Milkvetch
Spiny cushion shrubs of East and Central Anatolian plateaus; a main nectar source for highland honey in May-July, sold as milkvetch honey.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,1-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Milkvetch is one of the largest plant genera in the world; Turkey has more than 400 species, a large share of them endemic. For beekeeping the most valuable are the thorny cushion milkvetches that cover large areas of the plateaus of eastern and central Anatolia. Their white, yellow or pink-purple pea flowers secrete plenty of nectar and are worked intensively by honey bees.
Flowering
It flowers from May to July depending on altitude; on high plateaus June-July is the main period. It is one of the target plants of migrations to mountain pastures around Erzurum, Bayburt, Kars, Ağrı and Van.
Honey and pollen
It is one of the main components of mountain pasture honey and is sold in Turkey as milkvetch (geven) honey; it is light amber with a mild aroma. Its pollen contribution is moderate.
Note for the beekeeper
Compounds harmful to bees have been reported in the nectar of some milkvetch species in North America; no such record is known for the species in Turkey. Overgrazing and uprooting for fuel are shrinking the milkvetch areas.