to do the job if it's in the literature to this extent.
Yea I remember the lady dying from drinking too much water trying to win a gaming station on a radio station...