Himalayan balsam pollen

Impatiens glandulifera

Ghostly white, in the cream / white range.

FloweringJuly to October

PollenGood

NectarYes

SeasonSummer, Autumn

WhereWaterside, Waste and verge

Foragers come home dusted pale white. Invasive along rivers, but a heavy late nectar source.

Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) in flower — Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0. 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.

Sweet boxDecember to March Flowering currantApril to May False acaciaMay to June RowanMay to June Winter clematisNovember to February

Out at about the same time

Bell heatherPale dull lilac grey Creeping thistlePale creamy yellow Field scabiousDark brick orange-red Globe thistleWhitish, pale cream 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