MAY PLANTS.
In May we have the grand sugar maple, Acer saccharinum ([Fig, 73]), incomparable for beauty, also all our various fruit trees, peach, cherry, plum, apple, etc., in fact all the Rosaceæ family. Our beautiful American Wistaria, Wistaria frutescens ([Fig, 76]), the very ornamental climber, or the still more lovely Chinese Wistaria, Wistaria sinensis ([Fig, 77]), which has longer racemes than the native, and often blossoms twice in the season. These are the woody twiners for the apiarist. The barberry, too, Berberis vulgaris ([Fig, 78]), comes after fruit blossoms, and is thronged with bees in search of nectar in spring, as with children in winter, in quest of the beautiful scarlet berries, so pleasingly tart.
Fig. 77.—Chinese Wistaria.
Fig. 78.—Barberry.
In California, the sumac, the coffee berry, and the famous white sage ([Fig, 79]), keep the bees full of activity.
Fig. 79.—White Sage.
