Dandelion pollen

Taraxacum officinale

Deep orange, in the orange range.

FloweringMarch to October, peak April to May

PollenVery good

NectarYes

SeasonSpring, Summer, Autumn

WhereGarden, Farmland, Waste and verge

Unmistakable, and a huge boost through the spring.

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in flower — Photo: Agnes Monkelbaan, CC BY-SA 4.0. 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.

SnowdropJanuary to March Californian poppyJune to September Michaelmas daisySeptember to October LaburnumMay to June PearApril to May

Out at about the same time

BlackthornCreamy tan BoxMuted yellow GooseberryPale greenish cream PoplarDull yellow brown Red deadnettleOrange red to brick RosemaryPale off-white cream

Saw a load like this going in?

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

Pollen identifier