I was looking through the 2009 johnnysee catalog, looking for some plants for bees and the garden.
There is a lemongrass plant for sale that is much thicker, than the the "grass" type plants I have seen previously. This variety is described as for culinary use. So what culinary use are they talking about? Is this edible, or is the stalk used in strainer bags for liquid production and flavorings?
The item is:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=lemon%2bgrass
Thank you.
Bjornbee. You are perusing catalogues looking for bee plants. You probably haven't noticed this thread that Ann and I were involved in making. It has some really good informations in it, if you are interested. Just for your information. Have a wonderful and awesome day, Cindi
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=7367.0http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=9857.0Also, below you will see a document that I typed out regarding pollen/nectar plants of the Pacific Northwest/Oregon. Many of these plants can be grown in many places all over the world. I typed this document in a table format, but it didn't copy the table format into the forum, so it looks rather muddled up, but you get the gist (or is it jyst, or jist, or gyst? Hee, hee).
If you want the list of the pollen plants in a table format, give me a PM with your e-mail address and I will e-mail the original table-type document to you, or anyone else that may be interested. I just like to put information available for those that are interested. Cindi
Document taken from the book, Pollen & Nectar Plants of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
D.M. Burgett
B.A. Stringer
L.D. Johnston
Honey plants are classified as major, secondary and minor
According to the contribution to a bee colony in a region
High pollen plants:
- crocus
- hollyhock
- poppy
Plant N P
%
Nectar
Sugars Comments
Aster N P
Cornflower (Bachelors Button) N P Up to
53%
Balsam Root Balsamorhiza deltoidea Nutt N P 46%
Lima bean N
Blackberry N P 35% Major source
Buckwheat N P 50%
Cabbage Brassica oleracea) N P Excellent honey plant, granulates easily
Catnip nepeta cataria L N 29% Heavy nectar
Celery N Good producer of nectar when grown for seed
Chickweed N P 50% Useful early and late season
Cleome Rocky Mountain bee plant
“Cleome serrulata Pursh” N P 22%
Clover, Arrowleaf ‘trifolium vesiculosom savi’ N P July and August
Clover, Crimson N P 1st of seed clovers to bloom – May
Value of a building flow
Clover, Red N P Much dark brown pollen, from self-fertile flowers
Clover, strawberry N P 33% Bees work freely, greenish-brown pollen
Clover, white N P 45% Common lawn and pasture volunteer
Cotoneaster “Cotoneaster supp.” N P Important source of aromatic propolis
Crocus N P Very attractive, but too limited to be of value
Cucumber N P Poor yielder of nectar or pollen
Dandelion N P 45-50% Heavy yielder -- nectar & bright orange pollen
Dogbane N P Some heavily worked by bees
Elderberry, blue N P Important minor plant
Farewell-to-spring ‘Clarkia ameona”
a.k.a. – summer darling P Attractive to honeybees
Filbert cultivated hazelnuts P Earliest pollen sources
Fireweed Epolobium agustofolium L. N P Major source of nectar
Flax N P Freely visited by honeybees
Grape N P 65%
Heath and heather N P Heavily worked by when weather permits
Lamb’s ears x. byzantina C Koch N Supplies nectar
Hollyhock althea rosea N P 36% Good pollen source, very attractive to bees
Horehound cynoglossum grande Dougl.
Cynoglossum officinale L. N 48%
Huckleberry vaccinium spp. N Important for spring build-up
Hyssop, giant agastache urticifolio N Good producer of white honey, fine flavour
Ivy, English N P One of the latest H and P sources
n.concentrated & attractive to honeybees
flowers of mature growth only
Loganberries rubus ursinus, loganobaccus N P Freely worked and often produces surplus honey late May to June
Maple, big leaf N P 35-56% Much pollen and occasionally light amber honey – late March to mid-April. Weather often handicaps, great for spring build-up
Maple, Norway, ornamental N P 48% Spring
Maple, vine N P 27-50% Late April to May, visit freely
occasionally surplus honey crop
Miner’s lettuce montia perfoliata N March – July, early spring source in some area
Mullein verbascum thapsus L N P June – August, abundant orange pollen
Parsley N P Very attractive
Pennyroyal Mentha polegium L N ? Valuable honeyplant reported in California
Penstemon Penstemon spp N ? 35% Very attractive
Peppermint menthe piperita L. N ? Freely visited and can produce surplus honey
Poppy, California Eschscholzia Californica Cham ? P Honey is low grade
Important source golden pollen (papaver) species, produces high quality pollen
Pyracantha Firethorn N P Fence or hedge plant – heavily worked
Rape brassica napus L. N P 50-73% Very attractive, abundant N & P
Raspberry N P Very attractive, occasional source of fine surplus honey
Sainfoin onobrychis viciifolia scop.
a.k.a. Holyclover N ? 55%
Skunk cabbage P
Snowberry N 47-58% Light flow June to August
Sorrel, wood N P April to October, common in shady areas,
cultivated form is also visited for pollen
Spearmint menthe spicata L N ? Worked freely for nectar
St. John’s Wort N P Good source of pollen, minor nectar
Star Thistle, yellow centaurea solstitialis N P 37% Weed, important source of nectar
see also bachelor’s button
Teasel didsacus sylvestris Huds N P Widespread weed, very attractive to bees
Thistle, Bull N P 38% Widespread weed, bees work freely