Spanish Needles Pollen Color, Bloom Season and Bee Forage

Visual guideSpanish Needles pollen

No verified flowering image is currently available.

Plant Facts

SeasonSummer to Fall

USDA Zone5 - 11

Plant TypeWildflower

ForagePollen and nectar

Pollen ValueMedium

Nectar ValueMedium

Color FamilyOrange and amber

Scientific NameBidens bidentoides

Common NamesSpanish needles, Delmarva beggarticks

Color ConfidenceLow

Color MethodProvisional visual swatch; exact-species pollen imagery supports identification context but no standardized field-load color was documented.

Reviewed2026-10-14

Quick Answer

Spanish Needles pollen is shown in this guide as an orange and amber tone. It is listed as wildflower, associated with summer to fall bloom timing, USDA zone 5 - 11, and pollen and nectar forage value.

Pollen Color Notes

The visual color shown for Spanish Needles is grouped broadly with orange and amber pollen tones. It is intended for comparison and identification support, not as a laboratory measurement.

Pollen color is highly variable. Lighting, pollen age, moisture, collection method, cultivar, and local growing conditions can all change how pollen appears. Use this as general visual guidance, not a scientific color standard or guaranteed field match.

Bloom, Zone, and Forage Context

Spanish Needles is listed for summer to fall. The record lists USDA zone 5 - 11; hardiness zones are planning context, not a precise flowering calendar. Approximate bloom months in the supplemental notes: August, September, October.

Its forage type is pollen and nectar, with pollen value marked as medium and nectar value marked as medium. Late flowers can supply pollen and nectar in tidal and coastal wetland habitat.

Identification Notes

An annual wetland beggarticks with opposite leaves, small composite flower heads, and barbed two-awned seeds.

Flower color note: Yellow-centered, sometimes with small pale rays. Flower color and pollen color may differ.

Related by Similar Color

Yellow Sweet Clover - Orange and amber Rough Oxeye - Orange and amber Onion - Orange and amber Carolina Silverbell - Orange and amber Green-and-Gold - Orange and amber Cedar - Orange and amber

Related by Season

Alfalfa - Summer to Fall Balsam - Summer to Fall Black-eyed Susan - Summer to Fall Blue Vervain - Summer to Fall Boneset - Summer to Fall Buddleia - Summer to Fall

Related by Plant Type

Alfalfa - Wildflower Aster - Wildflower Balsam - Wildflower Bee Balm - Wildflower Bindweed - Wildflower Bird's-Foot Trefoil - Wildflower

Related by USDA Zone

Adam's Needle - Zone 4 - 10 Alder - Zone 2 - 7 Allium - Zone 3 - 9 Almond - Zone 4 - 8 Alsike Clover - Zone 3 - 8 American Basswood - Zone 3 - 8

Related by Bee Forage

Adam's Needle - Pollen and nectar Alfalfa - Pollen and nectar Allium - Pollen and nectar Almond - Pollen and nectar Alsike Clover - Pollen and nectar American Basswood - Pollen and nectar

Sources

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
USDA hardiness zone context USDA PLANTS Database
United States Department of Agriculture / reviewed 2026-07-12
scientific name, common name, distribution context, plant classification Pollen & Plant Bloom Dates
New Jersey Beekeepers Association / reviewed 2026-10-14
New Jersey bee-forage plant list, regional bloom windows, common-name context A Manual of Bee Husbandry
New Jersey State Library / reviewed 2026-10-14
historical New Jersey bee-forage list, botanical-name mapping, regional bloom windows The Anther's Promise pollen library
The Anther's Promise / reviewed 2026-10-11
pollen color category, bloom period, pollen morphology, bee resource context