Trees are an incredibly important source of food for bees and other pollinators. In part due to their large size which contains thousands of flower heads giving the pollinators their important source of food in one place. The criteria used by councils, or charities, when selecting trees to plant often fails to include their usefulness to pollinators. Yet pollinators, especially bees, require forage from early spring through to late autumn, and native trees, including hazel, alder and pussy willow can provide early sources of pollen when few plants are in flower. The advantage of planting native wild flowering trees is that the larvae of many native butterflies and moths rely on tree foliage. However, there are some late flowering non native trees, such as Chinese privet, the bee-bee tree and loquat, which can provide a valuable source of autumn nectar. So it is important that a proportion of non natives as well as natives, are included in a selection of pollinator-friendly trees. If street trees are planted close to community gardens, urban farms, parks and other open green areas, then habitat can be created in those spaces for wild bumblebees and solitary bees, generating pollination streams or 'eddies' between street and garden, farm or park. Trails or 'rivers' of insect pollinated street trees can link these areas of urban forage with one another enabling flying insects to negotiate a less hazardous and a more nutritiously rewarding path through urban areas. |
Trees flowering in February |
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Acacia
dealbata silver wattle |
Alnus
glutinosa common alder |
Prunus
x Subhirtelia Autumnalis Winter flowering Cherry |
Salix
caprea Pussy/goat willow |
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Trees flowering in March |
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Corylus
avellana common Hazel |
Corylus
maxima Kentish Cob Hazel Kentish Cob |
Prunus
incam Okame Cherry 'Okame' |
Prunus
cerasifera Cherry Plum |
Prunus
domestica Common Plum |
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Trees flowering in April |
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Acer
campestre Field Maple |
Amelanchier
lamarckii Juneberry |
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Liquidambar
styraciflua Sweet gum |
Malus
sylvestris Crab apple |
Prunus avium
wild cherry |
Pyrus communis
European Pear |
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Trees flowering in May |
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Acer pseudoplatanuis Sycamore |
Aesculus hippocastanum Horse chestnut |
Crataegus monogyna Hawthorns |
Halesia carolina Snow drop tree |
Elaeagnus umbellata Autumn olive |
Sorbus aucuparia Rowan |
Cercis
siliquastrum Judus Tree |
Sorbus
aria Common whitebeam |
Ilex
aquifolium Holly |
Mespilus
germanica Medlar fruit |
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Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Trees flowering in June |
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Tilia europaea Common Lime |
Ptelea
trifoliata Hop tree |
Robinia
pseudoacacia False acacia |
Robinia
hispida Rose Acacia |
Liriodendron
tulipifera Tulip Tree |
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Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Trees flowering in July |
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Castanea sativa Sweet chestnut |
Aesculus indica Indian horse chestnut |
Tilia platyphyllos broad leaved Lime |
Albizia julibrissin Persian silk tree |
Cotinus obovatus American smokewood |
Ligustrum vulgare Privet tree |
Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Trees flowering in August |
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Catalpa
bignonioides Indian bean tree |
Eucryphia
glutinosa Brush bush/Nirrhe |
Koelreuteria
paniculata Golden rain |
Hibiscus syriacus Hibiscus |
Aesculus parviflora Dwarf horse chestnut or Bottlebrush buckeye |
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Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Trees flowering in September |
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Sophora
japonica Pagoda tree |
Tetradium
daniellii Bee-bee tree |
Ligustrum
lucidum Chinese privet |
Clerodendrum-trichotomum Harlequin glorybower |
Heptacodium miconioides |
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Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Trees flowering in October |
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Eriobotrya
japonica Loquat tree |
Lagerstroemia indica Crape myrtle |
Arbutus unedo Strawberry tree |
Trees flowering in Feb, March, April, May, June, July, Aug, Sept, Oct | ||
Plants for Bees and other pollinators |
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Trees for Bees and other pollinators |
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