Central Bee Research Institute

Directorate of Beekeeping
Khadi and Village Industries Commission

Technical Bulletin No.7 February 1973

BEE PLANT INTRODUCTION

Flowering plants are known to have originated some 160 million years ago. It is now understood
that insects which depend on these plants for their food also evolved around the same period.
Since the origin of flowering plants and the phytophagous insects, both have influenced each
other’s evolution over the millennia of years. This resulted in mutual inter-dependence so much
so that if either of them is not present in a locality the other too cannot exist. Honey bees are
entirely dependent on flowering plants for their food requirement. This means that if there are
no flowers in any season, honey bees do not get their food. One of the major problems of
beekeeping industry in India is the presence of the floral dearth which result in dwindling and
desertion of bee colonies. Every locality has floral dearth periods of short or long duration.
Beekeepers have therefore to study the dearth periods in their area and have to ensure regular
supply of food to the bee colonies to run the industry efficiently.

A knowledge of the vegetation in locality enables the beekeeper there to utilize this existing
vegetation to the maximum possible extent. Short-distant (local) migrations following the
flowering of major bee forage species is one of the ways to affect this. A study of floral calendars
of various localities in India reveals the presence of dearth due to absence of flowers in a season
or to the adverse climatic conditions which hamper the normal foraging activity of the honey
bees.

In spring a majority of tree species and various herbs and shrubs bloom, and generally a major
honey flow may result. This is followed by a long dearth in Western Ghat region due to the heavy
monsoon. In the hills of Northern India, long and severe winters result in the dearth of bee
1
©Copyright of CBRTI, KVIC
forage. If these dearth periods are longer than, say, eight weeks, it is generally better to migrate
colonies to more favorable localities. The migratory sites in such cases generally constitute the
farms where a number of oilseeds, fruit, vegetable and other crops provide valuable forage to
bees. Migrations may be uneconomical if the dearth periods are short and if the season is
otherwise fair. In the hills of Northern India July-August period, in the plains November-
December or January-February constitute such short dearth. This dearth are immediately
followed by major honey flow seasons. This makes it necessary to maintain bee colonies in good
strength just in time for the flow.

The industry has another serious problem in a number of areas due to the large deforestation
programme undertaken as a step to establish industrial complexes or for agriculture. In many
cases mass destruction of useful bee plants is done for less plausible reasons of producing fuel
etc. In Western Ghats trees which provided nectar and pollen to bees during November-
December have now become almost rare because of the felling of these trees without the efforts
at afforestation. This aggravated the ensuring dearth in January-February. Unless alternative
forage sources are provided to the bees during this long scarcity condition, bee colonies cannot
be kept in these regions from June to February.

Nectar shortage is not a big problem as this can be met by feeding sugar syrup. Shortage of pollen
however is quite serious. Pollen, being the source of body-building proteins, brood rearing is
stopped, and colonies suffer in its absence. Substitutes for pollen are not yet feasible in India.
The Central Bee Research Institute has undertaken experiments on pollen supplements. If
successful, these would help the industry to a great extent. The only natural way to meet the
problem of short dearth periods is by improvement of vegetation to provide bee forage during
these floral gaps. Though a long-range programme, this would solve the problem permanently
and, in many cases,, it would even enhance the honey yields considerably.

Studies on introduction of bee plants and their multiplication was initiated at Mahabaleshwar
during 1960. Among the large number of species thus introduced into Mahabaleshwar plateau
are four from Brazil, viz. Acnistus, arborescens, Bastardiopsis densiflora, Eupatorium maximillioni
and Vernonia polyantha.

2
©Copyright of CBRTI, KVIC
 Species Family Bee Forage Flowering Method Other Uses
time (no. of
of month) propaga
tion

Pollen Nectar

Herbs :

Althea rosea Vac. Malvaceae + + 1-12 Seed Ornamental

Amaranthus caudatus L. Amarantha + + 6-9 Seed Ornamental

ceae

Antigonon leptopus Hk. Polygonace + + 7-2 Seed, Ornamental

& Arn. ae Cutting,
layering

Celosia argentea L. Amarantha + + 10-12 Seed Ornamental

ceae

Cosmos bipinnatus Cav. Asteraceae + + 10-2 Seed Ornamental

Eupatorium spp. Asteraceae + + 9-11 Seed Ornamental

Hedge

Fagopyrum esculentum Polygonace + + 9 Seed Seed used as

Moench. ae food

Guizotia abyssinica Asteraceae + + 10-11 Seed Oil Seed

Cass.

Helianthus annuus L. Asteraceae + + 7-10 Seed Ornamental,

Oil Seed

Jacquemontia violacea Convolvula + + 7-12 Seed, Ornamental

Choisy. ceae Cuttings

Mimosa pudica L. Mimosace + + 7-11 Seed Ornamental

ae

Raphanus sativus L. Brassicace + + 7-11 Seed Vegetable

ae

3
©Copyright of CBRTI, KVIC
 Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliacea + + 6-9 Seed Oil Seed
e

Solidago canadensis L. Asteraceae + + 4-6, 9-10 Seed Ornamental

Shrubs :

Cellistemon linearis DC. Myrtaceae + + Seed Cutting Ornamental

Hamelia patens Jacq. Rubiaceae + + 8-11 Cuttings Ornamental

Justicia gendarussa L. Acanthaceae + + 2-4 Seed Ornamental

Cuttings

Lagerstroemia indica Lythraceae + 6-7 Seed Hedge,

L. Cuttings medicinal

Lawsonia inermis L. Lythraceae + 4-7 Cuttings Ornamental,

dye

Ricinus communis L. Euphorbiaceae + 10-12 Seed Oil,

medicinal,
forage for
silkworms

Synedenium grantii Euphorbiaceae + + Seed Hedge

Hk. Cuttings

Vitex negundo L. Verbenaceae + 5-12 Cuttings Ornamental,

medicinal

Wendlandia Rubiaceae + + 2-6 Cuttings Ornamental

thyrsoides Steud.

Trees:

Acacia spp. Mimosaceae + + 1-12 Seed Timber,

medicinal

Bombax ceiba L. Bombacaceae + + 2-3 Seed Fiber,

medicinal

4
©Copyright of CBRTI, KVIC
 Casuarina Casuarinaceae + 9-10;2-3 Cuttings Wind break,
equisetifolia Forst. ornamental,
fuel.

Delonix regia Raf. Casuarinaceae + 4-5 Seed, Ornamental

Cuttings

Dombeya spp. Sterculiaceae + 10-12 Seed, Dye,

Cuttings Ornamental

Emblica officinalis Euphorbiaceae + + 2-3 Seed, Fruits,

Gaertn. Cuttings tanning,
dye, etc.

Moringa oleifera Moringaceae + + 1-4 Seed, Vegetable,

Lamk. Cuttings gum, fiber

Pithecellobium dulce Mimosaceae + 1-3 Cuttings Hedge, fuel,

Benth. Seed eaten

Pongamia pinnata Fabaceae + 1-3 Seed, Oil, fuel,

Pierre Cuttings medicinal

5
©Copyright of CBRTI, KVIC