Strawberry tree
Maquis shrub bearing flowers and fruit at once; it yields nectar in October-December and is the source of the distinctly bitter strawberry-tree honey.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 2-8 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Strawberry tree is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the maquis on the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Sea coasts, which carries its flowers and the ripe fruit of the previous year at the same time. Its bell-shaped white flowers, opening in late autumn and early winter, are rich in nectar; since other sources are scarce at this time, it is very valuable to bees.
Flowering
It flowers from October to December. Because the weather is often cool and rainy at this time, the number of days on which bees can use it varies from year to year.
Honey and pollen
Strawberry-tree honey is known for its distinctly bitter taste (bitter honey); in Italy, especially in Sardinia, it is produced as a monofloral honey. Its colour ranges from amber to dark amber. In Turkey it is obtained in limited amounts in coastal regions. Pollen is collected in moderate amounts.
Note for the beekeeper
As it is a late flow, the honey mostly stays in the hive as winter stores; a harvest is possible only with strong colonies and in favourable years.