5.2 Perennials

PERENNIALS 37
Original prairie flora included wild onions which were known to be an important
source of H for the early beekeeping settlers 72 .
Except where vegetable Allium are grown for seed, these crops are harvested
before flowering and are of no use to the beekeeper.
Value for pollen: less attractive for P than N.
Honey: light amber in colour, good quality; oniony flavour present only in freshly
extracted H and disappears during storage 16 .
Notes: strong scented and pungent herbs; several ornamental Allium have been
specifically noted to be attractive to honeybees, but many other native or naturalized
spp. are probably also valuable for N; see also A. porrum var porrum51 (leek, poireau),
A. sativum (garlic, ail), and A. schoenoprasum (chive, ciboulette) listed in Table 19.
Allium giganteum Regel
giant onion
per. -23° to-21° C Jun 120 cm N(P)
Value for honey: yields N copiously over a 2-3 week period; see Allium.
Honey: see Allium.
Notes: needs staking; moist sites; some material grown under this name is A.
ameloprasum L.; see Allium.
Althaea officinalis L.
marshmallow, white mallow, guimauve officinale
per. -23° to -20° Jul-Oct 1-1.8 m NP
Value for honey: HP3/4 16; attractive for N 35; probably similar to Alcea rosea
(hollyhock).
Notes: large pinkish flowers on a stalk; root yielding the original non-synthetic
mucilaginous marshmallow paste 23 ; naturalized along borders of saline or fresh
marshes, especially in E., very local, Co. Deux-Montagnes, Que., also sw. beyond Can.
range 23 .
Anaphalis margaritacea (L.) Benth. & Hook.f.
common pearly everlasting, pearly everlasting, immortelle, anaphalide nacrde
per. -37° to -29° C Jul-Aug 90 cm NP
Value for honey: H yield of 9 kg/colony/season reported 72; surplus usually obtained
when this sp. is near colonies sited on fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) and the
fireweed main N flow fails 50; main N flow follows the fireweed flow 72 .
Honey: dark in colour, may be thin; flavour is fair to bitter, acceptable for overwintering
5"2
Notes: widespread in N. America; extremely variable appearance.
Anchusa azurea Mill.
(syn. A. italica Retz.)
Italian bugloss, Italian alkanet, bugloss, alkanet, buglosse
per. -37° to -29° C Jun-Sep 90-150 cm N 36
Value for honey: may be similar to A. officinalis (alkanet, bugloss) which has an HP of
2/6 16, but values for A. azurea have not been measured.
Notes: beautiful blue flowers; easy to grow, roadsides and waste land, local N.E. to sw.
beyond Can. range 23.