Neem
A hardy shade tree of the dry tropics; its small honey-scented flowers give plenty of nectar in the hot season. Seed-based pesticides can harm bee brood.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 10-20 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Neem is a very drought-tolerant tree from the Indian subcontinent, widely planted for shade and afforestation in tropical and dry regions. Its small, white, honey-scented flowers open in drooping panicles and are visited heavily by honey bees. In India and the dry belt of Africa it is one of the important nectar sources of the hot season.
Flowering
In India it usually flowers from February to May, when the heat sets in; the timing varies with locality and rainfall pattern.
Honey and pollen
Neem honey is sold as a separate product in India. Despite the bitterness of the tree's leaves and seeds, the honey is said not to be bitter.
Note for the beekeeper
Products containing azadirachtin, made from the seed oil, are used as natural pesticides, and these products can disrupt the development of bee brood; they should not be applied around hives during flowering. The tree's own nectar is not known to be harmful to bees. It does not grow outdoors in Turkey.