Dioecious

Definition

Holly, willow, carob and tupelo are all dioecious. It matters practically for forage as well as fruit: male goat willow catkins carry the pollen, so planting a male is what supplies the earliest protein in the landscape, and male carob flowers carry both the notorious smell and most of the nectar.

Where the word gets used loosely

Cultivar names are a trap. Holly 'Golden King' is female and 'Golden Queen' is male, which catches out a great many people buying for berries.

Honey records that discuss this

• Persimmon honeyRich and fruity with a dried-date depth and a warm caramel base — one of the more distinctive minor American varietals and genuinely reminiscent of the ripe fruit.
• Carob honeyDark, malty and distinctly savoury with a fermented, almost cheesy note that people either find fascinating or cannot get past.
• Willow honeyMild, faintly green and quick to set. A spring honey in the literal sense, and one most beekeepers taste and few buyers ever see.

Plant records that discuss this

• CarobStructurally important rather than abundant — a good nectar source at a time of year when a Mediterranean colony has almost no alternatives.
• HollyGood nectar in the late spring, and an evergreen structure that provides shelter and nesting cover the rest of the year.
• GallberryAn excellent late-spring nectar source across the southeastern coastal plain.
• White bryonyA long-running pollen source, and the entire basis of one specialist bee's existence.
• Brazilian pepperA good autumn nectar source at a point in the Florida year when colonies would otherwise be consuming stores.
• American persimmonA good nectar source where the trees are numerous.
• OsierA modest nectar source and an outstanding pollen source at the point in the year when pollen matters most — colonies need it for brood, not for stores.
• BuckthornA modest but highly accessible nectar source over several weeks.

Bee records that discuss this

• Bryony beeA mining bee that provisions its cells exclusively with the pollen of white bryony, a hedgerow climber that most people know only as a weed. It is a strict specialist on a single plant species, it has expanded its British range substantially over recent decades, and it exists as a network of small populations wherever that one climber grows.