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Bee pollen chart
Bee pollen chart
This pollen chart is a work in progress!ย We believe the data to be relatively accurate but please do your own observations/research as well.
We will continue to add to this chart over time.ย Some of the data was from an old printout I found from ABC Bees.ย We have added a lot more notes and species to this list.ย we have found it difficult to determine pollen colour unless we have the plant to look at ourselves.
An Excel file is available for download at the bottom of the page.
Legend:
- HD = Honeydew
- * = Good source
- ? = Not known
| Pollen Colour | Flower Colour | Name | Scientific name | Nectar | Notes | Period of flowering, AB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Blue | Phacelia tenacetifolia | * | Late June - Early Oct | ||
| Brown | White | Clover, sweet white | Melilotus alba | Y | Non native | Late May - Mid October |
| Brown | Purple, dark | Figwort | * | ? | Late June - Early Oct | |
| Brown, dark | Red | Clover, red | Y | Trifolium hybridum is non native | Late June - Mid Oct | |
| Brown, grayish | Pink | Marjoram | Y | Late Aug - Late Oct | ||
| Brown, light | White | Cherry, sweet/sour/wild | Y | Late April - Mid June | ||
| Brown, light | Orange, red | Honeysuckle | * | Late July - Early Oct | ||
| Brown, light | White | Plums | Y | Late Apr - Mid June | ||
| Brown, white | Blue | Cornflower (Bachelor button) | Y | Late July - Early Oct | ||
| Cream, greyish | White to pink | Bindweed (morning glory) | Y | Noxious weed | Late July - Mid Aug | |
| Cream, brownish | Green-yellow | Yew | ? | Late Feb - Mid April | ||
| Green | Purple | Loosestrife, purple | Y | Prohibited noxious weed | Late June - Mid October | |
| Green, light | White | Crabapple | Y | Late April - Mid June | ||
| Green, light | Greenish-yellow | Currant, red | Y | Late April - Mid June | ||
| Green, light | Greenish-white | Gooseberry | ? | Late April - Mid June | ||
| Green, light | Greenish-yellow | Maple, big leaf, ash leaf | * | Late March to Mid May | ||
| Green, yellow | Yellow catkins | Oak, white | HD | Late June - Mid October | ||
| Gray | White | Bean, lima | Y | Late June - Mid August | ||
| Gray | White | Blackberry | Y | Late May - Mid July | ||
| Gray | Green | Elm | N | |||
| Gray | Purple | Thistle, Canada | * | Non native | Invasive | Mid July - Mid September | |
| Gray, light | Greenish, yellow | Ash, mountain | ? | Non native | Late May - Mid July | |
| Gray, light | Blue | Borage | Borago officinalis | Y | Non native | Late June - Early September |
| Gray, light | Blue | Chicory | Y | Late July - Early November | ||
| Gray, light | Purple, blue | Knapweed | Centaurea spp. (10 Species) | Y | Prohibited noxious | Late July - Early November |
| Gray, light | White | Raspberries | Rubus spp. (idaeus ?) | Y | Native | Late May - Mid July |
| Gray, yellowish | Green catkins | Alder, mountain | Alnus tenuifolia | N | Late March - Mid June | |
| Purple, dark | Red | Poppy, field | ? | Late June - Mid August | ||
| Orange | Yellow | Asparagus | Asparagus officinalis | Y | Non native | Late June - Mid August |
| Orange | Blue/purple | Crocus | Anemone patens | Y | Native | Late March - Late May |
| Orange | Yellow | Dandelion | Taraxacum spp. | Y | Non native | Late April - Mid July |
| Orange | White | Snowdrop | Galanthus spp. | ? | Non native | Late March - Mid May |
| Orange, golden | Orange, yellow | Poppy, California | Eschscholzia california | N | Non native | Late May - Mid September |
| Orange, red | Yellow | Mullein | Verbascum thapsus | Y | Noxious | Late June - Mid September |
