Goat willow
Its large yellow catkins open before the leaves in March–April, making it one of the earliest and most valuable pollen sources, with ample nectar too.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Very good
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 3-10 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Goat willow is a small tree of forest edges, clearings and the foot of slopes, and it also grows in drier places than other willows. It is dioecious; the large, bright yellow catkins of male plants give very abundant pollen and nectar, while female plants give nectar only. Right after the first cleansing flights at the end of winter, it is one of the decisive sources as colonies switch to brood rearing.
Flowering
It opens in March–April, before leaf-out, and lasts two to three weeks depending on altitude. On sunny, windless days bees start visiting even at around 10-12 °C.
Honey and pollen
Because the nectar is consumed at once, no separate honey is obtained. The pollen loads are yellow and rich in protein, and they play a direct role in the development of spring brood.
Note for the beekeeper
Unlike other willows it roots poorly from cuttings; use rooted saplings for planting and choose male plants for pollen. Even a few trees close to the apiary considerably reduce the early spring food gap.