Abstract
IN the Bee World of January, A. Norman Handley discusses the status of the rose-bay willow-herb (Epilobium angustifolium). He mentions that the Press has joined forces with the farmers in condemning this plant as a noxious weed. The author believes that it is very questionable whether the plant could establish itself in properly cultivated ground. The roots appear to thrive best on waste lands where the soil is firm and undisturbed. The beekeeper, however, appreciates this herb because it yields valuable nectar and pollen especially during periods of scarcity from about early July until mid-August. In 1944, which was a notoriously bad year for bees, many hives managed to build up and even store surplus nectar from the rose-bay willow-herb. This plant also provides humble bees with food at a time when the next year's queens are being reared. The value of these insects as a general aid in pollination and a particular help in the case of red clover is, of course, well known. Now that the author has brought up this subject it would appear desirable that the true status of this kind of willow-herb should be determined. Much more information is needed before it will be possible to account for the sudden appearance of the plant in land that has been ploughed or cleared and whether it is due to buried seeds or to other causes.
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Rose-bay Willow-Herb and Honey Bees. Nature 155, 477–478 (1945). https://doi.org/10.1038/155477e0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/155477e0