Honey and Pollen Flora of South-Eastern Australia

Understand the landscape your colonies depend on with Honey and Pollen Flora of South-Eastern Australia by Doug Somerville, available from Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies.

Beekeeping does not stop at the hive entrance. The strength, nutrition and honey-producing potential of a colony are closely connected to the plants available within its foraging range.

This substantial reference helps beekeepers identify those plants and understand whether they provide nectar, pollen or both.

More Than 500 Plants & Trees

The book covers over 500 plants and trees found across south-eastern Australia, including species occurring in southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

Photographs support plant identification, making the reference useful both at home and when evaluating potential apiary areas.

Each plant’s value to European honey bees is considered in terms of nectar, pollen or combined forage.

That allows the beekeeper to move beyond simply recognising a flowering tree and begin assessing what it may contribute to the colony.

Understand Bee Nutrition Through Flora

Honey bees need more than nectar.

Pollen provides proteins, fats and other nutrients essential to colony development, while nectar supplies the carbohydrates that fuel adult bees and ultimately become honey.

A location with abundant flowers is not automatically a complete forage environment if the plants do not provide the right balance across the season.

Learning which species supply nectar, pollen or both can help explain patterns in brood rearing, colony growth and honey production.

Built on Decades of Australian Experience

Doug Somerville’s work draws on approximately 30 years of research and practical knowledge, including experience gathered from hundreds of beekeepers.

That depth gives the book particular value as an Australian reference.

Imported beekeeping books can provide excellent information about colony biology, but plant recommendations written for Europe or North America do not necessarily translate to Australian conditions.

A regional flora reference helps fill that gap.

Useful for Apiary Planning

The book can support decisions about permanent apiary sites, migratory beekeeping and bee-friendly planting.

It may help explain why one location produces strong spring colonies while another provides valuable forage later in the season.

Gardeners can also use the reference when planning flowering resources for bees.

For serious beekeepers, learning to read the landscape is one of the skills that separates basic hive management from a deeper understanding of colony performance.

Honey and Pollen Flora of South-Eastern Australia is therefore not simply a plant-identification book; it connects botany directly with practical beekeeping.

Add this major Australian reference to your library through Hornsby Beekeeping Supplies. For help selecting beekeeping books or equipment, call 02 9477 5569 or email info@hornsby-beekeeping.com.