Using willow as an early source of nectar for bees

Willow blossom proffers a great service during the spring months by providing an early source of nectar and pollen for foraging bees. Without this rich food source many bees would perish.

In recent years there has been a large reduction in bee numbers across the world. About 80,000 colonies of honey bees in the UK (one out of every three) died off during the winter of 2007-2008 whilst a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder has decimated numbers in North America. Similarly, bumble bee populations have declined over several decades as a result of intensive agriculture and the use of pesticides. If these trends continue, the effect on humans could be catastrophic as bees pollinate around a third of all the food we eat.

It’s really important that we all try and reverse this decline by growing plants that attract bees. There are all sorts of plants that do this job (e.g. species of Hebe, Cotoneaster and Viburnum) and willows certainly play their part. If you keep bees and don’t already have a small coppice of willows you should perhaps think about planting some. The best results for aesthetic purposes as well as maximising the food supply would be to choose several contrasting willows that produce their catkins at different times throughout the spring. 

If your not a bee keeper but are interested in wildlife gardening you could choose any of the willows below to add some colour and diversity to your patch. There are even ones suitable for the tiniest of gardens.

Which willows

Time of flowering

Species

Cultivar names

Gender

January

S. schwerinii

Hilliers

Female

S. aegyptiaca

Male

Early February

S. koriyanagi

Female

S. caspica

Mid – Late February

S. sachalenensis

Kioryu

Female

S. gracilistyla *

S. x tsugualensis

(integra x vulpina)

Ginme

Female

S. gilgiana

S. purpurea

Howki

S. x erdingeri

(daphnoides x caprea)

Binea

Male

Early March

S. gracilistyla *

Melanostachys

Male

S. burjatica

Korso

Male

S. purpurea

Eugenii & Uralensis

S. appennina

Male

S. kinuyanagi

Male

S. x savensis

(alba x fragilis x caprea)

Male

March-April  

S. viminalis

Gigantea

Male

S. purpurea *

Richardtii, Dark Dicks and Green Dicks

Male

S. petiolaris

Male

S. daphnoides

Continental Purple, Blue Streak, Aglaia

Male

S. irrorata

Male

S. caprea

Silberglanz

Male

S. miyabeana

Purpurescens & Shrubby willow

Male

S. repens *

Argentea & Subopposita

Male

S. reinii

Male

S. elaeagnos *

Angustifolia

Female

April - May

S. hookeriana (= candida)

Male

S. hastata *

Wehrhahnii

Male

S. glaucophylloides

Female

S. mackenziana

Female

S. redheriana

Female

S. eriocephala

Kerksii

Male

S. triandra      

Black Hollander

Male

Whissender

Male

S. x sericans (caprea x viminalis)

Coles

Male

S. bebbiana

Male

S. apoda *

Male

May-June       

S. x rubens (alba x fragilis)

Basfordiana   

Male

S. pentandra

Patent Lumley

Male

S. triandra

Black German

Male   

June-July

S. lanata *

Male

May - September

S. triandra

Semperflorescens

Male

* These willows are well suited to smaller gardens

How to do it

See activity 9: How to grow willows. With the more vigorous willows you may wish to coppice or pollard them every 1-2 years but remember to do this after flowering!

If you want willows to provide a dual purpose use why not grow them around an orchard as a wind break (see activity 25). The willows will attract bees and other insects to the orchard prior to the fruit trees/bushes blossoming. The leafiness of the willows will also reduce the severity of the wind by up to 50% and will increase yields by reducing blossom loss and later fruit fall.

More information

You can find out more about bees and bee keeping from the British Beekeepers' Association www.britishbee.org.uk