This is an outstanding honey plant. It grows 12 to 24 inches high and has a bloom that is white with some reddish/pinkish color in it. Alsike clover grows well in clay soil and in northern regions of the United States and Canada. It has a long blooming period and can be found along road sides, railroad right of ways, and meadows. It is a good hay or pasture crop for the beekeeper lucky enough to have a farmer near by who raises livestock. Unfortunately, modern farming methods result in the cutting of hay crops before the flowers bloom and thus this crop is not available for bees to gather nectar unless the farmer is a bit slow in cutting the crop. It is a cool weather plant and is found in the northern latitudes of the United States.
Description of nectar
Honey produced by the bees from the nectar according the Frank Pellett's book American Honey Plants is one of the very best. It is considered white in color, mild in flavor and granulates slowly. All other honeys are compared to the clover honey. It is nearly impossible to distinguish one clover honey from another. Very heavy yields have resulted when bees are located near a Alsike clover field.
Description of pollen
The
color of the pollen carried back to the hive by the bees is almost a light brown color.
Description of pollen grain
A member of the Leguminosae family. The pollen grain is distinctive. I have used a student grade compound microscope to view the pollen collected from a dandelion plant. These are photos taken through the eye piece of the microscope set at X1000. The pollen grain is oval shaped with a granular surface with predominate pores.
The grains of Alsike clover are smaller and more oval than the pollen grains of the other clovers which have the appearance of small loaves of bread.