Ivy pollen

Hedera helix

Dull gold to greenish, in the yellow range.

FloweringSeptember to November

PollenVery good

NectarYes

SeasonAutumn

WhereGarden, Hedgerow, Woodland, Waste and verge

The critical last big forage before winter, and the reason autumn bees look so busy.

Ivy (Hedera helix) in flower — Photo: MurielBendel, 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.

ColtsfootFebruary to April MahoniaNovember to February RockroseJune to August CowslipApril to May HoneysuckleJune to September

Out at about the same time

Michaelmas daisyReddish yellow GoldenrodGolden Japanese knotweedPale olive cream LaurustinusGrey, sometimes with a greenish cast Creeping thistlePale creamy yellow Field scabiousDark brick orange-red

Saw a load like this going in?

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

Pollen identifier