Blue Pollen, Honeybees and Siberian Squill

My honeybees are now gathering beautiful blue pollen from Siberian Squill flowers.

I first noticed this stunning steel-blue colored pollen during my hive inspection on March 22, 2012.  Honeybee after foraging honeybee was carrying full baskets of bright blue pollen and it was magnificent.  The blue pollen comes from an early spring flower called Siberian Squill aka Scilla Siberica or Wood Squill.  It is a bulbous perennial which blooms in March and April.  The Siberian Squill is a nonnative species and can be invasive, yet still it’s a great food source for bees.

After seeing the bees with these bright blue pollen filled baskets I was on a mission to locate the flowers.  I found them half a mile down the street in a neighbor’s yard who has the most incredible urban bee friendly gardens.  He is always feeding my bees with his amazing flowers and plants and usually when I wonder what the girls are foraging on I find them there, in a tiny little garden, on the street, planted and maintained by someone who understands the needs of bees.

Providing the right plants for honeybees and other native pollinators is important for the survival of the honeybee.  A few plants in your yard is all it takes to make them happy.  To learn more, including which plants bees prefer, read Planting A Bee Friendly Garden.

If you want to plant Siberian Squill for the bees, it’s easy.  It’s a perfect plant for the urban and suburban bee lover to grow.  The bulbs can be planted right into your grass.  The flowers will bloom and blanket your lawn with a beautiful blue color.   Before it is time for the grass to grow, the flowers will pass and reseed themselves.   Not only are you feeding the bees, but you can still mow your lawn!  No harm will be done to next year’s flower crop. 

Here are a few pictures of my honeybees gathering the blue pollen from Siberian Squill plants in my neighbor’s front lawn.  Isn’t the pollen striking?

This is what the pollen looked like when it arrived back at the hive.  Can you tell it was a busy foraging day?  There was a major traffic jam at the upper entrance.

Siberian Squill’s steel-blue pollen is stunning, it is a wonderful early spring food source for bees and it is easy to grow.   Go ahead and give it a try!

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

1. Planting A Bee Friendly Garden
2. The Bees Were Bringing In Orange Pollen Today
3. In Case You’re Wondering Bees Can Chew Through Garden Row Cover
4. Hello, Peeping Tom Neighbors! Yes, It Is Just Me In That Spacesuit.
5. One Little Bee Made My Husband Run Like A Baby

Shared on: The Barn Hop