Brown knapweed
A perennial knapweed of meadows with pink-purple heads; from midsummer into autumn it provides bees with steady nectar and pollen.
- Nectar
- Good
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0.3-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Brown knapweed is a perennial with pink-purple heads, common in moist to moderately dry meadows, on pasture edges and on road embankments. The large sterile florets at the edge of the heads provide visual attraction; the tubular florets in the centre give nectar and pollen. It is much visited by honey bees, bumblebees and butterflies.
Flowering
It flowers for a long time from June to September. Because it reflowers after the meadow is mown, it leaves bees a valuable source in late summer and early autumn.
Honey and pollen
No honey is produced under its own name; it contributes to meadow and highland multifloral honeys. Its pollen contribution is moderate.
Note for the beekeeper
In Europe it is one of the indispensable species of flowering meadow mixtures. In Turkey the genus Centaurea is very rich, with more than 200 species, and most of them are important sources for bees during the summer dearth.