Coltsfoot pollen

Tussilago farfara

Deep golden yellow, in the yellow range.

FloweringFebruary to April

PollenGood

NectarFair

SeasonWinter, Spring

WhereWaste and verge, Farmland, Waterside

One of the first composites of the year, welcome pollen on a mild late-winter day.

Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) in flower — Photo: Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak, CC BY-SA 2.5. 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.

IvySeptember to November MahoniaNovember to February RockroseJune to August Meadow buttercupMay to July CowslipApril to May

Confused with in the field

Noted by name in our own records, rather than worked out from the colour.

DandelionDeep orange

Out at about the same time

AlderGreenish yellow to olive CrocusOrange to orange yellow ElmPale greenish grey Winter aconiteDeep yellow YewPale creamy yellow BlackthornCreamy tan

Saw a load like this going in?

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

Pollen identifier