| Red | Red, cream | Chestnut, horse | Aesculus hippocastanum | Y | Non native | Late May - Mid July |
| Red | Purple, blue | Silvery Lupin | Lupinus argenteus | Y | Native | Early May - Early July |
| Red | Purple | Arctic Lupin | Lupinus arcticus | Y | Native | Early May - Early July |
| Yellow | White, pink, red | Apple | Malus spp. | Y | Non native | Late April - Mid June |
| Yellow | Green catkins | Birch | Betula papyrifera | N | Native | Mid April - Mid May |
| Yellow | Yellow catkins | Broccoli, Cauliflower, cabbage | Brassica oleacea var. | Y | Non native | Late August - Early September |
| Yellow | White | Buckwheat | Fagopyrum esculentum | Y | Non native | Late July - Mid September |
| Yellow | White | Red Osier Dogwood | Cornus stolonifera | N | Native | Late May - Mid August |
| Yellow | White | Lilac | Y | Late May - Early July | ||
| Yellow | Cream | Plantain | N | Non native | Late April - Early September | |
| Yellow | Green catkins | Trembling Aspen | N | Mid April - Mid June | ||
| Yellow | Yellow/Brown | Sunflower | Y | Late June - Early October | ||
| Yellow | Gray catkins | Willow, pussy | Salix discolor | Y | Native | Late February - Mid April |
| Yellow | Orange | Twining honeysuckle | Lonicera glaucescens | Native | ||
| Yellow, dark | Creamy white | Elder, mountain | Y | Late June - Mid August | ||
| Yellow, dark | Red, cream | Chestnut, sweet | Y | Late June - Mid August | ||
| Yellow, dark | Yellow catkins | Hazelnut | N | Late February - Mid April | ||
| White | Bunchberry | Cornus canadensis | Native | |||
| White | Canada Anemone | Anemone canadensis | Native | |||
| Tartarian honeysuckle | Invasive | |||||
| Yellow | Golden bean | Thermopsis rhombifolia | Native | |||
| Purple | Fireweed | Chamerion angustifolium | Native | |||
| Yellow | Blanket Flower | Gaillardia aristata | Native | |||
| White | White Heath Aster | Symphyotrichum ericoide | Native | |||
| Purple | Cow Vetch | Vicia cracca | Non native | Invasive | |||
| Yellow | Giant Goldenrod | Solidago gigantea | Native | |||
| Purple | Smooth Blue Aster | Symphyotrichum laeve | Native | |||
| White | Oxeye Daisy | Leucanthemum vulgaris | Noxious | |||
| Purple | American Harebell | Campanula rotundifolia | Native | |||
| White | Yarrow | Achillea millefolium | Native | |||
| Yellow | Shrubby Cinquefoil | Potentilla fruticosa | Y | Native | Bees and butterflies | ||
| Purple | Wild bergamot | Monardia fistulosa | Native | |||
| White | Wild strawberry | Fragaria virginiana | Y | Native | ||
| Yellow | Hairy False Goldenaster | Heterotheca villosa | Native | |||
| Yellow and cream | Butter and eggs | Linaria vulgaris | Non native | Invasive | |||
| Yellow | Arnica | Arnica cordifolia | Native | |||
| White | Smooth camus | Zigadenus elegans | Native | |||
| Purple | Early blue violet | Viola adunca | Y | Native | Butterfly nectar source | ||
| Red | Red Paintbrush | Castilleja miniata | Native | |||
| White/purple | Seneca Root | Polygala senega | Native | |||
| Blue | Blue clematis | Clematis certicellis | Native | |||
| Orange | Western Wood Lily | Lilium philadelphicum | Native | |||
| Pink | Alberta Wild Rose | Rosa acicularis | Native | |||
| Blue | Large flowered stickseed | Hakelia floribunda | Native | |||
| White | Star-flowered Solomon's Seal | Maianthemum stellatum | Native | |||
| Yellow | Heart Leaved Alexanders | Zizia aptera | ||||
| Blue | Alpine forgetmenot | Myositis asiatica | Native | |||
| White | Serviceberry | Y | Native | |||
| Raspberry | ||||||
| Blackberry | ||||||
| Elderberry | ||||||
| Red | Bergamot, Bee Balm | Monarda didyma | Y | Hummingbirds | ||
| Blue | Smooth blue beardtongue | Penstemon nitidus | Native |