Black pollen

[tig]

anyone here know what plant gives black pollen?  the girls have been bringing quite a lot of it lately and i'm wondering what kind of plant it comes from.

[Finsky]

At least from some poppies.

[Kathyp]

i had it this year too.  at first i thought there was something wrong in the hive.  there was a little in all hives, but one had tons of it all over the bottom board.  i took the whole hive apart expecting to find disease and they were very healthy!  never found the source of the black..........

[Zoot]

I notice it here too, usually by Sept. or so. It's very black and the grains are smaller than other pollens. Harder too. I'm still not completely convinced it's pollen; possibly some sort of collateral debris that the bees pick up off a specific plant? I don't see it in the summer or spring.

[reinbeau]

I notice it here too, usually by Sept. or so. It's very black and the grains are smaller than other pollens. Harder too. I'm still not completely convinced it's pollen; possibly some sort of collateral debris that the bees pick up off a specific plant? I don't see it in the summer or spring.

Since my bees have been known to gather white millet, it wouldn't surprise me at all ;)

[Zoot]

Reinbeau,

That's interesting; this stuff is just about the size of millet but, of course, it's black. Doesn't have any taste to speak of either.

[tig]

i'm sure its some kind of pollen and i took some samples to the university for testing.  i'm really curious to know what plant it comes from.

[Trot]

Some Tulips        =  Black pollen
Skunk cabbage    =   Black pollen

[Dane Bramage]

I had two (possibly three) types of black pollen this season.  In the spring = oriental poppy (& possibly tulip).  In the summer = purple loosestrife.  Oh, I've skunk cabbage too but, until above post, I didn't realize it was a source.

Is the pollen sweet tasting?




See this plant around?




I'm guessing it's likely Lythrum salicaria (Purple-loosestrife) as, I've read, it is indigenous to your area.



Cheers,
Dane

[Cindi]

Oh Dane, that glass full of pollen looks mighty cool.  I like the square glasses that you use to display your stuff, it looks so much better than a round one  :) :) :)  Beautiful day, great life, great health.  Cindi

[Scadsobees]

Interestingly...I had some black pollen(yellow/green/black mix) in the freezer.  I took it out and 2 weeks later it wasn't black anymore.....more of a yellow/greenish.

(it wasn't for eating, so I don't care so much if it isn't good to eat anymore)

[tig]

i've tried to taste it and can't taste anything! thanks for the picture dane, i'll look up the plant and se if there's any in the nearby vicinity.  i'm not familiar with it and don't recall seeing anything like it.