Japanese persimmon

Value for beekeeping

The creamy-yellow, thick, fleshy, bell-shaped flowers of the Japanese persimmon secrete plenty of nectar, and bees work a tree in bloom intensively. In Japan and Korea it is known as a good nectar tree. In Turkey it grows scattered in gardens along the Black Sea, in the Marmara region and on the Mediterranean coast, so it is mainly a supplementary source.

Flowering

It flowers from late May to mid-June, for about 2-3 weeks. The flowers stay hidden under the leaves and are easily overlooked; the hum of bees is often the first sign that flowering has begun.

Honey and pollen

Most cultivars bear only female flowers, so the pollen contribution is low; in cultivars with male flowers the bees collect pollen as well. It is not produced as a monofloral honey but goes into late-spring mixed honey.

Note for the beekeeper

In cultivars that need fertilisation, bee visits improve fruit set. In parthenocarpic cultivars pollination produces seeds in the fruit, so some growers may not want bees; talk to the orchard owner.