Teas for Bees

When placing a new beehive, face the entrance toward the east, because the bees, like me, like to sit on their sunny front porch when they drink their morning tea. This may seem like a silly mental picture to help you remember which direction to place your hive, but in this image, there is truth. Not only do the honeybees need to warm themselves in the morning sun prior to flight, but they also drink from the same flowers that we do.  

There are numerous edible flowers shared between honeybees and humans. My favorite example is the clover. Clovers such as the red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (Trifolium repens) are important food sources for bees in the spring and are the main ingredient in many urban honey crops. For your local bee and honey-harvesting beekeeper neighbor, please allow the white lawn clover to remain until summer. Once the summer’s heat has turned those white flowers brown it is time to mow. Those brown flowers are filled with tiny yellow seeds and so mowing at this stage spreads those seeds around and reseeds your clover lawn for a fuller crop that will start to grow this fall when the weather starts to cool down. To get an idea of what a clover honey crop will taste like, I suggest the Red Clover tea that is described as gently fruity and floral and is traditionally used herbal medicine for skin health. 

Another beloved lawn flower of mine is the dandelion. The Dandelion Leaf & Root tea, described as balanced and earthy, is used to support digestion and kidney health while aiding the body’s natural detoxification process. In addition to using the root for tea, the leaves can be used in salads and pestos, and the flowers can be used in jellies, lemonades and more.  

A bee and a gardener’s favorite tea is the Echinacea and Spearmint blend, described as mildly minty with a twist of citrus. Echinacea, aka purple cone flower (Echinacea purpurea), has been used medicinally by Native American tribes prior to Western herbalism to promote a healthy immune system. The purple cone flower is a perennial that can grow in the sun or partial shade and will bloom throughout the heat of the summer. In addition to culinary purposes, the flowers can be used for dried flower arrangements, and in fresh bouquets. For the spearmint (Mentha spicata), we may be more familiar with using the leaves for flavor, but the flowers are also edible and are a favorite for many species of bees.  

As spring's busyness continues, I hope you can share a cup of clover, dandelion or coneflower tea with me and the bees in the warm morning sun!  

Thanks, 
Hollie