Honeywort
Mediterranean annual with nodding purple-yellow tubular flowers; offers nectar in early spring, mostly benefiting bumblebees and long-tongued bees.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Low
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,3-0,6 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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Honeywort is an annual with waxy blue-green leaves that grows in the Mediterranean basin on field margins, in olive groves and on stony slopes. In Turkey it has been recorded on the western coasts; in Europe it is also grown as an ornamental. Its nodding, tubular flowers secrete plenty of nectar, but because the tube is long the main beneficiaries are bumblebees; honey bees also visit, and the pollen contribution is low.
Flowering
On the Mediterranean coast it flowers from February to May; in temperate regions, when sown in spring, between June and August.
Honey and pollen
There is no monofloral honey.
Note for the beekeeper
In early spring it can give a little support in coastal apiaries. In the garden it comes back every year from self-sown seed. There is no need to sow it in the hope of a honey crop; for early-flying bumblebee queens, however, it is a valuable source.