PHENOLOGY And Its Value To BEEKEEPERS

摘要

Spring can be slow to arrive to Ohio. Here in the Buckeye state, the days of March are usually full of gray skies and partially frozen soils, with only hints here and there of warmer days to come. Silver maple and speckled alder are two of the first trees to bloom, both with subtle flowers eagerly visited by honey bees ready to start the season. Gradually Spring color splinters the gray hues, and Spring arrives.The yellow flowers of the forsythia shrub are a sure sign of spring in Ohio. Forsythia isa fairly modern addition to our landscapes; most commonly-grown species were introduced from Asia in the mid-1900s. Several plants native to North America also serve as harbingers of Spring, including the wetland-loving skunk cabbage, spring beauty wildflowers and the lovely white-blooming serviceberry tree - all visited by honey bees in need of pollen and nectar to build the Spring colony.