Phacelia pollen

Phacelia tanacetifolia

Deep navy blue, in the blue / purple range.

FloweringJune to September

PollenVery good

NectarYes

SeasonSummer, Autumn

WhereFarmland, Garden

A sown bee plant. The dark blue load is hard to mistake for anything else.

Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia) in flower — Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 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.

Siberian squillMarch to April TeaselJuly to August LupinJune to July Viper’s buglossJune to August Field poppyJune to July

Out at about the same time

BorageBlue grey BrambleGreenish grey Californian poppyBright orange Common limeYellow to greenish DogwoodPale creamy yellow ElderPale greyish yellow

Saw a load like this going in?

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

Pollen identifier