Bell heather pollen

Erica cinerea

Pale dull lilac grey, in the grey range.

FloweringJuly to August

PollenFair

NectarYes

SeasonSummer

WhereMoor and heath

Moorland forage that runs ahead of the ling.

Bell heather (Erica cinerea) in flower — Photo: Gwen and James Anderson, CC BY-SA 2.0. Wikimedia Commons

Easy to mistake for these

Closest pollen colours in our set, measured the same way the pollen identifier scores a match. Colour alone will not settle it, so check the flowering months and what is actually growing near your hives.

BorageJune to September LaurustinusOctober to April RaspberryJune to July Ribwort plantainApril to October Himalayan balsamJuly to October

Out at about the same time

Creeping thistlePale creamy yellow Field scabiousDark brick orange-red Globe thistleWhitish, pale cream Himalayan balsamGhostly white Ling heatherWhitish cream MarjoramDull tan-brown

Saw a load like this going in?

Sample the colour against all 89 plants, then keep a forage record per hive.

Pollen identifier