Honey-bearing tree species

Honey trees are species that providea continuous flow of nectar, pollen and honeydewfor bees, bumblebees, butterflies, wild bees and other pollinators. In the systemDREVO Living MountainsThey simultaneously support biodiversity, fruit crop productivity and ecosystem health.

Priority	Tree	Honey production	Main resource	Flowering period	Optimal zone
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Linden (Tilia spp.)	Exceptionally high	Nectar and pollen	June–July	Middle slopes, valleys
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Willows (Salix spp.)	Exceptionally high	Early pollen and nectar	March–April	Springs, streams, floodplains
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Maple (Acer spp.)	Very high	Nectar and pollen	April–May	Middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Edible chestnut (Castanea sativa)	Very high	Nectar and pollen	June–July	Lower slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Cherry (Prunus avium)	High	Nectar and pollen	April	Middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Apple tree (Malus spp.)	High	Nectar and pollen	April–May	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Pear (Pyrus spp.)	High	Nectar and pollen	April	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera)	High	Early nectar	March–April	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Plum (Prunus spp.)	High	Nectar	April	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) (only in controlled commercial plantings, not in natural ecosystems)	Very high	Nectar	May–June	Agroforestry
⭐⭐⭐	Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)	Average	Nectar and pollen	May	Upper and middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Ash (Fraxinus spp.)	Average	Pollen	April	Middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Beech (Fagus spp.)	Low	Pollen	May	Medium wet slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Oak (Quercus spp.)	Indirect	Honeydew (in the presence of aphids and other insects)	Summer	Middle and lower slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Fir (Abies spp.)	Indirect	Honey Pad	Summer	Upper slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Spruce (Picea spp.)	Indirect	Honey Pad	Summer	Upper slopes

Honey bushes

Priority	Bush	Bloom	Main resource
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Hazelnut	February–March	Very early pollen
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Red	February–March	Early nectar and pollen
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Sea buckthorn	Spring	Pollen (wind-pollinated, but used by bees)
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Hawthorn	May	Nectar and pollen
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Honeysuckle	April–May	Nectar
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Currant	April	Nectar
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Raspberry	May–June	One of the best sources of nectar
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Blackberry	June–August	Long-lasting nectar secretion
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Elderberry	May–June	Nectar and pollen
⭐⭐⭐	Rose hip	May–June	Pollen

Honey plants for the Mediterranean mountains

Priority	View	Peculiarity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua)	Autumn source of nectar
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo)	Blooms in autumn and winter
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Olive (European olive tree)	Pollen
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Eucalyptus (only in areas where it is non-invasive)	Long flowering
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Heather trees and shrubs	Late honey flow

Honey calendar DREVO

Season	Main types
February	Hazel, dogwood
March	Willows, cherry plums
April	Maples, apple trees, pears, cherries, plums
May	Hawthorn, rowan, raspberry
June	Linden, chestnut, blackberry
July	Linden (late species), honeydew from oaks and conifers
August	Blackberries, late meadow plants
September–October	Carob tree, strawberry tree (Mediterranean)

Priority groups

Group	Main types	Main function
Early honey flow	Hazel, dogwood, willow	Starting the development of bee colonies after winter
Spring main honey flow	Maple, fruit trees	Development of families and pollination of gardens
Summer main honey flow	Linden, chestnut, raspberry, blackberry	Production of commercial honey
Honeydew honey collection	Oak, fir, spruce	A source of honeydew in dry years
Late honey flow	Carob tree, strawberry tree	Preparing bees for winter

The TREE Pollinator Forest principle

The forest must providecontinuous flowering from February to OctoberTo ensure pollinators never experience "starvation periods." It's important to combine trees, shrubs, meadow flowers, and wetland plants, creating a unified food web for honeybees, bumblebees, and wild pollinators. This approach simultaneously increases agroforestry yields and the resilience of the entire ecosystem.