According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.
Where are you?
NECTAR PRODUCTION:
20 - 40 kilograms per ha
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor
M. domestica is cultivated throughout temperate areas of the world, including North America (Mexico, U.S., and Canada). In the U.S., apples are grown in every continental state and commercial production occurs in 35 states, with top producers including Washington, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and Virginia.
In Canada, M. domestica is cultivated in all provinces but not the northern territories, with major production in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. It is also reportedly naturalized in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
This plant is present in at least 55 states/provinces in this country.
Malus domestica is a small- to a medium-sized, much-branched, deciduous tree with a single trunk and a broadly spreading canopy. Wild trees can reach 10-15 m in height, while cultivated trees are generally 2-5 m tall (in cultivation, tree size and shape are heavily dependant on rootstock and training system).
Roots consist of a horizontal layer of permanent, thickened, spreading scaffold roots less than 50 cm from the surface, and numerous vertical 'sinkers' descending to an impermeable layer or water table. Young stems and twigs are somewhat tomentose (hairy), while older branches are glabrous (smooth). Buds are purplish brown, ovoid and densely hairy.
Leaves are alternate, elliptic-ovate, rounded at the base, 4-13 cm long x 3-7 cm wide, with irregularly saw-toothed margins, and usually hairy beneath.
Flowers are usually terminal on spurs (although they may grow laterally from one-year-old wood in some cultivars), borne in groups of 4-6, in inflorescences that have variously been described as corymbs, corymbose racemes, cymes, and false cymes. Flowers are typically 3-4 cm in diameter, with 5 petals varying from white to deep pink, 5 sepals, about 20 stamens in 3 whorls (10 + 5 + 5) with yellow anthers, and a pistil comprised of five styles united at the base.
The pedicel and calyx are usually woolly, and the calyx is persistent in the fruit.
The fruit is an ellipsoid to obovoid globe-like pome indented at the base and usually also at the apex; usually more than 5 cm in diameter and weighing 200-350 grams. It may vary in color, from uniformly red, green, or yellow, or bi-colored, such as striped or blushed red on a yellow or green background.
M. domestica generally does better in more northern than southern climates because it usually requires the prolonged cold period provided by winter for flowering to occur in the spring.
Blooming period: Malus domestica generally blooms in the early spring after the other deciduous tree fruits have bloomed.
M. domestica is generally considered to be a better nectar producer than most other deciduous tree fruits, the species has several things working against it as a major honey producer. These include its short blooming period, which can be as little as only a few days, and the frequently inclement weather during its blooming period. While at times, perhaps one out of five seasons, apple produces a surplus, most beekeepers agree that the main benefit of the species to the beekeeping industry, excluding commercial pollination, of course, is in its spring stimulation of brood rearing.
Acer saccharinum (aka: Silver maple, Soft maple)
Aronia arbutifolia (aka: Red chokeberry)
Pyrus communis (aka: European pear, Common pear)
Acer negundo (aka: Boxelder, Western boxelder, Arizona boxelder, California boxelder, Texas boxelder, Interior boxelder, Violet boxelder)
Salix nigra (aka: Black willow, Swamp willow, Southwestern black willow, Gulf black willow, Scythe-leaved willow)
Salix lucida (aka: Shining willow, Greenleaf willow, Tail-leaf willow, Whiplash willow, Pacific willow, Lance-leaf willow, Longleaf willow, Red willow, Western shining willow)
Prunus cerasus (aka: Sour cherry, Tart cherry, Dwarf cherry, Montmorency cherry)
Prunus pumila (aka: Sandcherry, Western sandcherry, Eastern sandcherry, Great Lakes sandcherry)
Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)
Ulmus americana (aka: American elm, White elm, Water elm, Soft elm, Florida elm)
Malus domestica (aka: Pyrus pumila, Malus pumila, Apple)
Acer platanoides (aka: Norway maple)
Acer saccharum (aka: Sugar maple, Rock maple, Hard maple)
Celtis occidentalis (aka: Common hackberry, Bastard elm, Nettle-tree, Northern hackberry)
Acer pensylvanicum (aka: Striped maple, Moosewood, Goosefoot maple, Whistlewood)
Rubus canadensis (aka: Smooth blackberry, Thornless blackberry, Canadian blackberry, Smooth highbush blackberry)
Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)
Catalpa speciosa (aka: Northern catalpa, Hardy catalpa, Western catalpa, Cigar tree, Catawba-tree, Bois chavanon)
Acer spicatum (aka: Mountain maple, Low maple, Moose maple, Water maple, Plaine batarde, Fouereux)
Astragalus (aka: Milkvetch, Locoweed, Goat's-thorn)
Vaccinium corymbosum (aka: Highbush blueberry, High-bush blueberry, Northern highbush blueberry, Tall blueberry, Rabbiteye blueberry, Blue huckleberry, Tall huckleberry, Swamp huckleberry, High blueberry, Swamp blueberry)
Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)
Brassica napus (aka: Rapeseed)
Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)
Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)
Gleditsia triacanthos (aka: Honey locust, Honey shucks locust, Common honeylocust, Sweet bean locust)
Aronia melanocarpa (aka: Black chokeberry, Rowan, Mountain Ash, Sorbus)
Prunus serotina (aka: Black cherry, Wild black cherry, Rum cherry, Mountain black cherry, Wild cherry)
Prunus pensylvanica (aka: Pin cherry, Fire cherry, Bird cherry)
Robinia pseudoacacia (aka: Black locust, False acacia, Yellow locust, White locust, Green locust, Post locust, Falsa acacia, Robinia)
Asclepias tuberosa (aka: Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Canada root, Fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, Orange root, Orange Swallow-wort, Tuber root, Yellow milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly love)
Calendula officinalis (aka: Marigold, Calendula, Pot marigold, English marigold)
Rhamnus cathartica (aka: Common buckthorn, European buckthorn, Dahurian buckthorn)
Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)
Tilia americana (aka: American basswood, Basswood, Linden)
