Paterson's curse, salvation Jane, or Riverina bluebell (Clemson, p. 216) is a major honey and pollen plant for the SE Australian beekeeping industry. Two tests indicate a crude protein level of 30% to 33%, and a reasonable amino-acid level. (Table 32)

This plant also produces good quantities of nectar and plenty of pollen, which results in the rapid breeding of bees.

Paterson's curse, along with spotted gum and broadleaf tea-tree, is the highest valued pollen for bees so far tested, with crude protein levels above 30%.

The collection of Paterson's curse pollen for mixing with a pollen extender like soyflour and later feedback would be highly recommended, especially to bees on winter honey flows like mugga ironbark and white box.

Amino acid	Minimum % of Amino-Acid from De Groot (1953)	Trangie  Spring 1987	Griffith  Nov 1991
Threonine	3.0	4.1	3.9
Valine	4.0	4.1	4.1
Methionine	1.5	2.1	2.5
Leucine	4.5	5.9	6.0
Iso-leucine	4.0	3.5*	3.6*
Phenylalanine	2.5	3.7	3.6
Lysine	3.0	6.8	6.2
Histidine	1.5	3.3	2.3
Arginine	3.0	5.0	4.7
Tryptophan	1.0	1.3	-
Crude protein		33.3%	30.75%