# Melliferous flower

A melliferous flower is a plant which produces substances that can be collected by insects and turned into honey. Many plants are melliferous, but only certain examples can be harvested by honey bees, because of their physiognomy (body size and shape, length of proboscis, etc.). Apiculture classifies a plant as melliferous if it can be harvested by domesticated honey bees.
The table below lists some of the known melliferous plants, and indicates the flowering period, as well as the resources harvested by bees (nectar, pollen, propolis, and honeydew). Each plant does not produce the same quantity or quality of these resources, and even among species the production can vary due to region, plant health, climate, etc.

## Plant table
### Plains plants

| Common name | Latin name | Flowering months | Nectar | Pollen | Propolis | Honeydew |
| Black locust | Robinia pseudacacia | 05–06 | X | X | . | . |
| Corn poppy | Papaver rhoeas | 04–05 | . | X | . | . |
| Common dogwood | Cornus sanguinea | 05–06 | X | X | . | . |
| Ribes | Ribes rubrum | 04–05 | X | X | . | . |
| European holly | Ilex aquifolium | 05–06 | X | X | . | . |
| European ivy | Hedera helix | 09–10 | X | X | X | . |
| White mustard | Sinapis alba | 05–09 | X | X | . | . |
| Hazel | Corylus avellana | 01–03 | . | X | . | X |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale | 05–06 | X | X | . | . |
| Goat willow | Salix caprea | 02–04 | X | X | . | . |
| White clover | Trifolium repens | 05–07 | X | X | . | . |
| Coltsfoot | Tussilago farfara | 02–04 | . | X | . | . |

### Mediterranean plants

| Common name | Latin name | Flowering months | Nectar | Pollen | Propolis | Honeydew |
| Almond | Prunus dulcis | 02–04 | X | X | . | . |
| Strawberry tree | Arbutus unedo | 10–01 | X | . | . | . |
| Buxus | Buxus sempervirens | 04–05 | X | X | . | . |
| Viburnum tinus | Viburnum tinus | 02–06 | X | X | . | . |
| Rosemary | Rosmarinus officinalis | 11–04 | X | X | . | . |
| Thyme | Thymus vulgaris | 04–09 | X | . | . | . |

### Mountain plants

| Common name | Latin name | Flowering months | Nectar | Pollen | Propolis | Honeydew |
| Garden angelica | Angelica sylvestris | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Wolf's bane | Arnica montana | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Erica | Erica cinerea | 07–09 | X | X | . | . |
| Calluna | Calluna vulgaris | 08–10 | X | X | . | . |
| Sweet chestnut | Castanea sativa | 06–07 | X | X | . | X |
| Milk thistle | Silybum marianum | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Fireweed | Epilobium angustifolium | 07–09 | X | X | . | . |
| Sycamore | Acer pseudoplatanus | 03–04 | X | X | X | X |
| Norway maple | Acer platanoides | 05–06 | X | X | . | X |
| Raspberry | Rubus idaeus | 06–07 | X | X | . | . |
| Great yellow gentian | Gentiana lutea | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Hellebore | Helleborus niger | 01–04 | X | X | . | . |
| Boxthorn | Lycium barbarum | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Blueberry | Vaccinium myrtillus | 05–06 | X | X | . | . |
| Snowdrop | Galanthus nivalis | 01–03 | X | X | . | . |
| Rhododendron | Rhododendron ferrugineum | 06–08 | X | X | . | . |
| Silver fir | Abies alba | 05 | . | X | . | X |
| Savory | Satureja montana | 07–08 | X | . | . | . |
| Wild thyme | Thymus serpyllum | 06–09 | X | . | . | . |
| Rowan | Sorbus aucuparia | 05–06 | X | X | X | . |

### Cultured plants

| Image | Common name | Latin name | Flowering months | Nectar | Pollen | Propolis | Honeydew |
| | Sunflower | Helianthus annuus | 07–08 | X | X | . | . |
| | Lavender | Lavandula intermedia | 06–07 | X | X | . | . |