Christmas roses open pretty flowers. Bees love flowers. Bees are hard-working pollinators. Christmas roses need to be pollinated. In theory, this would have the potential for a friendship. But it is far from certain that the two often meet and a win-win situation arises.
Are Christmas roses good for bees?
Yes, Christmas roses are good for bees. Their flowers are considered rich in nectar. Christmas rose flowers are also so valuable to bees because they are available at a time when hardly any other plants are blooming. But flying there is only possible in warm temperatures.
When exactly do Christmas roses bloom?
Some Christmas roses (Helleborus niger) open their first buds inDecember; in warm weather the flowering period often begins a month earlier. Some Christmas rose varieties bloomuntil around March The Lenten rose, which blooms later and still has flowers until May, is not one of the Christmas roses, but is a related species of hellebore. Full-grown perennials are pronounced bee-friendly, can provide up to 100 flower buds per season, filled with plenty of pollen, as a food source. It is very rare for a Christmas rose to bloom in summer. The few summer flowers are so-called pre-bloomers.
Are Christmas roses dependent on bees for pollination?
No, the Christmas rose, also called snow rose and black hellebore, can be pollinated not only by wild bees, but also by bumblebees and other insects. Nevertheless, cross-pollination is not guaranteed in any year. Because when it's cold, the insects don't fly or only a few fly. Bees, for example, do not like temperatures below 10 °C. This is why Christmas rose flowers remain fertile for a very long time. If necessary,Self-pollination is also possible
Can you tell whether the flowers have been pollinated?
When the white flowers have been pollinated, their appearance changes:
- pollinated flowers do not wither
- they turn green, i.e. H. theirpetals turn green
- do not cut off green flowers immediately
- they do photosynthesis
- with the help of their energy, fruits and seeds can ripen
Tip
If a Christmas rose doesn't bloom, its soil is too acidic
Christmas roses like lime, so they can also be watered with hard tap water. If the soil is too acidic, for example because they grow under conifers, Christmas roses will not bloom. Stick a piece of chalk in the soil and the bees can look forward to the next flowering season.
