What flowering tree for bees?

[gardeningfireman]

I need to replace a dying flowering tree in my front flowerbed this spring. I want to get a new one that doesn't get too big (10-20 ft), and has single flowers that attract bees(very important!). I don't mind if it produces fruit-I have two daughters to clean up after it! Any suggestions?
Thanks :)

[doak]

Eastern red bud if it will grow there. Semi dwarf apple, pear, not a tree but black berries are good. they make light colored honey. Persimmon. Just don't know what thrives there. :)doak

[buzzbee]

Bradford Pear and flowering plum also attract bees.

[David LaFerney]

Does redbud make good honey?  My town is trying to brand itself as "Redbud City" and for several years they have been requiring you to use redbuds in the landscaping of any construction project that has landscaping.  They are pretty though.

[Michael Bush]

Rosebud is too early in the spring to make any honey.  The bees will burn it up rearing brood for the main flow.  But early bloomers probably do the bees more good than planting hoping to get a crop.  Trees I like for bees:

Pussywillow, Tulip poplar, any kind of gum that blooms, Black Locust, Basswood (Linden), any kind of fruit tree, Sourwood, Tupelo...

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I love the idea of a Persimmon tree in the front yard. A lot of varieties are native to North America and the fruit has certain ornamental quality to it, in that it gains it's color a month or two before the fruit can be eaten. Any sooner and they cause instant cotton mouth. It's not uncommon to find Persimmon trees that have lost their leaves in the fall but still have all the fruit on them.

If your house has old plumbing you might want to stay away from Willows in general. Their roots have a way of taking advantage of leaky pipes underground. They're great to have if you can plant them though. We got close to 4 feet of snow here in 3 days this February and a few Willows by me still bloomed. They're among the earliest trees to flower.

Bradford Pears, though they look nice while flowering, are some of the most brittle trees around. I have never seen one that hasn't been split in half or lost a branch in some awful way that scars the bark. Not something you want to put where you'll be walking near it constantly. It's over used anyhow. Better to go with a real Pear tree, but they require a second tree to pollinate as with most Apples, and Plums. Going for one of those 5 in 1 fruit trees (Fruit Salad tree) can save space and produce a reasonable amount of fruit once they get going.

Certain Magnolias would be good but some varieties can get to be 60' tall. Check that before you buy. They have a nice huge flower to them. The Star Magnolia seems particularly compact.

I'm not sure Eastern Redbud is what you're asking for. They flower in small clusters but it's done in an odd way. Similar to Maple tree when it blooms the bark just looks puffy with flowers. Redbud flowers emerge all over the branches and oddly enough the trunk too. Your daughters might appreciate the pink/magenta flowers and heart shaped leaves. There is a cultivar available with white flowers too.

 

[Finski]

Laburnum
•Laburnum watereri Vossii is this free flowering form with extra long racemes of flower
•Laburnum alpinum ‘Scottish Laburnum’ is a small tree with fragrant flowers.

[Trot]

All parts of Luburnum plans are poisonous cause they contain Cytisine.

[Trot]

One of many links:

http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=141&p_type=all&p_sci=sci

[Finski]

Yes, they are but I have never heard that someone eate them. It is common bush here in gardens.

Human has a tongue with which he can taste that plants are not edible.

----------------
Can our Laburnum tree poison our son?

Symptoms of poisoning by Laburnum root or seed are intense sleepiness, vomiting, convulsive movements and dilated pupils. However, as the seeds have a bitter taste, they are appealing to children in appearance rather than taste. http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/childrenshealth/202775.html

[Trot]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General poisoning notes:
Golden-chain (Laburnum anagyroides) is an outdoor ornamental that survives only in southwestern Ontario and coastal British Columbia. (Canada: Zones 7 - 6 -5) This plant contains cytisine, an alkaloid, which has caused poisoning and death in cattle, dogs, horses, swine, and humans after twigs, fruit pods, and seeds were ingested. Most of the cases of poisoning are found in European literature. Children and family pets should be prevented from ingesting the pods or seeds (Cooper and Johnson 1984, Lampe and McCann 1985, Fuller and McClintock 1986).


Humans
General symptoms of poisoning:
abdominal pains
confusion
death
dizziness
drowsiness
headache
mouth, irritation of
nausea
temperature, elevated
vomiting

Notes on poisoning:

Most cases of human poisoning occur when children eat the pods or seeds by mistake. Symptoms develop rapidly within half an hour because cytisine is rapidly absorbed through mucous membranes of the mouth, stomach, and intestine. Nausea, vomiting, pupil dilation, weakness, breathing difficulty, dizziness, and muscular incoordination can result. Ingesting large quantities can be fatal. In one case, a man ingested 23 pods of golden-chain and died. Toxicological analysis showed that 35-50 mg of cytisine had been absorbed (Cooper and Johnson 1984, Fuller and McClintock 1986).


Cattle

General symptoms of poisoning:
death
gait, unsteady
muscle spasms
recumbency

Notes on poisoning:

Ingesting twigs and pods of golden-chain have produced toxic symptoms including stiff, unsteady gait, violent tremors, recumbency, and death. Milk yield has been reduced, and large yellow clots were found in the milk (Cooper and Johnson 1984).


Dogs
 
General symptoms of poisoning:
convulsions
death

Notes on poisoning:

Dogs that were poisoned experienced convulsions and died after chewing golden-chain sticks (Cooper and Johnson 1984).


Horses

General symptoms of poisoning:
abdominal pains
coma
death
incoordination
muscle spasms

References:
Cooper, M. R., Johnson, A. W. 1984. Poisonous plants in Britain and their effects on animals and man. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London, England. 305 pp.
________________________________________________________________________________________



Human tongue will not tell what one can eat, or what not. 
If one did not see, or heard of anybody being poisoned, that does not mean that it did not or can not happen.
Perhaps some (whose though?) educated tongue can differentiate poisonous substances from those that are good for us, most human tongues CAN NOT. 
Children and animals most certainly can not, unless they had a misfortune to come in contact with this stuff beforehand and survived? 
Most unknown and unproven stuff one learns - preferably by education (what I'm trying here) or by trial and error.  Therefore the human tongue can only tell the difference after it had encountered the above mentioned unpleasantness of this or similar plants. . .

To sugest here that ones tongue will save people from death is irresponsible to say the least.


What kind of Laburnum do you have in Finland? 
You say that you are at the same latitude as Alaska?  Laburnum grows here up to zone 5 ?

[gardeningfireman]

Thanks for all the input! I think my first three choices are; Prairifire Crabapple, Washington Hawthorn, and Japanese Flowering Crabapple.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

I'd go with the Washington Hawthorn.

[Finski]

We have Laburnum alpina.

Our biggest reason of death of working age men is alcohol.  :-D
It is not poisonous...........

Here hares love to eat Laburnum twins and it one reason why it does not spread into woods.

[JP]

Southern ligustrum trees and my favorite, the chinese tallow. Bees also go insane over holly trees.

Redbuds take a long time to flower grow btw.


...JP

[Bee Happy]

Apple, might be a pretty good choice for your climate, if you like apples. Does cherry do ok there?
We planted 4 peach yesterday, they were more so we could have peaches, but the bees were definitely a consideration.

[KD4MOJ]

Vitex or chaste tree. Bees love them. Purple cone shape flowers.

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[Shawn]

Man there are a lot of trees. When I visit my parents in NE Indiana they have several big flowering crabapple trees that are covered in bees.