Fabaceae

Melilotus officinalis – Yellow Sweet Clover

Botanical Family Fabaceae

Bloom Time May – September

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Perforate

Tectum Eutectate

Size (um)

Shape Oval

Pollen Color Tan, Dark Yellow

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source • • •

Nectar Source • • •

Baptisia australis – Blue False Indigo

Baptista australis – Blue False Indigo

Botanical Family: Fabaceae

Bloom Time May – June

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Perforate

Tectum Semitectate

Size (um)

Shape Round

Pollen Color White

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source

Nectar Source

Flower photos contributed by Mount Cuba

Chamaecrista fasciculata – Partridge Pea

Chamaecrista fasciculate – Partridge Pea

Botanical Family: Fabaceae

Bloom Time June – September

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Perforate

Tectum Eutectate

Size (um)

Shape Round

Pollen Color

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source

Nectar Source

Glycine max – Soy Bean

Botanical Family: Fabaceae

Bloom Time July – September

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Perforate

Tectum Eutectate

Size (um)

Shape Round

Pollen Color

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source

Nectar Source

Senna hebecarpa – Wild Senna

Botanical Family: Fabaceae

Bloom Time July – August

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Perforate

Tectum Eutectate

Size (um)

Shape Round

Pollen Color

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source

Nectar Source

Wild Senna is a favorite pollen source of bumble bees, due to its high protein-to-lipid ratios, and is a great choice for any garden wanting to support their native bees, particular bumbles. Interestingly, Wild Senna’s flowers do not have nectaries, instead the plant has evolved extrafloral nectaries, which are separate from the flowers. They are positioned on the leaf petioles near their attachment to the primary plant stem.

Sources

Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (2017). Plants for Pollinators: Wild Senna

Sara Lajeunesse (2016). Picky Eaters: Bumble Bees Prefer Plants with Nutrient Rich Pollen. Penn State News

Vicia faba – Broad Bean

Botanical Family: Fabaceae

Bloom Time July – October

Pollen Characteristics

Dispersal Unit Monad

Aperture Number 3

Aperture Type Compound

Ornamentation Granulate/Psilate

Tectum Eutectate

Size (um) 44

Shape Round

Pollen Color Light Green, Green, Olive

Honey Bee Resources

Pollen Source • • •

Nectar Source •

Fava beans are a winter legume crop. Faba beans conserve the soil nitrogen and assets in breaking disease and weed cycles, and are therefore of great interest to farmers. The flowering of Faba beans is prolific, but only 10-20% of flowers actually produce pods. The presence of honey bees is said to accelerate the rate of set of bean pods. Studies have also observed that Faba plants with access to bees set more pods on the lower nodes and ripen earlier with significantly more seeds per pod. The use of the plant by honey bees has the potential to increase the yield by 19-52%. However, Faba beans provide very little nectar to honey bees, but do collect a reasonable quantity of pollen from the plants.