Flowering Plants/Trees       Back to Honey Plants

 Clover (Trifolium species)

This is a  valuable honey plant.   We have included pictures of three different species above.  Clover plants require sufficient rain to insure good growth.  

The top picture is of a field of Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum) in Georgia.  It is grown extensively in the middle and southern states for seed.  It is also used in many cotton areas as a mulch to protect soil moisture.  Prior to going to seed it is sprayed to kill the plant and then cotton is drilled into the ground.  However, before that happens, many beekeepers move colonies to bees to these areas to gather the early honey crop which occurs in early April.  It grows along road ways and in medium strip in great abundance.  It is not seen much in the north due to its inability to survive the cold winter months.

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is in the lower picture to the left.  This is grown extensively in the United States.  Honey bees are said to gather little red clover honey because the flower tube is so deep but when the weather is dry and plant growth somewhat retarded, honey bees have been known to gather great amounts of honey from red clover.   It is used as a seed and hay crop.

White Clover (Trifolium repens) grows in most areas in the United States.  It blooms very early in the season and blossoms dry up as hot weather arrives.  This can bee seen in the picture we have used to illustrate white clover.  White clover as a honey plant is restricted to lime soils according to Lovell and honey crops obtained in the north far surpass that of the south.  The white clover belt includes the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

Description of nectar

 Iowa Geological Survey   published in 1930.  This  is an excellent resource book.