Honey locust
A park and roadside tree flowering in May-June just after black locust; its small greenish flowers are rich in nectar, and it is drought-hardy and fills the early-summer gap.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 15-25 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Honey locust is a leguminous tree from North America, planted in Turkey and Europe in parks, along roads and as a windbreak. Its small, greenish-yellow, fragrant flowers are borne in dense racemes and give plenty of nectar; on hot days the bees create a noticeable hum around the tree. Male, female and bisexual flowers can be found on the same or on separate trees.
Flowering
It flowers for about two weeks between late May and June, just after black locust.
Honey and pollen
It is not harvested as a separate honey; its contribution goes into early summer mixed honey. Its pollen contribution is moderate.
Note for the beekeeper
It tolerates drought and salty, poor soil, and can be planted around the apiary as an early summer source. Thornless cultivars are preferred over the thorny wild form. It is reported to have naturalised along streams in some European countries; take care that its seeds do not spread.