APICO is a game that’s mostly about caring for bees. You can breed all sorts of various combinations of your flying little friends, but did you know that you can also breed flowers? The flower breeding system in APICO isn’t nearly as complicated as the bee breeding system, but there are some things you should know before you put your green thumb to work.
So here’s a complete guide to breeding flowers in APICO.
The basics
First up, you’re going to need an apiary. A Basic Apiary can be crafted at a workbench using these materials:
- 10 Honeycomb
- 10 Wood Planks
- 10 Logs
An Advanced Apiary can be crafted at a Workbench from these materials:
- 10 Honeycomb
- 10 Infused Wood Planks
- 10 Logs
The only difference between these two types of apiary is that the Basic Apiary can hold three frames, while the Advanced Apiary can hold six.
When you click on an apiary, it should look like this:
The two slots on the left-hand side are where you input your bees. The six (or three) slots in the center are where you place frames. The three slots on the right-hand side are the output slots (for the queen’s offspring), and the bottom six slots are for storage.
The important part of this for flower breeders is the frame section. You can craft (or buy) frames, and an apiary must have at least one empty frame in it for the bees inside to produce harvestable resources. When a frame is empty, it will be white, and when it’s full it will be yellow.
When a frame is full, you need to take it to an Uncapping Bench, which will allow you to produce Propolis. Uncapped frames can then be taken to an Extractor, which will allow you to harvest special resources.
During the extraction, you’ll be able to collect seeds based on what flowers were close to the apiary.
You can craft Uncapping Benches and Extractors at a Workbench.
How to cross-breed flowers
If you’ve been breeding bees, you should already be familiar with the breeding process. You’ll fill the frame slots in apiaries with empty frames, then place two bees inside to produce a queen. As that queen produces offspring, your frames will turn yellow.
Bees in apiaries will collect pollen from flowers that are nearby. For your convenience, apiaries have icons to the right of them that show you which flower types are within range.
Note that these icons will only be displayed if the bees in that apiary are actively working.
The idea is to make sure the correct types of flowers are nearby, and each frame harvest will have a chance of producing hybrid seeds.
For example, if you want to get Goldenrod seeds, you’ll want to make sure you have an apiary that has both Honeyrose and Beekeeper’s Delight nearby. You won’t get Goldenrod seeds with every harvest, but keep working at it and you should get some eventually.
Abbee’s Folio
Abbee’s Folio is an unlockable book that lets you track which flowers you’ve discovered. To unlock Abbee’s Folio, you’ll simply need to collect:
- Beekeeper’s Delight x5
- Swarmwort x5
- Honeyrose x5
When you have all of those flowers in your current inventory, go to your quest log and click the Flower Power quest to claim your reward.
One thing that’s important to note is that you won’t get credit for a flower until you’ve picked it. So once you create a new type of hybrid seed, you need to plant it, then let it mature, and then pick it. Once you do, that flower will be added to your log.
There are 13 species of flowers to collect and breed in APICO. Some have calming effects on certain types of bees when smoked, and others have special effects when placed in close proximity to an apiary.
Once you’ve logged all 13 in Abbee’s Folio, you will unlock Abbee’s Staff, which basically lets you “paint” foliage onto grass tiles. This means you can plant trees without acorns.
So here are all 13 species of flower in APICO:
Tier 1
Honeyrose
Scientific name: Rosa Hydromela
Description: Known for its sweet scent, the Honeyrose is the most common flower in the Archipelago, and is renowned by Beekeepers for its marvelous calming effect on Apiaries when smoked.
Special effect: None
Calming effect when smoked: Murky Bee
Where to find: Honeyrose is common in the starting area of APICO.
Swarmwort
Scientific name: Clavus Turba
Description: This delightful aquatic lotus-like flower thrives in the shallow areas around land. The blue dye produced by processing Swarmwort is one of the most popular dyes used in fashion.
Special effect: None
Calming effect when smoked: Murkey Bee, Hermit Bee
Where to find: Swarmwort is commonly found in the starting area of APICO in shallow water.
Beekeeper’s Delight
Scientific name: Jucundum Apiara
Description: When the sun shines bright, Beekeeper’s Delight shines almost as brightly back! Only found in temperate climates, it’s seen as a symbol of good luck and a blessing from the Hivemother herself.
Special effect: None
Calming effect when smoked: Murky Bee
Where to find: Despite what the flavor text might lead you to believe, Beekeeper’s Delight is actually pretty common in the starting area of APICO.
Tier 2
Honeybriar
Scientific name: Sentis Mela
Description: One of the most common cross-bred flowers, the Honeybriar releases a scent that energizes and excites nearby bees, increasing the overall productivity of the hive.
