Recognizing pollen
Pollen is the male reproductive organ of flowering seed plants. All of these flowers are therefore capable of providing pollen to pollinating insects; however, certain flower pollens may be avoided by bees for various reasons.
Some flowers provide bees exclusively with pollen (hazel, poppy, black elder …), others with both pollen and nectar (Evodia, bramble, chestnut, phacelia, dandelion …), and still others mainly with nectar (lavender, linden, common mallow …). In fact, the choice of flowers foraged by bees depends primarily on the needs of the colony and, of course, on what the surrounding environment offers. The best weather conditions for optimal pollen and nectar collection are temperatures between 21 and 26 °C, high atmospheric humidity, sunshine, and the absence of wind.
In the table below, we have listed the pollen color of a number of flowers. We have limited ourselves to garden flowers, field flowers, and the trees of greatest interest in our region, as it is impossible to list all flowers that supply pollen and nectar to bees due to their sheer number. At times, it is very difficult to identify the origin of the multicolored pollen pellets brought back by bees, because the same color may originate from different plants or flowering trees. Climatic conditions and the age of the visited flower can also modify pollen color. Thus, a pollen described as white in the table may appear cream-colored or light yellow when moist. Hazel, for example, depending on the age of the flower and the hazel species, can produce pollen ranging from cream-colored to yellowish gray or yellow-brown.
Use of the table below:
- For each flower listed in the table, image examples can be accessed by simply clicking on the plant name.
- The value N is an estimate of the quantity of nectar that can be provided to bees. 0 indicates no nectar, and 5 indicates a large amount.
- The value P is an estimate of the quantity of pollen that can be provided to bees. 1 indicates very little pollen, and 5 is the maximum.
- Some flowers (for example, the tulip) may, depending on the species, provide very different pollen colors. These colors are then shown as gradients in the flowering rectangle.
►See also: How do bees choose pollen?