What's Flowering: NSW

220 · January 29, 2017, 11:34:34 PM

Plenty flowering here in Sothern NSW, blackberry is pretty much done but what the locals call dogwood has been going strong for a few weeks and the Aus blackthorn has just started. Still a lot of ground cover flowering, scotch thistles are still going and I am guessing the dark pollen the bees are storing is from it. Plenty of bright yellow/golden pollen still coming in as well, not sure if it is from the St Johns wort or the dandelion that are both still going. Lots of saffron thistle and the bees were coming back into the hive with pale yellow pollen 10min after sunrise this morning. Not sure what it is, still some small patches of white clover flowering and a few other ground plants Im not sure on.
Apart from one messmate tree that had a few flowers on one small limb the trees are doing nothing yet.

This is what the local call dogwood

While I have plenty flowering I have no idea of there value as pollen or nectar sources for bees.
Can anyone help with pollen and nectar values on the dogwood and Aus blackthorn.

Milo · January 30, 2017, 04:13:35 PM

Hey mate, I tried getting my google-foo on for Cassinia aculeata (dogwood) but couldn't find any data.

220 · January 30, 2017, 04:55:05 PM

I had the same problem, found a couple of references to it being a valuable nectar source for butterflies but that was all, no references to its value to bees.

Andersonhoney · January 30, 2017, 06:47:49 PM

I've only got data on cassinia laevis. 2 records of it count 13% protein, and 21% protein. So read that as you will. I'd say fair quality of pollen. Mixed with all the others you listed, thisles etc your bees should be doing alright.

220 · March 08, 2017, 05:24:54 AM

Still a bit of dandelion flowering southern NSW 750m, messmate still hasn't done much, noticed a couple flowering 4km away a few weeks back but nothing since. Checked an ideal box I put on a nearly 3 weeks back, 10 days ago they were just starting to draw the frames, today 75% is drawn and 50% filled. They are obviously finding something, don't think I will get a harvest but they should be well stocked for winter.

220 · March 29, 2017, 02:13:10 AM

Bees are still finding a feed, noticed a couple of trees along the creek while fishing today that have what I think is some sort of ivy growing over them getting worked really hard by bees.

Still a few chasing the dandelion

Miikeboyle · March 29, 2017, 05:33:22 AM

Where abouts are you located 220? Here in Sydney the paperbarks are in full flower and a break in the wet weather has seen a fair bit of bees on them. My bees are near Braidwood and last week there was not much in flower I could see and they were looking pretty short on honey.

220 · March 29, 2017, 07:05:54 AM

Bees are at Batlow, hives are about 750m.
Seemed to have a reasonable flow at present but Im not sure what they are bringing in. No big bloom at present that I can identify, tail end of the dandelion, a few thistles still and the odd euc.

Sydney guy · April 23, 2017, 06:41:05 AM

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220 · October 12, 2017, 03:30:13 PM

Early apple varieties were just starting to flower last weekend, back on the tools working 7 days for a few weeks so wont get to have a look in my hives until towards the end of the month. Made sure they all had at least one empty deep.

220 · October 21, 2017, 04:42:28 PM

Managed to check my hives yesterday, apple trees are all in various stages of bloom. Didn't have a good look to see if the bees are working them but they were certainly working the white clover.

JimW · November 10, 2017, 04:09:09 AM

Love this thread!
I?m in Sydney and of course there are lots of jacarandas, and seeing some gum trees flowering.
I?ve planted a bunch of Manuka this year (sorry Kiwis, I mean leptospermum scoparium - don?t sue me for using the descriptor for a native Australian plant!), they seem to be taking a while to grow so not sure how suited they are to Sydney.
Camellias and virbirnums are all done now, but lots of other random stuff is flowering.

220 · November 25, 2017, 02:28:34 PM

Noticed the a patch of blackberry with the first flower on it yesterday, plenty of dandelion and white clover still flowering. A bit of curse about and the dogwood has been going in patches for a few weeks.
Everything seems a bit earlier for us this year, to be expected seeing we have only had 800mm rain against over 1600mm last year.

220 · December 22, 2017, 06:15:54 AM

Dogwood and blackberries are really going now, had 6" rain the first 7 days of the month, white clover is still going. Bees have really kicked on the last week, had a look today at a hive I put a super on 7 days ago. They have drawn 8 frames and filled better than half.
Looks like we might be in one of those flows I've heard about where bees can fill a super in a week. Hopefully it keeps going a bit longer, blackberries look like they should continue for a few more weeks, clover will keep going for a while as will the dogwood.

max2 · December 22, 2017, 04:52:23 PM

About that Dogwood. The leaves look very much like what we call " Ballon Cotton" - when you cut the stem does it ozze white sap? Ballon Cotton is worked by bees.

220 · December 29, 2017, 02:06:54 AM

Haven't noticed any on our place but talking to the neighbour yesterday he has a few messmate starting to flower, Blackberries and dogwood are still going strong. I have thrown more supers on hives as 12 days after putting on the last they are 100% full.
Just waiting for them to cap now so I can start removing honey.

220 · January 08, 2018, 01:54:09 AM

Still a good flow here, since the 15th Dec my strongest hive has drawn and filled 11 deep frames and 8 ideals. Threw another box at them today. Split a unproductive hive 3 ways a bit over a week ago, they are back filling all the brood comb as quickly as the brood emerges. Have thrown another box at them as well in the hope they draw a bit of comb and the queens have somewhere to lay once mated. Even the set of flow frames I put on christmas eve are being filled. Blackberry is done in the open country although still a bit in flower in the gully bottoms, the dogwood has slowed but still a bit about, the messmate and narrow leaf peppermint have been going for a week or two.

Dark Angel · April 15, 2019, 07:00:05 PM

Had a walk around my area over the last few days. naturally lots of gardens with various flowers as I'm in town. Of note was finding a large stand of African Boxthorn behind the old railway lines behind my yard and seeing some bees working it.

queenman · April 18, 2019, 10:43:27 PM

Driving home yesterday noticed a Mugga Ironbark flowering.

eltalia · April 19, 2019, 05:46:12 AM

Quote from: queenman on April 18, 2019, 10:43:27 PM
Driving home yesterday noticed a Mugga Ironbark flowering.

Had to g00gul that one. So that Ironbatk has red flowers?
And welcome to the camp...expect a drubbing once State of Origin kicks off
as us Canetoads have youse blokes outnumbered here five to one. ;-)))

Cheers...

Bill
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http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Eucalyptus~sideroxylon