What's flowering: Queensland

Bee North · October 08, 2019, 11:44:46 PM

The flowers grow directly off the trunk. They form a native fruit about the size of an egg.

max2 · October 09, 2019, 12:36:10 AM

Great photo!

thanks

Bee North · October 09, 2019, 04:31:35 AM

Thanks Max...something a bit different.

Bamboo · October 09, 2019, 06:41:59 PM

Song of India Dracaena reflexa flowering down here great source of nectar. Bottom paddock full of ageratum, the neighbour hates it but I leave it for the girls!

Looks like some rain over the next few days which will help. We missed all the last lot all bar 25mm when Maroochydore and others very close got 100mm. Watched it go all round us on the radar, such are the vagaries of weather and location.

max2 · October 11, 2019, 03:39:19 AM

11. 10. 19 and the jacarandas are in full bloom. As they say: ""When the jacarandas are in bloom each spring, the honey is translucent and sweet, almost like maple syrup."

We are getting some rain - hope you are too!

max2 · October 12, 2019, 05:58:44 PM

We got 40 mm of rain. The grass looks greener already and the Clover will love it. We can expect aflow in days . It may also lead to swarms...Other parts of the stae got more but we are quite happy with this. the best rain for yonks.

Bamboo · October 14, 2019, 11:08:00 PM

We got 67mm .....the place has gone green overnight! We had another little storm at 0200 this morning and picked up another 5mm so great result.
Jacarandas are also going off down here.

Bit worried about Bill hasn't replied to emails either.

max2 · October 15, 2019, 04:07:40 AM

Yes, we had a little storm too but I don't think we got anything into the gauge.

I too wonder what is up with Bill??

I hear Swamp Mahogeny (https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/22843#tosummaryOfInvasiveness) is doing Ok in parts.

max2 · October 17, 2019, 08:08:47 AM

17.10. - the Pecan's are buzzing with bees.

While Pecan Nuts are wind pollinated the bees love the pollen and seem to be collecting it ALL DAY. It is a great time to have this supply as this is nuc making time for us. I'm near two Pecan Orchards and I'm sure that the trees are most helpful to the bees feeding of baby's ...and the bees will help the trees setting a good crop

max2 · October 21, 2019, 01:22:18 AM

21.10 - Lomandra is in bloom. The plant is well established all along the river.
The sweet smell can be picked up a few hundred metres from the river. The honey we harvested smelled very similar - unusual but stunning.

max2 · October 22, 2019, 05:51:51 PM

23.10 - the Jaboticabas flowered profusely only a few weeks ago and this morning one of them is covered in flowers and bees. These are amazing small trees for bees.
The fruit was all destroyed by birds.

Bamboo · October 25, 2019, 10:01:14 PM

Not sure of the species (we have 20 odd different ones) as I have not positively identified it yet, but the bees are all over one of my clumping bamboos. So many in there that initially I thought a swarm had landed in it, the noise level was so high.

max2 · October 27, 2019, 04:58:59 PM

There is a lot of Bo here at CW. I have to check if any is flowering. I believe that Bamboo often dies after flowering?

Bamboo · October 29, 2019, 09:14:31 AM

Yes Max that can be the case, but generally that is with species that flower once every 20 to 60 years. No one has actually worked out why they flower so infrequently and then die.
The species I have flowered last year as well so is herbaceous and they don't die after flowering. There are around 120 species of herbaceous bamboos so not many for me to try and chase it down as to what it is.

max2 · October 30, 2019, 05:18:26 AM

Most of the Bamboos here have been planted by Hans Erkin. He is a bit of a Bamboo Guru around Maleny - I believe. I have no idea which ones we have here but there is a lot.

max2 · October 31, 2019, 05:31:09 PM

1.11.19 - the toreliana's are out. Not a lot of flowers but the bees like them. We did have so little rain and these trees need a good drink to do well.

max2 · November 01, 2019, 05:21:39 PM

2.11.19 - The weeping Lilly Pilly ( Waterhousia floribunda) are flowering in Maleny and in heavy bud here. It is a very reliable producer of honey as it mostly grows along creeks and rivers and is not affected a lot by the dry.

Bee North · November 01, 2019, 05:29:35 PM

Hi Max
Ours have just finished up here. Full of flowers this year as you say. We probably got a good month out of them.

max2 · November 01, 2019, 06:04:09 PM

Good to hear - did you get a flow out of it?
We are getting a few showers here but it is very dry. Here is hoping for a good wet without the floods!

Bee North · November 01, 2019, 11:08:03 PM

We have had a bit of a flow yes.

Unfortunately i had lost two swarms from two of my 3 hives (now 5) early on this year when i was away. They r booming now and 1 has a super half full.

The third remaining hive:
Has made me two nucs, which have expanded over the last month from 2 frames to 6 frames and r now in hives!

Has also given me one small harvest a month ago from the Cadaghi ....the super is currently full of honey and nectar and i have thrown another super on it.

So i would say its been a great month for my girls. We got 40mm at the start of October, then another 40mm two weeks later. Getting a few showers atm but not much.

Golden Oak is flowering up here now.