Common laburnum
An ornamental tree with hanging yellow racemes; offers little free nectar, mainly pollen. All parts of the plant are highly poisonous to people and livestock.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 5-7 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
🐝 Add to my apiary
Log in to add it to your apiary.Value for beekeeping
Common laburnum is a small tree from the mountains of central and southern Europe, often planted in parks and gardens. Its pea flowers open under the weight of a bee; free nectar is very scarce, and bees mostly use the pollen and the sap-rich tissue at the base of the flower. Its contribution to honey production is therefore low, and its pollen contribution moderate.
Flowering
It flowers from May to June for about 2-3 weeks, in hanging yellow racemes 20-30 cm long.
Honey and pollen
There is no honey under its own name. Because the plant contains the alkaloid cytisine, the safety of the honey is often questioned; honey poisoning from laburnum is not a known common problem, but as the plant is very poisonous, the evidence is limited.
Note for the beekeeper
Its seeds, pods and leaves can be fatal to children and animals; planting it deliberately around an apiary is not recommended. If you want a tree with hanging racemes that is more valuable for bees, choose black locust instead.