European Michaelmas daisy
Autumn flower of dry calcareous grasslands; offers modest but late-season nectar and pollen, of little importance for honey yield.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,2-0,6 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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The European Michaelmas daisy is a perennial that grows from Europe to the Caucasus, and in Turkey in the northern and inland regions, on sunny calcareous slopes and in dry grassland. It is visited by honey bees; the amount of nectar and pollen is moderate to low. Its importance lies more in its timing than in quantity: during the late-summer dearth it provides a small but steady flow of food.
Flowering
It flowers from late August to mid-October; visits peak on mild, sunny afternoons.
Honey and pollen
No monofloral honey is produced. The pollen loads are yellowish and add to the autumn pollen mix.
Note for the beekeeper
Wild populations are protected in many European countries and must not be dug up. In gardens it can be grown as an ornamental and bee plant on dry, calcareous plots; it is easily propagated by dividing the roots in spring.