Sweet box pollen

Sarcococca confusa

Creamy white, in the cream / white range.

FloweringDecember to March

PollenFair

NectarGood

SeasonWinter, Spring

WhereGarden

Its winter scent draws the bees out on the mildest of days.

Sweet box (Sarcococca confusa) in flower — Photo: Meneerke bloem, 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.

RowanMay to June Winter clematisNovember to February False acaciaMay to June Globe thistleJuly to September Flowering currantApril to May

Out at about the same time

MahoniaYellow Winter clematisPale cream LaurustinusGrey, sometimes with a greenish cast ComfreyDull pale yellow CotoneasterDull pale cream False acaciaPale creamy white

Saw a load like this going in?

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

Pollen identifier