Winter Flowering Nectar Plants

Hellebores                                  Mahonia                                   Sweet Box                                 Witch Hazel                                  

Winter flowering plants (including some exotic trees) and bulbs are increasingly important to honeybees in particular. Milder winters mean that bee colonies starve, as they use up their honey stores prematurely if they can find no forage. We give half of the profit from sales of plants in this section to the British Beekeepers' Association.

Lenten rose (Hellebore) Hellebores, or Lenten roses, are a valuable source of nectar for honey bees and early flying bumblebee Queens. We have selected the earliest flowering varieties, which will happily continue to flower through snow and deep frost. They will tolerate most conditions, but do best in light shade in heavy soil. Flowers: January - March Soil type: Well drained, moist, fertile Minimum purchase : 3 View more information and

Mahonia Large architectural plant, spikes of fragrant yellow flowers, glossy leaves. The varieties we sell are a lovely splash of colour for a partly shaded area, and a really good nectar source in the dead of Winter for bees. Flowers: November - March Soil type: Fertile, moist or well drained Minimum purchase : 1 View more information and

Witch hazel (Hamamelis) A good source of pollen for honey bees in the very early spring. Witch hazel flowers look wonderfully exotic as specimen trees, flowering on bare wood. They are happy in sun or semi-shade. Flowers: December-February Soil type: Fertile, well drained, non alkaline Minimum purchase : 1 View more information and

Sweet box (Sarcococca) Sarcococca confusa is a useful small evergreen, flourishing in shady difficult corners, flowering in the depths of winter and smelling of honey. Good cover for small birds, and forage for honey bees on a warm February day. Flowers: February-March Soil type: Fertile, moist, well drained Minimum purchase : 1 View more information and