American Honey Plants: Together With Those Which Are of Special Value to the Beekeeper as Sources of Pollen

By Frank C. Pellett

Frank Pellet was an avid beekeeper from his infancy, fascinated by flora, fauna and most of all bumblebees. As part of his work as an apiarist he became familiar with the plants his swarms would visit one by one in order to put down their stocks of honey, including those which are rich in pollen.

In response to requests from his fellow beekeepers, Pellet took on the task of providing the information he had gathered to his friends and acquaintances, eventually evolving into American Honey Plants: Together with Those Which Are of Special Value to the Beekeeper as Sources of Pollen.

This work is an unmatched resource for any would be or experienced beekeeper. Frank Pellet makes an overview of the native and imported fauna of North America as well as their relationship to bees and their production of honey. As a traditional work from the turn of the twentieth century it covers most houseplants or common garden plants but also gives information on several plants that have fallen out of fashion, but not out of the landscape.

Pellet details each plant’s properties as a source for nectar and pollen as well as the quantity and quality of honey that is likely to be produced by bees visiting it regularly. For identification purposes, he also lists the season when each plant will be in bloom, the main areas in which they grow and how fond bees generally are of it. Another valuable subject is the plants which create unpleasant honey or honey which is hard to digest. Leaving no stone unturned, Pellet engaged fully with the topic for the safety and enjoyment of his readers.

He gives a pleasing, nature focused account of his surroundings and the rhythms of the tiniest creatures, ideal for any budding beekeeper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Release date: Nov 6, 2017