As I approached the tupelo trees (Nyssa sylvatica) at the edge of our property last Saturday, I noticed a faint humming sound. I looked closely among the leaves and found dozens of honeybees busy visiting the minuscule white blossoms.
I love hearing that insect chorus. It’s the same one that I heard earlier in the spring among the flowering redbud trees (Cercis canadensis) and then a few weeks later in the hanging blossoms of the Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina). This is the sound that tells me that even though I might only see bees here and there in my garden, there are hundreds and possibly thousands who come to work the other available nectar and pollen sources in the yard. Since they’re mostly high up in the trees, I’m not even aware they’re there.
Over the past several years there has been so much information about the plight of honeybees — in particular colony collapse disorder and the continuing loss of habitat and pollinator “corridors.” We’re encouraged to plant for that, to pack our gardens with flowers that support pollinator species both with food and with their preferred (necessary!) host plants.
What about trees, though — shouldn’t we also be planting more of them? This was the question that went through my mind as I realized that even just one of the tupelo trees provides much more food for bees than my garden can.
I did a bit of searching on the internet and came up with a list of the trees most beneficial to honeybees. If you’re looking to add some trees to your landscape, you might start here. Apart from crapemyrtle and koelreuteria, these are all native to the U.S.
• Maples (Acer spp.)
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis)
• Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
• Koelreuteria (Koelreuteria paniculata)
• Fruit trees (plums, apples, crabapples, peaches, apricots, pears)
• Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia indica )
• Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
• Black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica)
• Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
• Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Basswood/Linden (Tilia tomentosa)
In the process of searching, I learned that it’s not just tree flowers that support bees. For instance, “Honeybees will collect the sap [from maple trees] through holes created by birds such as woodpeckers. Additionally, the sapsucker bee can drill its own hole through the bark. Red maple (Acer rubrum), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and box-elder (Acer negundo) are the best species for bee populations.” (Info from American Native Plants, https://tinyurl.com/65pyrmdr)
In other news, I’m happy to announce that I’ve created an author website and I’d love for you to visit. It’s still in somewhat of a fledgling state, but if I wait until it’s perfect — perfection being a constantly moving target — you’d never hear about it!
I love exploring nature, sharing my ideas and discoveries, and connecting with people. My website is a place where these all intersect — through my books, my monthly newsletter, occasional blogposts, and by readers writing in. I love this planet we live on, and besides creating works that I hope others will enjoy, I also hope to inspire new perspectives on our relationship with the natural world. I invite you to visit PamelaBaxterBooks.com, subscribe to receive my monthly newsletter, and take a (virtual) walk with me.
Note: It was great to meet readers at Chester County Library’s “Read Local” event on May 19. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442.
