Cherry plum
One of the first fruit trees to bloom in spring; white flowers before the leaves in March-April give plenty of nectar and pollen and speed early brood build-up.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 5-10 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Cherry plum is a plum that grows wild in the Balkans, Anatolia, the Caucasus and Central Asia and is widely grown for its fruit; its sour green fruits are the first sign of spring. It is also used as a rootstock for plum and peach, and as a hedge and ornamental tree in gardens. Its flowers give plenty of nectar and pollen; bees work it hard on sunny, windless days.
Flowering
It flowers for about two weeks in March-April, before or together with leaf-out, between almond and cherry. Because it flowers early, it is often damaged by late frosts.
Honey and pollen
No separate honey is harvested; bees mostly use this nectar for feeding brood. The pollen is an important source for spring build-up.
Note for the beekeeper
Plum orchards should not be sprayed during flowering; remind growers of this. It is a good choice among early sources to plant around the apiary, and in self-sterile varieties bee pollination improves fruit set.