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Florida Honey Bee Plants

Mary Christine Bammer, William H Kern, and Jamie D. Ellis

Several factors influence the flora throughout Florida, including annual freezes, average temperature, annual rainfall, and soil composition. Because of these variations, plants that grow well in one region may not grow well in another. Climate, plant communities, and timing of floral resources differ significantly between the three main regions in Florida: north Florida, central Florida, and south Florida (north Florida encompasses the panhandle region south through Alachua, Levy, Putnam, and Flagler counties. Central Florida includes Marion County south through Sarasota County. South Florida encompasses the remaining counties including the Keys) (Figure 1).

Figure 1. 
Figure 1. 

 

While many plants are acceptable pollen producers for honey bees, fewer yield enough nectar to produce a surplus honey crop. The tables in this document list the nectar-bearing plants that are present to some degree in each region and the plants' respective bloom times. Please note, any nectar plants that are considered invasive in Florida have been excluded from this list.

 

Figure 2. Honey bee on wild mustard.
Figure 2.  Honey bee on wild mustard.

 

 

Figure 3. Honey bee on citrus.
Figure 3.  Honey bee on citrus.

 

 

Figure 4. Honey bee on Indian blanket flower.
Figure 4.  Honey bee on Indian blanket flower.

 

Tables

Table 1. 

Honey bee plant bloom calendar for North Florida.

Table 2. 

Honey bee plant bloom calendar for Central Florida.

Table 3. 

Honey bee plant bloom calendar for South Florida.

Footnotes

1. 
2. 

Publication #ENY-171

Date: 6/26/2019

Related Experts

Kern, William H Jr.

University of Florida

Ellis, James D.

University of Florida

Bammer, Mary

University of Florida

  • Critical Issue: Agricultural and Food Systems
Fact Sheet

About this Publication

This document is ENY-171, one of a series of the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2018. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.

About the Authors

Mary Christine Bammer, Extension coordinator, Entomology and Nematology Department; William H Kern, associate professor of urban entomology, Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center; and Jamie D. Ellis, associate professor, Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.

Contacts

  • Amy Vu
  • James Ellis