Special effect: This flower increases the productivity of bees, increasing the amount of produce gained.
Calming effect when smoked: Stubborn Bee
How to breed: Cross-pollenating Beekeeper’s Delight with Swarmwort will sometimes produce Honeybriar seeds.
Goldenrod
Scientific name: Virga Flava
Description: A magnificent hybrid flower, the Goldenrod is said to bring good fortune to those near. Favoured by the more “royal” bee families, the pollen from this flower increases the lifespan of bees.
Special effect: This flower increases the lifespan of bees, increasing the life of Queens.
Calming effect when smoked: Stubborn Bee
How to breed: Cross-pollenating Honeyrose with Beekeeper’s Delight will sometimes produce Goldenrod seeds.
Beesknees
Scientific name: Genu Apisa
Description: With its deep purple hue, Beesknees certainly stands out in the crowd. Its scent affects queen bees, making them produce more offspring than they would normally.
Special effect: This flower increases the fertility of bees, increasing the amount of offspring.
Calming effect when smoked: Hermit Bee
How to breed: Cross-pollenating Honeyrose and Swarmwort will sometimes produce Beesknees seeds.
Hivesbane
Scientific name: Pestia Alva
Description: Found commonly in the swamps, Hivesbane has a prickly black rose-like appearance. The sharp petals can lead to some distress in bees, causing them to act unpredictably.
Special effect: This flower decreases the stability of bees, increasing the chance of mutation.
Calming effect when smoked: Stubborn Bee, Fiery Bee
Where to find: Hivesbane can be found in the swamplands in the southeast corner of the map. You will need a boat to get there.
Pondshine
Scientific name: Lux Lacuna
Description: A natural marvel, Pondshine is a bioluminescent flower that grows in the shallows of the swamps. The light it provides at night keeps nearby bees active much later than they would be naturally.
Special effect: This flower keeps bees up for a few hours longer into the night.
Calming effect when smoked: Hermit Bee, Glowing Bee
Where to find: Pondshine can be found in shallow water in the swamplands that inhabit the southeast corner of the map. They’re easy to spot at night because they glow. You will need a boat to get there.
Tier 3
Honeydrop
Scientific name: Stilla Mela
Description: An exquisite flash of colour in an otherwise white wasteland, the Honeydrop brings a soothing presence to queen bees, keeping them more stable and their offspring to be more consistent across generations.
Special effect: This flower increases the stability of bees, decreasing the chance of mutation.
Calming effect when smoked: Fiery Bee
Where to find: Honeydrop can be found in the tundra area in the southeast corner of the map. You will need a boat to get there.
Frosteria
Scientific name: Floris Gelus
Description: An extremely hardy flower that can survive even the most fierce frosts. The nectar from Frosteria is extremely rich, causing hives to overproduce more than they would when sourcing their food elsewhere.
Special effect: This flower increases the amount of special produce a species will fill a frame with.
Calming effect when smoked: None
Where to find: Frosteria can be found in the tundra area in the southwestern corner of the map. You will need a boat to get there.
Hivanium
Scientific name: Floris Alveare
Description: Many plants produce bitter chemicals to discourage wildlife from eating them. Not so Hivanium, which secretes a potent stimulant from its flowers. Some islanders have even taken to brewing Hivanium tea to give them a little “boost!”
Special effect: This flower keeps bees up for a few hours longer into the day.
Calming effect when smoked: None
How to breed: Cross-pollinating Honeybriar with Pondshine will sometimes produce Hivanium seeds.
Combristle
Scientific name: Mella Seta
Description: Vastly unpopular with beekeepers and pet owners alike, Combristle is seen as an omen of bad fortune. In fact, research suggests it actually poisons nearby Hives, but the results are yet inconclusive.
Special effect: This flower decreases the lifespan of bees, making the Queen have a shorter lifespan.
Calming effect when smoked: None
How to breed: Cross-pollinating Goldenrod and Hivesbane will sometimes produce Combristle seeds.
Beewell
Scientific name: Apisa Bene
Description: Highly sought after and rare to find in nature, Beewell has such an invigorating effect on nearby hives to almost be unnatural. Such is their value in apiculture, owning even one flower is a closely guarded secret.
Special effect: This flower increases the amount of honey a species will fill a frame with.
Calming effect when smoked: None
How to breed: Cross-pollinating Goldenrod with Beesknees will sometimes produce Beewell seeds.
You missed Butterfly’s Friend – a cross mutation of Beekeeper’s Delight flowers